First Snowfall In Coney Island

The first winter storm of the season was a light snow fall for the New York area but a further annoyance for those that just recently got power back and started to dry up from Hurricane Sandy.  But winter storm Athena was no Sandy, and it wasn't expected to be.  Snow mixed with rain causing slippery conditions was it's worse outcome, for most people.  Some did lose power right after it came back on after superstorm Sandy put them in a blackout for many days.

Last week the hurricane washed sand inland past the boardwalk, and the sand dunes, some created by winds, others by releif workers for the cleanup, got a coating of Athena's snow.  As well, the debris-laden beach received a blacket of snow, obscuring any evidence of a hurricane aftermath.

But signs of a post-storm Coney was evident from the stacks of furniture and merchandise from businesses that were piled outside to be hauled away by santitation.  The non-profit Coney Island USA organization also lost merchanise that was destroyed by the storm.  For me it was a tempting pile of 'garbage'.  Coney beer glasses from the Shmaltz beer company, Coney Pilsner bike shirts, and other Coney t-shirts and items sadly destroyed and now useless with no value.

Overall, the quiet white boardwalk was still with nothing but Tom's Restarant open with some activity.  A few guests coming in to warm up and eat, as well as a few Coney denizens strolling in and utilizing the corner boardwalk restaurant as a meeting place.   Coucelmember Domenick Recchia walked in tall and celebrity-like to meet with a group of people at the back of the restaurant. A few usual Coney figures like Stanley Fox were slumming around the Restaurant.   

The clean up and relief seems to have slowed down compared to last week.  More assesment needs to be made in order to get a better picture on what the outcome for the coming Spring and Summer seasons will be.