New York City, Six Months After Sandy

Image courtesy Wikipedia. Author: Hybirdd

~ The modern, relentless 24 hour news cycle, has a voracious appetite. Most news stories, unless on the scale of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, and Washington, DC, quickly disappear from the front pages of newspapers or as the lead story of nightly news bulletins.

At least 285 people were killed along the path of the storm in seven countries. In the United States, where media organizations and some U.S. government agencies nicknamed the hurricane "Superstorm Sandy," the storm affected 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard. The most severe damage occurred in New Jersey and New York, when the storm surge hit New York City on October 29, flooding streets, tunnels and subway lines, and cutting power in and around the city. Damage in the US was estimated at over US$71 billion.

Six months after Hurricane Sandy made landfall in Cuba, and worked its way up the east coast of the United States to New York City and beyond, devastating coastal communities in its path, little if anything is heard about the ongoing recovery efforts still underway in these coastal communities. In New York City for example, vast stretches of beach front along the Atlantic reaches of Staten Island and Coney Island in particular still look much like they did soon after the storm struck.

Clipping from amNY...

While I don’t have a complete list of locations and infrastructure that are still closed or under repair, six months after Sandy, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Immigration Museum remain off the tourist circuit. The Statue of Liberty is due to open by July 4, but no date has been set for the reopening of Ellis Island.

Of the numerous subway stations and tunnels that were flooded by the almost 14 foot storm surge, the new South Ferry station seems to have suffered the most, when 15 million gallons of salt water poured into it, causing around US$600 million in damage. In response, the old 108-year-old South Ferry station has been reopened while the new station is repaired―a process that may take as long as two or three years!

To my knowledge, the one remaining subway line to be affected by Hurricane Sandy is the A-train. This currently runs as far as the Howard Beach station, with free shuttle buses operating non-stop between this station, and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue. I assume, rail service is also affected at the other end of the Rockaways, at Rockaway Park Beach. More information about this service can be found at the MTA.INFO site…

Elsewhere along the coast, work is continuing apace to get New York’s beaches ready for the 2013 summer season. Despite being one of the worst affected areas, Coney Island is already open for business―or most of it anyway. The main outlet for Nathan’s Famous, a Coney Island business famous for its hotdogs, and for the annual hotdog eating contest they run remains closed, although its other branch location on Boardwalk West is open. 

Photo: M.T.A. / Patrick Cashin / via Wikipedia

The nearby New York Aquarium at Coney Island was flooded, and will have a limited opening this spring, but there is no timetable for the re-opening of Nathan’s. Meanwhile, Rockaway beach and Jacob Riis Park should be open by May 25 (Memorial Weekend), but it looks like Fort Tilden will be closed for the summer.

And then there is one of my favourite New York City locations―the South Street Seaport area around Pier 17. After a long day walking the streets of lower Manhattan, I have spent many a warm summer evening relaxing and taking in the sights and sounds around the South Street Seaport.

The viewing ‘decks’ of the shopping mall on Pier 17 provide some of the nicest views of the Brooklyn Bridge―especially if you time your visit to coincide with the magic hour or two around sunset. Then the view and the wonderful photographic opportunities are unbeatable. Sadly, though, not only did the South Street Seaport Museum suffer extensive damage, but the Pier 17 area itself was badly affected by the storm.

Negotiations are currently underway with the Howard Hughes Corporation (which owns the Pier 17 area), to build a modern shopping mall, incorporating a rooftop garden and concert area, and other facilities. I can’t say I am excited by the new design for the building which features copious amounts of glass, and seems out of place at a ‘seaport’ location, but maintaining the seaport there is better than having yet another skyscraper dominating the skyline at the foot of Manhattan.

In the meantime, I understand the current shopping facilities at Pier 17 will continue to operate as best they can through summer 2013, until construction of the new building commences later this year. 

I am sure the above is just a small part of what remains to be done to repair and replace damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in the New York City area. But I hope it serves as a reminder that although the news cycle has moved on, thousands of people along the whole length of Sandy’s path are still dealing with the aftermath  of the storm every day, and will continue to do so for many years.

Listen To Your Inner Adventurer

One of the things about travel that I find to be a constant challenge is getting out of my comfort zone. At the age of 62, and officially a ‘senior’ – a term I use as little as possible, by the way – I am becoming very conscious of my growing limitations.

