Nov. 7, 2012 By Bill Parry
The Hunters Point section of Long Island City is slowly getting back to normal after Hurricane Sandy’s flood surge last week—although there are one or two hard-hit spots that have yet to fully come back.
Gantry Plaza State Park, the 12 acre waterfront oasis, is open for visitors, showing few signs of the deluge. However, just two blocks south, the damage was more significant.
Two luxury condominiums, The Powerhouse (2-17 51st Ave.) and The Foundry (2-40 51st Ave.), are drawing power from generators, waiting for Con Edison to turn on the power. Both condos sustained ground-floor flood damage.
“This is the lowest point in Long Island City. The water in the lobby was four feet high,” said Powerhouse resident manager Tom Dushaj.“We’ve repaired all the windows and hopefully we’ll get power in the next few days.”
Con Ed emergency trucks were just down the street from the two buildings. Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, assessing the damage in the neighborhood, said, “Con Ed is here because we raised holy hell with the city. We’ll keep Con Ed’s feet to the fire and assist the businesses so they can get up and running.”
The Waterfront Crab House, which is located nearby, sustained significant damage.
Owner Tony Mazzarella and his son narrowly escaped a six foot storm surge that buckled the floor, flooded the basement, and destroyed the kitchen equipment and much of the sports and cultural memorabilia that hung from the ceilings and every wall.
Anyone who visited the Crab House would remember the iconic bathtub full of peanuts just inside the entrance. It floated away in the flood.
Mazzarella has owned the restaurant for 37 years and revamped it after a terrible fire four years ago.
“Now it’s about dealing with the insurance companies, and even if I have to dip into my savings I’m bringing it back,” the former boxer said, “Four years ago they said the fire did us in and we came back. You tell them all: The Waterfront Crab House got wet, but we didn’t drown.”
4 Comments
You will be back ,your one of a kind dont let water or dealing with the Insurance Companies bring you down.[They are aload of Porkers anyway]
Just move forward bigger stronger and rebuild open up and be crazier than ever.
Give my best to Bobby
Just do it
Jeffrey
Love Tony Mazzarella! We will be back as soon as they are back!
The Crabhouse is a true LIC gem, and look forward to taking the family back there once the reopening is announced.
So sad to see the Crabhouse destroyed. Lots of memories ….
…It will rise again, just like the Phoenix ….
Good luck Tony ……