Sunday, January 24, 2016

City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York.

The blizzard finally ended before midnight last night.

The sun returned to us today.  By tomorrow morning, it might be hard to remember the blizzard, even though it was the second biggest snowfall to hit New York since record keeping began.



I put on my new boots and headed out for a walk just before midday.


Lots of energetic shoveling and powerful snowplowing had been underway and the results were apparent.


Curbside drifts were solidly packed.


I was happy to see that a mid-block crossing channel had been created allowing folks living in my building to easily cross the street to the north side of the street.  And vice versa.  Please note the lack of any slushy pools in these channels.


Just down the block no such channels appeared.  Those drifts were about four feet tall.  


Down at the corner with Broadway, a local television news crew was recording some sort of report.  Their sound truck was parked just where some regular street vendors usually set up their table of useful items like hats, scarves, toy taxicabs, and so forth.  I sensed some sort of pending serious discussion between the news crew and the vendors and kept on walking.

Perhaps you can detect the ongoing exterior maintenance work on the beautiful building across Broadway has required a sort of giant hairnet to be applied to the building's facade.

I continued on my way down Broadway past Lincoln Center, where several crews were catching up on clearing snow from walkways, driveways and the plaza before ice formed. 


The little triangular park across from Lincoln Center is a pleasant place to sit in warmer weather.

My destination was my workplace, even though I was not scheduled to work today.


I thought it would be fun to show you all a view from that giant front window of the mall, now that the holiday colored lights had been removed and the snow had fallen on Columbus Center.


My work colleagues and I all had today off, so that we could have a postponed holiday celebration.  We went for a quick lunch and then attended a Broadway musical matinee.  It's very unusual for us to have such an opportunity to enjoy each others' company off duty, and we did have a fine afternoon.

I admit that I did not much like the show we saw, but I won't reveal its identity.

After the show, I took the subway home from Times Square, and took a few more post-blizzard photographs of my neighborhood to give you all an idea of just how quickly our city can move on after even a big storm. 


This view down Broadway shows an immense pile up of plowed snow right at a bus stop.  Buses returned to service today, and my photograph does not show a tiny narrow channel that had been cut through that snow mound to allow potential bus passengers to actually reach the steps to a bus.  But...those passengers will have to wade through some slush.

Yesterday, bicycle delivery persons were ordered to stay off the streets after mid-afternoon, so that the streets could be effectively plowed over and over as the evening arrived.  


By today, delivery service had resumed.  Those folks pedaling bikes to deliver take-out food have great courage.  I think that their jobs are very dangerous even in perfect weather.

Well, this will conclude my trio of reports regarding our historic snow storm.  It has been unusual for me to blog so frequently.  Hoping you all have enjoyed my attempt to give you a sense of how we handle this sort of natural occurrence.  I've certainly enjoyed reading your comments and thank you for your visits.

48 comments:

  1. Your reports are always so much more informative than those we see on the news channels in the UK. Thank you for the update, I'm impressed at how quickly the snow is cleared and traffic and public transport rerun to normal. I'm also pleased you had an enjoyable get-together with your work colleagues.

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    1. Celia, it's fun for me to do a little on the ground reporting. I should mention that in some of the outer boroughs, the snow clearance is not so efficiently done as it is in Manhattan where I live. xo

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  2. Thank you for the photographs Frances . I wish I was there to see it myself. Your photos are the nearest I will get. Thank you again. Rachel

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    1. Thanks Rachel. I admit that I was thinking of you when I took some of those photographs that I hoped would provide the flavor of the day. xo

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    2. I did Frances. I imagined I was walking down Fifth Avenue with snow piled up. x

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  3. I have enjoyed reading these posts Frances and I am glad you are safe.

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    1. All is indeed well, Gina. Back to work later today and also tomorrow. It was good to be outdoors yesterday! xo

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  4. I guess New York has a huge network of vehicles to plough the roads, but even so it must have been quite a task looking at the amount of snow in your photos. Glad you are safe and warm.

