My attempt to get through Manhattan, live

Nov 2, 2012 by

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 Grist 

By Philip Bump

From where I live, on the Upper (upper) West Side of Manhattan, getting to the park on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge would normally be trivial. Take the 2 or 3 express train down, go under the East River, get off at Clark Street in Brooklyn, walk a few blocks. But here’s the problem with doing that today: The line ends at 34th Street — about 70 blocks from my house, but still about 50 blocks and one river from Brooklyn.My normal commute is from the bedroom to the living room, somewhat less difficult than, say, those trying to make their way in from Brooklyn. So in order to get a sense for what a commute might be like — or, really, what getting around the city at all is like — I decided to live-blog a trip to Brooklyn Bridge Park, using whatever transportation methods I can.A note. My house never lost power or water. I don’t live in a devastated region like Breezy Point or Hoboken. This is a challenge in a hey-that-might-be-interesting sense, not an oh-god-now-what sense. Why is that important to note? Because a) guilt and b) I want to be very clear that I don’t consider my afternoon schlep downtown any sort of hardship. Hopefully, though, it will be informative — to you and to me.And off I go.

My trip to Brooklyn Bridge Park

On the first day of (partially) restored subway service to New York City, this is my attempt to see how long it will take to get to lower Manhattan and across to Brooklyn.

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    This is the scene near where I live, in the upper 90s. Crowded. Active. pic.twitter.com/EgeI2lij

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    The subway, though, is different: free. See open gate at left. pic.twitter.com/dTApq314

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    The 2 train doesn’t normally terminate at Penn Station. pic.twitter.com/ukiLAzZX

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    The train is unusually full for this time of day. Rush hour will not be enjoyable. pic.twitter.com/iLMVtWDv
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    Guy to his daughter: “We’re going to Javits Center.” Her: “Where’s that?” Him: “By the water.”
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    Took a few stops before I remembered that riding the train is a luxury now. Between stations, spotted a pile of orange sandbags, unneeded.
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    In case you were curious, idiots still try to squeeze in between closing doors, even in extraordinary circumstances.

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    People in Penn Station stop to hear Sen. Schumer talk about transit. pic.twitter.com/3cfLKOJ8

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    The station itself is closed. Normally, it’s the hub for trains in and out of the city. pic.twitter.com/HYA7xwAV
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    At 30th Street now, about 45 blocks from the Brooklyn Bridge. Power is out sporadically; cops are guiding traffic at intersections.
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    Homeless guy: “Hurricanes are always hitting New York! First we had so-and-so; now we have Sandy.”

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    People are charging phones where they can. pic.twitter.com/aYCUtQ0F

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    A bodega, dark but open. Not uncommon. pic.twitter.com/fD3LpXp8

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    Advertising bikes next to the closed subway? Genius. pic.twitter.com/QRpWrH2g

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    A generator running power into a dark building. pic.twitter.com/wxWGkKhS
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    I’m still only in the mid-20s. To get to the bridge, I have to cut across Manhattan, too. There are cabs, but few allowing passengers.

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    Messages to Sandy in a shop window. pic.twitter.com/J1Ntq72T

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    As sanitation scrambles to catch up, flood of garbage water. Be glad this isn’t scratch and sniff. pic.twitter.com/yWlTBBKb
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    As expected, signal is very spotty in Lower Manhattan. Posting as possible.

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    Chipotle tosses expired juice. pic.twitter.com/No1Maum5

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    Staging area for utility trucks. Note the ones from out of state. pic.twitter.com/uL7VsuoB
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    At 9th Street and 3rd Ave, the East Village, basically. Quiet. Lots of cops.
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    Easy to forget the scale at which Manhattan operates. Small part of the city losing power has a huge effect. When a large part loses power?
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    Along the Bowery, more generators. Heading into Chinatown: closer to the river, much higher rates of poverty.
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    It is also deeply weird to think that it will be hard to get back home.
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    Phone died, but found an outlet outside an office. Figured security would be angry about my using it, but no. Not uncommon, I’m sure.

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    Asked a cop if line was for a shuttle. No, she scoffed. Food and water. In Chinatown; 60 in line, more near truck. pic.twitter.com/3E2f1f2c
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    Down by the base of the bridge, it’s just quiet. Cops directing traffic. Fairly normal.

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    Panorama in Chinatown. pic.twitter.com/Yuw5qofb
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    The quiet down here is significant. Usually a ton of storefronts and tourists and hustlers and commuters. Now, just quiet.

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    From earlier: Damage at Union Square. pic.twitter.com/DG1dPvv7

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    Entrance to the bridge. Unsurprisingly packed. pic.twitter.com/MYnksF3o

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    Street is still muddy. pic.twitter.com/kfEyoT4Y

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    Clean up in an art gallery. pic.twitter.com/5CE34X03
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    And the final update, delayed 45 minutes by battery outage:

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    This is the now-famous carousel, some five feet above the East River. This is Brooklyn Bridge Park, 3.5 hours later. pic.twitter.com/kKwu135u

 

Philip Bump writes about the news for Gristmill. He also uses Twitter a whole lot.

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