Dustin Keirns' Photography Blog

Hurricane Sandy Walking Tour - Sunnyside, Queens to Chelsea, Manhattan

I didn't know quite what to expect on the streets the day after Hurricane Sandy barreled through the North East. We had all been through a previous Hurricane the year before that left very little damage, nothing near the damage that incurred from this big storm. I decided that I would do the Sandy Tour to see first hand the extent of the damage. I started in my neighborhood, Sunnyside Gardens, where most of the significant damage was. Both on my street and the street over there were several huge trees that had been uprooted in the 50mph winds that landed on cars and blocked entire streets. This sight attracted a large crowd to view the new street feature. Subways as this time are closed, so the only way into Manhattan was by foot. I took the Queensboro Bridge, as many others did without public transportation. I made my way onto the Island and walked west to see the dangling crane on 57th street. The streets around the crane were blocked off but besides this, midtown was business as usual. Walked through Times Square which looked nothing different than Times Square on any given day, bright with lights. Broadway was lit up as I continued further south but as I ventured East, the light began to subside into darkness. 5th Ave was completely dark with only light coming from the cars on the street. Cross town streets were erie black and no lights shone from anything. This was a weird experience being in Manhattan. Union Square was just as dark. My final stop on the tour was to see the fallen facade of a building in Chelsea that exposed the interior as if it were a mere doll house. My walking tour was a strange and interesting way to see the city and experience it in a way that I have never before experienced. Hope you enjoy the photos!