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    1. The city has a huge fleet of large white sanitation department vehicles. Snow plows are attached to the fronts of these massive vehicles and ... the fallen snow has met it match! xo

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  5. I have really enjoyed reading your reports and I am very impressed how quickly the snow was dealt with.My son should have gone to Boston yesterday but the flights were cancelled.

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    1. I expect that East Coast airports will be slowly getting back to business today. This time around the weather forecasting was accurate, and this really helped with planning. xo

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  6. Dear Frances, the reflection in this giant front window is so stunning! Thank you for sharing your snow pictures and how city life is in these special conditions. Good that the weather forecast was so precise so that people were warned enough. However, good that it is over for the moment. The question is now: was that it? We got very mild days now again and there is a wee feeling of spring in the air, especially today with that blue sky and the low sun.

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    1. Bayou, it is not a reflection, but the actual view through that giant window. It is rather impressive in all sorts of weather. You can see across Central Park all the way over to the tall buildings on the Upper East Side.

      I expect that we shall see more snow this winter.... xo

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  7. Thank you for taking us on a walk around snowy New York.
    Liz

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    1. I thank my new boots for making that walk possible. xo

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  8. Hello Frances. I've just caught up with your posts about The Blizzard – thank you for such an informative and interesting view. I was thinking about you over the weekend and wondering whether you would be trapped inside your building or able to get out and about. I'm very impressed with how the snow was dealt with by the NY authorities – that much snow would bring the UK to a mass panic and a grinding halt for days. I'm glad you were able to try out your new boots :-) Keep warm. Best wishes, Sam x

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    1. Thank you Sam. It was an interesting weekend, and most folks are pretty glad that the snow did arrive at the weekend. (Except perhaps for school children who might have wished for an extra day or two off.) xo

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  9. Wasn't yesterday fun when we could get out and about!
    Excellent reporting as ever! x

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    1. It really was a pleasure to get outdoors in that crisp air amidst all the bright snow gleaming in the sunlight. Before the slush took over.

      xo

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  10. That was a lovely walk around snowy New York. I am always amazed at quickly things get back to normal....I watch the Times Square web cam for a peek at what is going on.....or at least I do when it will stream properly.
    I hope the boots were comfortable.
    Hugs from The UK-x-

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    1. Sheila, it always amazes me, too. Next time there is a snowstorm predicted, I'll have to remember to take some photographs of the masses arriving at local grocery shops to find that Quart of Milk. Real drama in the queues, but mostly good humored. xo

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  11. Frances, it hardly seems like the second worst snowstorm. I can't believe they are functioning so well afterward. I guess I figured it would all be shut down for a few days. I think it must have been a lot of fun for the kids. Glad you got the new boots.

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    1. Having the snow arrive very late on Friday night was very helpful to managing the steady accumulation. If the storm had begun about 2 pm on a Tuesday, the story might have been very different. Hurricane Sandy was a much rockier situation, as was a certain September event.

      Yes, lots of sleds were put to use, and I really like my new boots. They handled the terrain wonderfully. xo

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  12. I'm glad you liked my reporting, Sue. I was very glad on Snowy Saturday to have some homemade lentil soup available for a delicious lunch. I should have included a photo of my soup bowl! xo

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  13. New Yorkers are known for their resiliency, and nothing shows it more than how quickly you rebound after such a big storm. That is a lot of shoveling!

