more Hurricane Sandy- Tuesday

Piers Morgan noted tonight in his CNN programme that New York is living somewhat “a double-life” after the hurricane. And in truth that seems spot on: a walk up and down 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue from 45th to 70th finds every bar and restaurant packed with clientele. Surely most of these people aren’t from lower Manhattan. Average spend per person at least $20-$50 including tax and tip. Hmmm…and Morgan didn’t give the representatives of the hospital generator failure (New York University Langone) an easy time either. Not to diminish the diligence and courage of staff who evacuated newborn babies and at risk patients. But! How could this happen in a major New York hospital? There are many uncomfortable questions to answer post-devastation. One can’t be blamed for wanting to have a pre-Hurricane ‘knees-up’. But nor can one be excused for avoiding many of the difficult questions that need answering after such an event. And with all due respect, it’s very hard to find much sympathy for the Upper West and Upper East denizens who never seem to suffer the ‘slings and arrows’ of living in NYC. Happy hill rather than ‘happy valley’.