Hundreds of people were still unable to return Wednesday, more than a day after officials ordered an evacuation in Midtown over concerns that a high-rise could collapse — a sudden disruption that left hotel guests among those caught completely off guard.
Cris Stennett, 47, a public health researcher, said she found out about the emergency early Tuesday just after stepping out of the shower in her hotel room, when firefighters began banging on her door.
Stennett said firefighters gave her “like 30 seconds” to leave, forcing her to evacuate without her ID and other essential belongings.
“I was naked and afraid, afraid and naked. I mean, I still had stuff on my body,” she said.
“It was definitely not a pleasant experience.”
The evacuation zone, which initially stretched across multiple blocks near the troubled high-rise at 235 E. 42nd St., was reduced a day later. Still, several buildings remained closed, leaving dozens of travelers, employees and business owners uncertain about when they could return.
City officials said four buildings — 815 Second Ave., 225 E. 43rd St., 231 E. 43rd St. and 235 E. 43rd St. — remained under full vacate orders.
Officials also said Yakiniku Toraji, the ground-floor restaurant at 217 E. 43rd St., was subject to a partial vacate order.
The city kept East 42nd and 43rd streets between Second and Third Avenue blocked to vehicles, but let local residents, workers and visitors return, so long as they weren’t going to the four buildings still under an evacuation order.
Here’s the latest on the evacuated Midtown building in danger of a ‘localized collapse’:
Still, many New Yorkers were unlucky enough have business in the closed buildings.
Shawn Williams, 59, a retired corrections officer, said she drove from Harlem twice in as many days to pick up her pain medicine from her doctor’s office in an affected building before a trip to Connecticut.
“I came yesterday and I couldn’t get in,” she said. “So, I change my appointment for today and now they are closed.
“Yesterday, I paid $35 for parking and today I paid $58, for nothing.
“I’m going to go to the ER to get medicine because I cannot do without it. I can go into withdrawal so I have to have it.”
Minas Galitsis, 47, the general manager at The Casual Greek Restaurant on the corner of 44th Street and Second, had to close the eatery Tuesday.
He was able to reopen the next day, but lamented the lost business.
“Thankfully nobody got hurt, but somebody’s gotta be held accountable,” Galitsis fumed. “No one’s taking accountability for all the businesses that had to close.”