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    1. Pondside, I imagine that our handling of snow has a lot to learn from our Canadian neighbors. I think that having a couple of sunny days with above-freezing temperatures are going to be very, very helpful.
      xo

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  14. Hi Frances,,
    As a former New Yorker who now resides in colder (but dry & sunny) Western climes, I very much appreciate your report and lovely photos. My former hometown in Nassau County on LI got 23.5" of snow according to WABC-TV! On Saturday here in Denver, we had high temps of 64F, no wind and full sun. One just never knows. Do you know the excellent gardening/food Blog called "66 Square Feet?" Marie V. posted some terrific street snow scenes of Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn there that you might enjoy.
    Cheers,
    Diane in Denver

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    1. Diane, thanks so much for your message, and for letting me know about 66 Square Feet. I will have to have a look at Marie V's post. I once lived near Carroll Gardens, so might recognize some of her locales.
      xo

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  15. Thanks for the update inntempo real . The snow fall was cleared quickly and the citizens have had no discomfort .
    a warm greeting from Italy

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    1. Thank you so much for visiting all the way from Italy and for leaving a comment, too.

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  16. I thought of you, when we had your snow on our news and hoped you were safe. I'm glad you were able to get out and about, and in new boots! Beautiful though snow is, in such large quantities it is somewhat of a liability. Though makes for gorgeous photos. :-)

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    1. Gretel, it was really great to stay indoors through the blizzardy part of the snow, and then to be able to fairly easily get outside, in those new boots, the next day when the sun shone brightly. I'm sorry I did not make it over to Central Park this time...maybe next snowfall. xo

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  17. Like Gretel, I thought of you too and wondered how you would fare. X

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    1. Val, snowstorms like last weekend's are easier to handle in a big city...no car, no driving, to worry about. xo

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  18. Hello from Italia!!I knew abour snow in N.Y. from tv but really nice read about it from you blog!!You have a new follow...me!!Ciao

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    1. I'm so glad you've visited here and joined as a follower. I look forward to seeing more comments from you in the future. Grazie!

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  19. Dear France
    What an amazing city to live in - great infrastructure! Our mayor and council could learn a lot by seeing New York in snow storm response.
    The old buildings are lovely.
    It is hard for me to imagine such snow but I'm glad they cut pathways mid block to make things easier for you.
    It's maddening when one looks forward to seeing a show and then it's not what one enjoys - I know that feeling too.
    Your posts are so interesting France's I love reading about your life in NY.
    Keep warm and I hope you get sun this weekend.
    Shane x

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    1. Shane, it's my aim here to give those of you don't live near New York an idea of what life is really like here. One of these days I'll take my camera out during my subway train jaunts around town. You might then revise your praise of the infrastructure. But...we do keep on keeping on.
      There were a few sunny days this week. Tomorrow is Saturday...and it will be back to work for me. I think I can leave my new boots at home. xo

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  20. Well, it's all over now - the blizzard, the strong wind, the worries... thank you for sharing your experience with us, Frances! It's so important to have a perfect organization in a big city, so that any inconveniences won't disturb its citizens. I hope life has come back to normal and a lovely weekend is "knocking on the door" for you.:)

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    1. Rossichka, there are still some neighborhoods of our borough of Queens that need some shoveling out. The streets are more narrow there, and lots of residents need to park their cars along the curbsides. Not making it so easy for snow plows.
      However, over here in Manhattan, the snow's just about all gone, and those Sanitation Dept trucks, that were equipped with snowplows last weekend, are now able to start picking up garbage. By day after tomorrow (Sunday,) we should be just about ready for more snow.

      It's been great to have temperatures above freezing. I will return to work this weekend. My days off usually show up mid-week.

      xo

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  21. I love your pictures of the blizzard in progress -- quite a beautiful effects. And your cozy snow boots -- so glad you had them. I can't even imagine the effort and coordination that must be needed for the clean up -- amazing how quickly it got done!

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    1. Oh thank you, Vicki! Yes, getting snow cleared from NYC is a very complex operation. Quite a few past politicians have had their careers ruined by not getting it right.

      xo

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  22. What a nice and snowy walk in your lovely city!
    So much snow...wow...
    Always nice visiting your blog Frances.
    Titti

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed waking along with me Titti. I've now put those warm boots away for a while...we are now experiencing strangely warm weather. Climate change on display.

      xo

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  23. I think I shall be happy with snow as 30-40
    degrees below zero are forecast for this weekend.

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