Limitations such as falling levels of fitness, a growing list of aches and pains, and the need to rest more, drink less, get to bed earlier and sleep in longer! Limitations that I try to ignore, confront and test as much as possible. So in keeping with today’s theme: Listen to your inner adventurer, here are some of the ways I have found to push back against my own fears, limits and insecurities.

Make Your Own Travel Arrangements

While it may not always be possible to organize every aspect of your own travel itinerary, it doesn’t hurt to do as much of it yourself as you can.

Last year I undertook a long, slow round the world trip that lasted a full eight months. The only aspect of the trip I didn’t book myself was the airline ticket. All other travel arrangements, from insurance, accommodations, sightseeing, additional air and bus travel within countries and across continents, I organized myself.

As a solo traveler, taking responsibility for my own travel arrangements has given me the confidence to plan and undertake future journeys, secure in the knowledge that I have already displayed the skills, resources, self-reliance and self-belief to take care of myself under most circumstances.

Of course, not everyone has the luxury of undertaking an eight month journey, which allows time to chop and change travel arrangements, sometimes on a whim. Travellers who are pressed for time, and who need to be keep to tight schedules and strict deadlines may well find that their travel agents are the best people to help organise and arrange their trips. At the very least, a trip to your travel agent to discuss your plans is always a good idea.

When in Rome…
I know many people who go to extraordinary lengths to avoid the ‘When in Rome do as the Romans do’ principle. They only eat meals they are already familiar with. Or consume drinks they’ve had a hundred times before. The idea that they might experiment and try something different terrifies them. A seemingly endless list of ‘what ifs’ seems to paralyse them with fear.

Ok, let’s be clear here. I’m not suggesting you go looking for the most disgusting meals and drinks available to you (raw blood soup, fried tarantula’s, or balut, i.e., duck fetus), but a little experimentation to broaden the palate can make the travel experience that much more interesting, and add to any sense of adventure you derive from your trip.

The most unusual meal I can claim to have eaten is patsas, a Greek soup made from tripe, which in Greece generally involves using the stomach of goats rather than cows – the more common source of tripe, although tripe is also produced using the stomachs of sheep, pigs and deer. I can’t say it was the most appealing meal I’ve ever had, but (pardon the pun), I was able to stomach the meal without too much trouble.

As an interesting aside, the Illawarra Folk Festival (held each year in Wollongong, Australia) claims to be the only festival in the world that kicks off with a fully fledged tripe eating dinner. I wonder how many people have added that event to their ‘bucket list’?

Field of Dreams
Travel also gives you a chance to experience aspects of a culture in the home of that culture. Like baseball. During my stay in New York City over the summer of 2010, I attended my first baseball game – ever. That’s right, at 61 years of age (which I then was), I had never attended a baseball game – whether at the amateur level or professional.

I should point out that baseball is nowhere near as popular in Australia, where I live, as it is in the United States and some other countries, so I might be excused for this lapse in my sporting education. However, I was keen to experience the atmosphere and excitement of a professional baseball competition in the home of the game, and this I did when I attended a meet between the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones at MCU Park in Coney Island.

Sure, it’s hardly earth shattering in terms of adventure travel, but it would have been just as easy for me to ignore the opportunity to catch the game, and stick with the usual tourist fare available to every visitor in New York City – tall buildings, a top ten list of major attractions and such like. As it happens, my visit to MCU Park only wet my appetite for more, and hopefully my next visit to New York will coincide with a major league baseball game rather than one from the minor leagues.

The point I am trying to make is that there are many ways to break away from the usual and the mundane when you travel, and whether your idea of adventure is bungee jumping, or an exotic meal, travel often gives you the excuse and licence to try something new. Something you may never have considered trying before. Something which may in fact turn out to be one of the highlights of your trip.

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Friday Photo: Swimming Prohibited

Image: Coney Island, New York City. Click image to enlarge.

The sign on the fence running along Coney Island’s famous boardwalk couldn’t be plainer. I don’t know if locals swim outside the hours stated on the notice. Nor do I know if lifeguards patrol the entire length of the beach in the area of the boardwalk. However, I do know the beach at Coney Island is officially closed between September and May each year, which for most Australians would be beyond belief.

Of course, it wouldn’t happen in Australia. The idea that swimming could be prohibited at a major suburban beach for whatever reason would invoke howls of protest amongst swimmers, surfers, jet skiers, boaties and others water enthusiasts.

