How Will Hurricane Sandy Affect My NYC Trip?

That's a popular question over at Yahoo Answers these days. While it certainly sucks that Sandy's wrath may have put a little damper on your plans, try not to forget how she impacted the lives of countless New Yorkers to the millionth degree. It's been nearly a week and some are still without power, food, drinking water and hope. There have been dozens of deaths and billions of dollars in damage. In other words, don't stress over vacation plans. Hell, if the tragedy we natives have faced doesn't move you, then at least be thankful you weren't one of the poor bastards who were already here on vacation. I can see the t-shirt slogans now... "I took a trip to NYC and all I got was this lousy..." I'll let you finish that.

So, how will Sandy affect your New York City trip? Well, I guess that depends on when you're coming and where you're staying. The good news is that the majority of NYC's "touristy" areas are well on their way to recovery. Hell, that jackwaggon mayor of ours even toyed with the idea of not canceling the NYC Marathon on Sunday, but that's a whole other box of hair I won't get into.

As of today, November 3rd, power has been restored to most of Lower Manhattan (which got the worst of it in Manhattan). The subways are partially running and should be fully functioning in a matter of days. Would I come here tomorrow? Probably not, but my guess is in the next week or two, the average tourist wouldn't have ever known Sandy was here. That is, unless you were planning to venture out to Long Island or the outer boroughs of New York City where it can be years before things fully recover. If that's the case, then you most definitely will feel the pain, especially in areas of Staten Island, south Brooklyn (Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, etc.) or Queens (mainly Breezy Point and the Rockaways). Most tourists have little reason to venture outside Manhattan, though I suppose Coney Island is a semi-destination for some.  Probably not a good idea to head there for a while.

"I'm planning to visit for the holidays, should I stay home instead?"

Well, you probably should have spent the holidays at home anyway, but if you did plan to come for the Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years holiday, then no worries, assuming you're not staying in one of the areas that I mentioned before that were hammered.

"I booked a non-refundable flight, what should I do?"

Well, if your flight was scheduled the week of Sandy, you should contact the airline. They may waive restrictions due to her impact on flights and airports.  

"I want the best possible experience."

Doesn't everyone? Even if we were only functioning on 75%, New York City is still better than most US destinations. Besides, you don't come to New York to see Long Island or Staten Island or Breezy Point, Queens, you come here to waste time in Times Square. :)

"Are the subways running?"

As if the majority of you actually take our advice and use it... Unless you are here right this moment, then subway service should be fully restored over the next few days. You can get daily updates here: MTA.info.

The bottom line, folks... When in doubt, call your hotel. If they've got power, you should be good to go. You may also wanna keep an eye on the upcoming weather forecast. We may actually have another storm brewing. Obviously, a storm isn't as menacing as a hurricane, but it may be the final straw to sway your plans.

***UPDATE: November 7th***

Things have progressed nicely since my original post a few days ago. Manhattan shows little signs of Sandy and it's business as usual for most. Power has been restored, the transit system is functioning, flights are coming and going, tourist spots are accessible and attractions are open. *The Statue of Liberty is currently closed due to damage, though it was closed for renovations for a year prior to Sandy anyway. There is also some notable damage to the South Street Seaport.

Of course, the questions and concerns keep rolling in.... Should I cancel my trip next week? Will everything be open? Will it be a year without a Santa Claus? The list goes on... I'll say it again folks... Your trip will not be affected at this point. The areas of New York City that were trashed by Sandy are outside Manhattan in the outer boroughs and out on Long Island!!! These are areas that you would not visit anyway.

Unless you booked a hotel located in New Jersey or Staten Island, you are good to go! Unless you were planning to go to the south shore of Brooklyn or the Rockaways in Queens, you are good to go!

Nothing of course is perfect in this world of ours, As I mentioned last time, a storm has been brewing and as I look outside my window, it's a slushy, windy, white landscape. That being said, if you were planning to fly into NYC tonight or tomorrow, you probably should expect some delays. Again, this is not Sandy related, just the nature of the beast out here in the Northeast. As of now, the forecast looks good in the coming days, so if you're planning to come this weekend or next week, don't stress!