There was a blackout in NYC! You heard it here first! Okay, maybe not but I do have photos. I'll also give you a rundown of my day.
At 4pm the power went out in our building. Sunday there was a water main break on the floor above so we just assumed that someone blew a fuse with all the cleaning equiptment. Soon enough we learned that the power outage was throughout Manhattan and the boroughs as well as other major cities. I had been hesitant to leave since I work on the 43rd floor and there was no elevator. And if I got down I work on 50th and Broaway, which is a good seven miles from my apartment.
Eventually I had to go downstairs and I started walking down Broadway. There were tons of people walking and buses packed to the gills. It was completely odd to see Times Square without electricity. As you'll see in the pictures, there were people selling scooters, selling shoes (to girls in heels), selling ice cream for $1 or just hanging out and listening to radios. It was quite a scene. You also noticed a lot of business owners shutting down with the fear of looting.
Around 23rd Street I decided to get a Choco Taco at a Tastee Freeze truck. While in line and chatting with people I met Margaret. We were both on our way to Brooklyn so we teamed up for the walk home. The Buddy System is key. We kept walking down Broadway all the way to Chambers Street on our way to the Brooklyn Bridge. When we arrived the bridge was overflowing with people and one side of the bridge had become pedestrian only. We eventually made it back to my place, with two more friends in tow, and I drove the three of them home as they lived many miles further into Brooklyn.
I got home to my roommate and we talked for a while and then went to my car to watch a movie on my laptop in the AC. It was very nice. I came back, went to sleep and woke up at 8am to see the power come back on. Good timing. Now I am going to eat breakfast.
More Blog coverage:
Gothamist
ftrain
John Weir
Cheesedip
Camworld
Zeldman
Andrew Raff