Occasionally – and I do mean occasionally – a beach might be closed temporarily due to the dangers presented by roving sharks, large numbers of blue-ringed octopus, box jelly fish, or other such hazardous marine life.

Other than that, why would you stop people from enjoying an early morning swim?

More importantly, why would you stop folks heading to the beach after a long hot day at school, the office, or other place of work? In Australia, over summer, the beaches are well patronized in the evenings when the heat of the day has dissipated somewhat, and families have an opportunity to share some time together relaxing by the ocean or cooling off in the sea.

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New York City for Kids

~ 10 Kid Friendly Places to Visit in New York City at a Bargain Or Free
By Shreejana Hickman

1. Bronx Zoo: If you are a Bank of America (BOA) customer and have a BOA ATM, Debit or Credit Card, you get free admissions on the first weekend of every month. Also on Wednesdays throughout the year admissions is pay as you wish or you just give a donation. You may have to pay for separate exhibits. It is one of the biggest zoos that we've been to.

2. Toys r Us: This 3 story toy heaven is right in the heart of Times Square. There is also a Ferris wheel ride inside the store! The kids can sit in their favourite seat on the wheel: a cosy coupe, school bus, or pink Barbie Cadillac, Cars. You can also go to FAO Schwarz. This huge 50,000 square feet Toy store is located at 5th Avenue -58th Street, and is a NYC landmark. The giant Bobby the Toy Soldier by the entrance is very welcoming, and a great photo opportunity. They have lots of interactive activities including a dance - on piano; the same one Tom Hanks danced on, in the movie Big.

3. Brooklyn Botanical Garden: There is a free program on Saturdays from 10-12, if there are no special events going on. Children under 12 are always free.

4. NY Aquarium, Brooklyn: As BOA customers the first weekends are free. Or, every Friday between 3:00pm until closing at 4:30pm, it's pay as you wish. Children under 2 are always free. The kids are sure to enjoy exhibits with over 8000 animals from as far as Southwest Coast of Africa to the nearby Hudson River.

5. The Jewish Museum: Children Under 12 are always free. They have Free Saturdays from 11am to 5:45pm. In addition, as BOA customer the first weekends of every month is free. Kids 3-10 can enjoy the interactive, Archaeology Zone. Here the kids can discover what happens to the artefacts once they are unearthed and brought to the labs for analysis.

6. Children's Museum of Art: On Thursdays from 4-6pm, it's Pay as you wish. The art work by young people from 50 different countries and some adults all geared towards children is sure to spike their interest in art.

7. Skating Rinks: The admission to Bryant Park Ice Skating Rink is free. However the skate rentals are $12 each. If you are visiting family/friends you can always borrow theirs, that's what we do! The South Street Seaport - Seaport Ice Admissions is only $5, and $7 (cash only) for skate rental. Ice skating at Rockefeller Center, this is a great winter season experience in NYC. The admission is only $5, Monday - Thursday 11:30am to 1:00pm.

8. NY Hall of Science: This is located at Flushing, Queens, and is free for BOA customers on the first weekend of every month. September through June admission is Free on Fridays 2-5pm, and Sundays 10-11am. Kids can explore and enjoy the hands on science and technology exhibits.

9. Story times: No matter where you are, kids always enjoy story time; and a little downtime for you. Most Barnes & Noble bookstores offer story times for different kid's age group. Time and days will vary by location. You also want to check it by the local library close to where you are staying. Usually story times last about 30 minutes, with stories, songs, colouring or some arts and crafts. The best part is that it's always free!

10. Coney Island Beach: People usually don't come to New York for its beaches. However this beach located in Brooklyn, offers the combined fun of a 3 mile boardwalk, the not so common seashore Circus Sideshow, and an amusement park. You can also enjoy walking on the long pier.

About the Author

Shreejana Hickman Writes: You can also read my article 10 Family Fun things to do in NYC for FREE, for other great activities at, http://www.travelbargainmama.com/ I'm Shreejana Hickman, and I began the blog, Travel Bargain Mama to assist moms, families, and any travel enthusiasts, find the ultimate travel bargains available, family and or kid friendly activities throughout the US, around the world, or in your local area. Despite these tough economic times, we can still enjoy travelling to new and exciting places, or to a favourite city. Travel Bargain Mama was started on the premises of value, hard-to-find bargains, and getting more with less.

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Image: Coney Island Reflections, by Jim Lesses