Friday, November 9, 2012

More Stories from Stormville: Reflections on a Batty Week




An art gallery on 23rd St. Note black plastic trash bags.

As people who read this blog often probably realize, I spend quite a lot of time wandering about. This is partly because of the dog and partly because we don't have a car. The city is recovering from the storm a lot quicker than the communities on Staten Island, New Jersey and Long Island. We are lucky: herewith some recent pictures.


Trash piled up all over the place. Here on 23rd St. Note the toys and the child's crib.


Long lines for gas --here the corner of 10th Avenue and 23rd St.


A utility truck from Illinois in Union Square. There were also ones from Arkansas -- in fact from all over the country and also from Canada. Thank you. Thank you.

Barnes and Noble......thinking of Christmas.

One of the few good things about all this is perhaps people without power are getting a chance to catch up on their reading -- except by now they are probably so incredibly miserable they might have lost interest in even doing that. Those whose power is restored, are glued to the thill of having TV. (Us too!)


On Monday Frances and I took a break from all the gloom to enjoy the glitter of ABC Carpet which was all Christmassy and glittery and magical.


I've started being very fierce about trying to buy things not made in China. It really is quite possible --though sometimes challenging.


We had coffee in Le Pain Quotidien which was rather empty and peaceful


then went to the greenmarket which has moved to 23rd St and Madison Square Park from Union Square.



On the way home, I went to Trader Joe's which had incredibly long lines......... 


On Tuesday we waited to vote for over an hour in the chilly afternoon. It was all very disorganized, though the volunteers were doing their best. (Other people elsewhere had to wait far longer!) HOORAY for the results!


So, the day after that, it started to snow


and snow some more


until it covered the lawns.


I think this shop window dummy has the right coat on.


In the bus I see wooly hat season is upon us.


Yesterday evening the ESB was bathed in celestial light


and this morning CON ED is back at work. Look at all that complicated equipment! If it was left to me we would still be in the Dark Ages....

Sorry for such a long post.




19 comments:

  1. I like long posts! :)
    And I like knowing things that happen in the Big Apple! Thanks!
    Have a nice weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Interesting photos and so glad your area is getting back to normal.
    I worry about the people in places that are still in the anguish of trying to sort out and figure out what to do. And in the mist of all this the weather is so cold and it is snowing.
    I can understand what they are going through.
    When my home burned in one of the first years most of Southern California was on fire, 1993, it was so hot and dry you couldn't stand it. The air was filled with smoke and all sorts if things you where not to breathe, my lungs have never recovered.
    Trying to pick up "normal" and the paperwork tons of paperwork. Plus all the sadness, gut wrenching sadness everywhere. But at the same being strong for the children.
    It was around the same time, right before Halloween, with Thanksgiving and then Christmas coming.
    But what no one tells you about how long it takes and how years later you are looking foe something and then you remember, "oh that was lost in the fire". I still look for things even this long after.

    I am so glad everyone in your family is fine.
    Hugs to Buster from the Square Ones

    cheers, parsnip

    ReplyDelete
  3. No need to apologize for the length of your post . . . every photo was worth the time. It's always so enjoyable to go on your wanderings with you and I feel a little bit like I've really been to NYC!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Elizabeth, it's so much fun to wander around the city with you...so seeing your photographs always reminds me of sights we have seen and conversations we have had. It's great to see a long post!

    I very much like all these photographs, and think that green tinge works really well with so many of them.

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  5. Loved the long post Elizabeth and you eye on things.

    The snow pics are so lovely...happy that things are getting back to normal quickly for you but cannot imagine what folks still effected are feeling.

    Snow is headed our way tomorrow, hope it bypassed you this time.
    x..x

    ReplyDelete
  6. Did you see the ESB bathed in democratic blue, I wonder. And I missed taking a photo of that right in front of my eyes! It hasn't done that since....
    And now you say the green market has moved from
    Union Square? This is not my day. Feeling weak all over I decided to go to the Strand to buy my current favourite author, Margaret Forster. Could only find two bios - Daphne du Maurier and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. KEEPING THE WORLD AWAY is the best novel I have read in a long, long time. It is amazing how you can make an ordinary subject seem so interesting!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for giving us an update on how N.Y. is doing! Your photos speak!
    Thank God you are doing well:) Have been in contact on FB with people from N.Y. who are not doing well emotionally, because of the losses they incurred. Hope that this Katrina will not be dragging on as long as the one in Fl.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You know, I'm Jesh StG from FB, right?

    ReplyDelete
  9. i love walking around the city with you . makes me want to fly to ny and go to Abc carpet .i expect it is better for my wallet if i don't .
    thanks for a great post .
    kathyd

    ReplyDelete
  10. Glad to see things are slowly returning to normal for you. Your walks are always a treat.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh Elizabeth don't ever be sorry for a long pictorial post - I loved it - wonderful! Mm, I wonder if it's ABC Home and Carpet? is where I've seen pics of the most amazing Santa.
    It's unbelievable that this snow storm came through to complicate matters further.
    I too always feel as though I've walked and seen some of the real NYC with you through your photos.
    Thank you for your good wishes.
    R.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wonderful long post- I love long posts when you do them- I get involved! I feel as though I have been somewhere! The snow is not pleasing however...brrrr, too soon!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I always enjoy wandering around the city with you and only wish I could gatecrash one of your daytrips with Frances! One day... it is just so interesting to see what the aftermath is like and photographs speak a thousand words. loved the glitter deer in the abc photo!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Perhaps not long enough. Of the many questions I have concerning the recovery is ... has there been public statements about salty sea water damage to underground wires, pipes and assorted technologies?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Fabulous pictures. I have a feeling I might never make it to NY so you really are my window now. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  16. i'm visiting from frances. thank you for sharing all these photos. i've always loved nyc, but now even more that two of my kids live there. it's good to see what i hear about through phone calls and text messages (i wish one of them had a blog) but it's lovely to find others that do. thank you again!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yes, a chance to catch up on the reading, so true!

    ReplyDelete
  18. interesting seeing different sights of the clear-up.

    ReplyDelete

I look forward to hearing from you!