Hudson River Tuesday afternoon
This is the 18th installment of Cajun Tomato’s NYC 100, a daily series chronicling my experiences and observations as a new New Yorker. Click here to read more about my “Frankenstorm” experiences.
I journeyed down the hill on West 158th Street to the Hudson River this afternoon unsure what I would find. The water that broke the river’s banks last night had receded. Puddles remained on a basketball court which had standing water just 12 hours earlier. The gray river swayed, no longer a threat. Mist stung my face. I walked to the edge of the bank and looked toward Jersey, its buildings more visible than the previous day. I could see traffic moving on the George Washington Bridge.
Up the hill, life had returned to the Washington Heights neighborhood. Delis that closed Monday reopened. So did my laundromat, although today’s wet weather convinced me to delay my clothes-washing efforts. Leaves lined the sidewalks. There were no downed trees, standing water, or any of the other tell-tale signs a powerful storm had come to roost.
Just three days ago I caught the “1″ train downtown to see Heartless Bastards perform at Irving Plaza in the Union Square neighborhood. Today the subway system is down. Mayor Michael Bloomberg indicated it could be running by week’s end. The city is at a standstill. But we in Washington Heights, at least, can move around, go about our lives, take warm showers, etc. We are the lucky ones.
Come back tomorrow for a new installment of Cajun Tomato’s NYC 100.
