beach, as trucks only have access to certain areas for beach cleaning. In addition, community structures along the beach, including a red brick enclosure used for lifeguard parking, were filled with sand and other debris during Sandy.
LOCAL BUSINESSES Banks, laundromats, and other important services took a big hit during Sandy and remained closed after the storm. At the time of survey, many businesses along the main commercial strip were still closed and without power, including medical and dental offices, and residents were not sure when they will reopen. This has left the neighborhood “without storefronts,” and it was noted that at least one medical office had to relocate. One resident noted that his favorite bakery, Golden Chocolate Bakery, was closed, as was The King Meat Market. Although this resident was able to buy fresh meat from other locations in the city, there was concern that other residents may not be able to travel this distance. Some other businesses, such as local restaurants, were able to replace their inventory more quickly and have reopened.
INSTITUTIONS A local school, the Bay Academy, was hit particularly hard due to its location adjacent to the waterfront. The local branch of the public library was also closed due to the storm and the community has not received any information as to when they were reopening or what type of damage the structure had sustained. In the meantime, members of the community have been visiting the library in Coney Island.
CHALLENGES AFTER SANDY PERCEIVED ABILITY TO RECOVER VS. THE REALITY A number of residents noted a discrepancy between the response in Brighton Beach and the response in neighboring communities, including Coney Island. Unlike Brighton Beach, Coney Island was provided with assistance by Occupy Sandy, a church that organized donations, and others. A theory shared by several residents is that, since Brighton Beach is considered a higher income area and has higher real estate values, it is not getting as much attention as lower income neighborhoods, despite the prevalence of need.
INSURANCE
Brighton Playground has been closed since the storm with locked gates.
Many residents in Brighton Beach did not have flood insurance. Three residents interviewed indicated that they did have flood insurance. Of these, one had had their apartment inspected, one hasn’t had anyone from the insurance company come to their building, and one was experiencing a slow response from their insurance company.
PETS
Another resident noted that they did not have flood insurance, but were sold terrorism insurance by their insurance company.
One resident the field team spoke with noted that two cats got sick as a result of the storm impact, with one cat dying due to dehydration and bronchitis after drinking sewage and salt water.
AGENCY RESPONSE Several agencies responded within the community, to varying degrees of success. Residents noted that the National Guard took a week to arrive at Brighton Beach and that the Red Cross
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ARCHITECTURE FOR HUMANITY NEW YORK