Those basic activities can come at a steep price. Harold Bauer and Marianne Mayer from Vienna, Austr

Living park international hotel london in Manila, Philippines, Martin Gaw is used to hurricanes. He has seen hurricanes and typhoons that lasted four days, during which water levels were waist-deep. But he didn't expect to spend his fall vacation in New York City bunkered park international hotel london down at the JW Marriott on Central Park South, watching the incoming Hurricane Sandy through the lobby windows.
While most native New Yorkers spent Monday night in their living rooms, playing board games with friends and munching out of well-stocked fridges, the city's stranded tourists had less concrete plans. The hurricane, which is causing flooding and power outages in Manhattan and Brooklyn , has cancelled 12,500 flights park international hotel london worldwide and shut down most businesses and attractions in the New York City region.
"We came to New York expecting there to be so much to do," said Katy Sisson, 22, of Brighton, England, who spent Monday morning park international hotel london walking around Times Square park international hotel london in the wind and rain. "We feel a bit screwed over."
On Monday, many popular tourists attractions were closed, including all museums, park international hotel london major department stores, Broadway shows , the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and World Trade Center memorial. But with their plans interrupted, park international hotel london tourists also couldn't leave, as all flights out of New York City were cancelled.
Sisson was not the only one to brave the elements in an attempt to do some sightseeing. Around noon on Monday, Times Square was nearly as bustling as it is on a normal day, even though most shops and restaurants were shuttered. Those that did remain open -- Levi's, Billabong, Sbarro, park international hotel london and Travelex, among others -- were packed, sometimes overflowing with lines out the door.
Garo Nalbandian, 21, a sales associate at Levi's, said the company called up all its cashiers living in Manhattan around midnight park international hotel london Sunday to ask them to come and work at the lucrative Time Square location park international hotel london on Monday and Tuesday. park international hotel london "All of the tourists are coming here because there's nowhere else open," Nalbandian said. "I don't mind because I wanted the shift. They'll pay for my taxi back home once we close."
Even Sunglass Hut at Broadway and 48th Street -- an unexpected destination on the day of a hurricane -- had a line of people waiting to enter, nearly all of them from abroad. "We're not afraid of the hurricane," said Helide Blowr, 55, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who hoped to check out some Ray Bans.
Many tourists were of the opinion that the American media has been overhyping the storm. "Here, it is the same news on repeat," said Gaw, noting that, in the Philippines, stores and offices stay open and there aren't minute-by-minute news reports or transportation shutdowns. "American media is overblown. It's too much information," he said.
Dillenburg had to forego restaurant reservations as well as plans to visit the Museum of Modern Art. He had tickets to see "The Book of Mormon" on Broadway, park international hotel london but that was cancelled as well. "Now there's nothing to do but read, sleep and watch TV," he said.
Those basic activities can come at a steep price. Harold Bauer and Marianne Mayer from Vienna, Austria, are paying about $500 a night at the Central Park South Marriott. "That's park international hotel london a lot of money for us," he said. "That money could be used for a week's holiday somewhere else, but here, it's just for one night of sleeping."
The storm is costing Emily Kaplan from Newport Coast, Calif., about $5,000. She came to New York City on Sunday with her six kids, ages 3 to 12, and was supposed to leave Tuesday, in time for Halloween. Instead, she had to extend her reservation at the Plaza Hotel until Friday and go to Rite Aid to pick up whatever costumes she could find for her kids.
But Kaplan isn't concerned about the costs or about being cooped up with six kids. "I have given them many lectures about their attitude, telling them there are people without power or a place to stay," park international hotel london she said. "We are living here with every option, in the lap of luxury, in one of the best hotels in the world. It's far from suffering."
Living park international hotel london in Manila, Philippines, Martin Gaw is used to hurricanes. He has seen hurricanes and typhoons that lasted four days, during which water levels were waist-deep. But he didn't expect to spend h...
Living in Manila, Philippines, Martin Gaw is used to hurricanes. He has seen hurricanes and typhoons that lasted four days, during which water levels were waist-deep. But he didn't expect to spend h...
New York is one of two places today. It's either a place where you're sitting watching TV box sets and texting your friends about how much cheese you've stowed away for the storm (me) or it's a hostile, frightening place which is offering you very little, beyond an order to evacuate that you're unlikely to be able to obey.
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I'm kinda offended by the comments made by Mr. Gaw. Do not compare this situation with those in the Philippines. I'm Filipino and have family over there whom I worry about whenever a typhoon strikes, but I know it's nothing new to them. In regards to his comment of Philippines transit vs NYC transit: It's fortunate that NYC shut down the transit when they did as we now see much damage to the tunnels and roadways.This was not an overreaction, but a precaution. Kudos to the Philippines if they can keep their business fully operational and running in the midst of a hurricane. Unfortunately, here many workers live in outer boroughs. Without mass transit they are unable to get to work therefore, some stores and businesses have to remain park international hotel london closed. As to US media coverage: We appreciate it. I know much of my family in the Philippines, and many others, don't have TVs, radios or computers to stay in touch with what's happening. So,maybe there's less need for constant park international hotel london news updates. Perhaps Mr. Gaw's family is fortunate enough to afford those things, but mine aren't. I'm sure they would appreciate it too. I'm sorry that Mr. Gaw and his family are unable to enjoy the best of what NYC has to offer and can't leave the city, But I hope that he sees that NYC and the US are doing its best to recover and to keep all those within its affected areas (including tourists) as safe as possible.
Now, instead of going to a museum, a Broadway play or visiting the 9/11 memorial, Gaw is paying about $800 a night for his family to sit in their hotel and watch weather updates.........nothing like getting ripped off in NYC
No kidding........ Too many people living on top of each other, rude, in a hurry, chasing park international hotel london the almighty dollar. in a sea of concrete and constant noise pollution. I'll take my tree frogs and herons and quaking ducks on the pond all day and night long. They cannot possibly be prepared for such a disaster. Too many people. too little space.
Poor guy. Doesn't get to enjoy a lavish vacation. He is the true loser here, not the millions with power, the dozens who are dead, and the millions who will have to spend months if not years rebuilding their life.