In Red Hook, an Unlucky Few Still Without Power

Since Hurricane Sandy laid waste to large sections of the city's electrical grid, utility Con Edison has made big strides in restoring power.

In badly hit Red Hook, only 72 customers were still in the dark as of Friday, according to Con Ed.

But life for those comparative few remained a challenge — with no end in sight.

Take David Banner, owner of Constructive Display, a shop on Van Brunt pier that makes props and displays for large department stores like Macy's.

Two weeks after a massive storm surge broke though gates battened down by 2-by-4s, Banner and his employees are still making due with a gas-powered generator to assist in the cleanup and to keep the production floor running. 

"We're just trying to do as much as we can," Banner said. "But we need power."

On Thursday, Banner and his workers had to deal not only with lack of lights and heat, but with the stench coming from the waterfront building's cess pump.

While power is almost completely restored citywide, residents and business owners buildings like Banner are increasingly feeling left behind by the halting pace of recovery.

So far, neither Banner's landlord or Con Ed have given him a timeline for restoration of power.

“We have electricity ready and available for everyone at this point,” said Bob McGee, a Con Ed spokesman. “It’s a question of folks being able to make repairs to their own equipment.”

The news hasn't been all bad for the neighborhood.

Residents of Red Hook Houses had their power restored earlier this week. Workers at Dry Dock Wine and Spirits and Fort Defiance were hard at work getting their businesses in a condition to resume full operations. Eateries like Hope & Anchor and Baked were packed with lunchtime crowds.

But the closer one gets to the waterfront, it becomes clear that full recovery will be months, and, in some cases, years away.

Fairway remains indefinitely closed. And the FEMA Disaster Recovery office sandwiched between an IKEA showroom and the Swedish megastore's cafeteria isn't going away anytime soon.

For Banner and his hardy crew, the toughest days are grey, filled with low clouds and a bone-chilling wind whipping off New York Harbor.

"It's a lot better when it's sunny," he said.