<p>SoPo - South of Power in Manhattan. </p>
<p>D1 just got power in her apartment, but she is going to stay with us for few more days because her firm is going to have her work in midtown for few days next week. This probably has been the best thing about the storm, to have D1 with us for a week.</p>
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That’s a great thing, isn’t it?</p>
<p>My secret hope is that working all these hours will keep my husband away from the fridge. His weight has gotten dangerous.</p>
<p>My son’s building is still without power. He’s been staying with his GF in UES. Several other friends are also bunking there.He walks about 30 blocks to work, obviating his daily gym sessions. My D has opened her apt for her friends to get dinner, company and electricity.</p>
<p>My sympathies to all who are affected. It sounds frightening and awful. I have family in NYC, Long Island, and coastal Connecticut. They are all without power, those living in Long Island still have a flooded den (not a basement mind you) and those living in NY are virtually stranded in NY because there is no gasoline to be had. “Just” being without power is not nothing: for one thing, the evening temperatures have become quite cold and having no heat is an issue, especially for elderly people. For another, there are elderly people in high rise buildings who cannot physically manage 20 flights of stairs and are dependent on others to bring water and food. My heart goes out to the family who lost the two young boys. I’m very glad that the mayor decided to cancel the marathon even if the decision came too late. I truly believe that all focus must be on bringing relief to those who need it and repairing the damage to the city before anything else.</p>
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<p>I highly doubt most working in lower Manhattan was back Wednesday since there was no power.</p>
<p>And school? Certainly not happening in Long Beach where my family is. Not only is there no sewer/water/power, the schools aren’t even close to being inspectable yet. I guarantee school won’t be starting there anytime soon, not for a couple of weeks and that is optimistic.</p>
<p>They also have no way to get to work in the city though work (Broadway shows) has been back for days. Nowhere to shower, no clothes to change into. They may live 3-4 miles outside the city limits but they are part of the working city too. That’s why my kids’ dad is working like 3 people’s jobs…because he was able to get in and he has a place to stay and they can’t and they don’t.</p>
<p>…and closing bridges for runners when 2 days ago you had to have 3 in a car to enter the city at all? </p>
<p>And no, it’s not NOLA after Katrina. But no one was suggesting a marathon in NOLA less than a week after that storm either.</p>
<p>Listening to the Boss singing at the Sandy benefit concert. People can give money via ITunes, just few clicks. Whatever we give will help some of those homeless people (pets) now.</p>
<p>^^ it’s online too, live: [Hurricane</a> Sandy: Coming Together | NBC](<a href=“http://www.nbc.com/hurricane-sandy-coming-together/]Hurricane”>http://www.nbc.com/hurricane-sandy-coming-together/)</p>
<p>(well it just ended…)</p>
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<p>The marathon has been cancelled. The mayor was forced to change his mind. </p>
<p>While their problems can’t compare to those who have lost their homes, there are still going to be some hoping mad runners who just spent big bucks to fly to NY, believing the mayor’s promises that the show would go on.</p>
<p>While I am glad they made the decision to cancel the marathon, it may be worth mentioning that New Orleans hosted a very, very large annual event down in the French quarter just as the city was recovering from Hurricane Irene last month. The airport was barely open again when throngs of people were arriving from all over. My DS was without power in his home for 5 days in the heat and humidity, and there were a lot of large trees down and damage from flooding but that event went on downtown as scheduled. No, it was not on the scale of Katrina or Sandy, but just pointing out that the downtown tourist areas did host events while the city and environs were still recovering.</p>
<p>Yes, but I think the magnifying glass is out now (after Katrina) and it was insensitive of the administration for the marathon and of uptown to think they could pull it off. Katrina changed everything and there were mistakes made with Katrina. People are far more aware of those that are not yet with power, who are in the cold, who have lost everything and simply because mid-town Manhattan is recovering faster than other boroughs or NJ doesn’t make it “right.” That’s what some of us in he midwest think anyway. Donna L is correct, it would be comedy to think that the race would garner the dollars this year that it had in previous years. If anything it could conceivably tax the subway, buses, hotels, police, fire and restaurants. I’ve been in communication/PR/Marketing my entire adult life and i was screaming inside “why are you doing this?, why are you doing this?” Even if “things aren’t as bad” as media is portraying…it is “bad enough” which is probably pretty bad, so OK, someone finally knocked some sense into the organizers. Thank goodness.</p>
<p>Sting is awesome!</p>
<p>My concerns with the marathon were that the Verrazano Bridge would be closed, making traffic more miserable in an area with a gas shortage. The runners are usually brought to the starting line by ferry, which makes them inaccessible to passengers (same with the five boro bike race). There is also a lot of clean-up after the marathon. That would have been pretty harsh under the circumtances. I think the uproar reflects dislike of the mayor as much as opposition to the marathon</p>
<p>Whew, I did not get talked into buying an investment home at the Jersey Shore on the beach. They look like match stick boxes today in the photos.</p>
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<p>I’m not in New York so the picture I’m getting is from news coverage, but even the news coverage does not jibe with this.</p>
<p>The other argument I would have made to the mayor is IF New york would have continued with the Marathon it would have given the impression that things weren’t all that bad in the area which could have led to million of dollars that would NOT have been donated to support those that need it. People outside the metropolitan area lump it all together - they don’t differentiate between Staten Island, the Jersey short, mid-town Manhatten, etc…it’s just New york and new Jersey. What kind of picture does it present on national TV to have tents and water passed out along the run and and marathon volunteers in pretty T–shirts and pasta feeds etc. etc. etc. I simply cannot believe that no one made that argument. The generators were the straw that broke the camel’s back. This late decision will live with Bloomberg (sp?) for a while.</p>
<p>Schools are going to be open on Monday but a lot won’t have power. Not sure how that will work. My son’ school has power. I’m so glad.</p>
<p>It really depends where you are. I am not saying that it is not bad, but news coverage tends to cover the worst. </p>
<p>Most people from my company were back at work on Wed. I have a friend from Toms River, he is without power, but his house is fine. My daughter’s friend is from Staten Island, she went home because her parents had power. My parents in NJ are without power, but their house didn’t have any damages. I have a lot of friends in the area and they have parents/friends around here, knock on wood, they are all safe, but without power. I am worried about my parents because it is getting cold. I had my friend check up on them today. They don’t want to come into the city to stay with me. My friend is going to check up on them tomorrow again. I am hoping they’ll change their mind.</p>
<p>Oldfort, the worst should be covered and it doesn’t begin to convey how bad the reality is. Not just on Staten Island, but in Brookly and Queens, too. Not to mention New Jersey. As DonnaL said, parts of Manhattan really are miserable. I am sincerely glad that you and yours are ok, and hope your parents get power soon because I’ve read that the weather is going to get dicey again this week.</p>
<p>Some schools may be open but my nephews middle school in Coney Island is making no promises and may have to relocate for awhile due to flooding and damage.</p>
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It should be covered and is being covered, but the general public shouldn’t necessary believe the whole tri state area is like a war zone. People are getting back to norm.</p>