Bensonhurst Post-Sandy, A First-Person Account

Bensonhurst seems to be up-and-running without any major issues. While the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy can still be seen, the spirit, energy and work ethic of the community is back and better than ever.

Restaurants, coffee houses, banks, supermarkets, retail stores and even gyms are now open. Though some report limited hours for the remainder of the work week, the must-haves (Bally Total Fitness, Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts and the retail outlets on the 86th Street strip) have reopened their doors.

Still, fallen trees and scattered debris marked several paths in the neighborhood. Bay Parkway, 18th Avenue and Shore Parkway were littered with broken trees and collapsed branches. It seemed as though residential properties, especially those situated near Caesar’s Bay, suffered more than other commercial entities. Some, like the Luxury Southampton Apartment Complex of 20th Avenue and Shore Parkway, flooded with close to two feet of water. Building managers spent much of Tuesday afternoon pumping water out of their lobby and assisting first floor residents, many of whom had their apartments flood, too.

Another issue reported by locals was the lack of cellphone service for those with Verizon wireless. After a disruption with a Verizon tower, some residents lost wireless reception Tuesday afternoon. Verizon wireless service came back up in Bensonhurst a little after 10 p.m. Wednesday night.

And despite several broken store signs and a number of unfortunate vehicles having been toppled by trees, the general consensus seems to be that this neighborhood was extremely lucky and came out of Sandy damaged, but unscarred.