Blackout 2003 New York City (August 14 and 15)
Photos by Vasyl Lopukh, Hanya Krill, and Waldemar Piasecki brought to you by BRAMA.COM
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Lights, airconditioning, and subways out at 4:11PM August 14, 2003; people leave work and start walking home. (8/14/03)
All subway stations, such as this one at Grand Avenue (G, R, W lines) in Queens, are closed. (8/14/03)
5pm, Astor Place at St. Mark's Place where they intersect with 3rd and 4th Avenues in Manhattan. (8/14/03)
5pm, Astor Place at St. Mark's Place where they intersect with 3rd and 4th Avenues in Manhattan. (8/14/03)
Lights, airconditioning, and subways out at 4:11PM August 14, 2003; people leave work and start walking home. (8/14/03)
All subway stations, such as this one at Grand Avenue (G, R, W lines) in Queens, are closed. (8/14/03)
5pm, Astor Place at St. Mark's Place where they intersect with 3rd and 4th Avenues in Manhattan. (8/14/03)
5pm, Astor Place at St. Mark's Place where they intersect with 3rd and 4th Avenues in Manhattan. (8/14/03)

5pm, Astor Place at St. Mark's Place where they intersect with 3rd and 4th Avenues in Manhattan. (8/14/03)
5pm, Astor Place at St. Mark's Place where they intersect with 3rd and 4th Avenues in Manhattan. (8/14/03)
Some are lucky enough to get a ride ... on a Snapple truck! (8/14/03)
Queens Mall bus stop. No telling how long before the next bus arrives. (8/14/03)
5pm, Astor Place at St. Mark's Place where they intersect with 3rd and 4th Avenues in Manhattan. (8/14/03)
5pm, Astor Place at St. Mark's Place where they intersect with 3rd and 4th Avenues in Manhattan. (8/14/03)
Some are lucky enough to get a ride ... on a Snapple truck! (8/14/03)
Queens Mall bus stop. No telling how long before the next bus arrives. (8/14/03)

The pickup is picking up: any form of transportation will do in a pinch on Flushing Avenue, Queens. (8/14/03)
The best buys are at a Chinese "99 cents" store on Grand Avenue (Maspeth, Queens). Get your flashlights and candles here! (8/14/03)
Wiesiek Konopka of Maspeth, Queens, is happy to have bought a flashlight, candle, and 8 batteries after waiting 35-minutes in line. (8/14/03)
Ridgewood (Queens) residents are listening to NYC Mayor Bloomberg speak via transistor radio, the only source for information about the blackout. (8/14/03)
The pickup is picking up: any form of transportation will do in a pinch on Flushing Avenue, Queens. (8/14/03)
The best buys are at a Chinese "99 cents" store on Grand Avenue (Maspeth, Queens). Get your flashlights and candles here! (8/14/03)
Wiesiek Konopka of Maspeth, Queens, is happy to have bought a flashlight, candle, and 8 batteries after waiting 35-minutes in line. (8/14/03)
Ridgewood (Queens) residents are listening to NYC Mayor Bloomberg speak via transistor radio, the only source for information about the blackout. (8/14/03)

Everyone is welcome to join this impromptu sidewalk "Blackout 2003 Party" in Maspeth, Queens, on 59th Street. (8/14/03)
Spiderman? (8/14/03)
Stuck on a scaffold 25 floors above ground, man on a wire tries to climb to safety ... safely. (8/14/03)
(8/14/03)
Everyone is welcome to join this impromptu sidewalk "Blackout 2003 Party" in Maspeth, Queens, on 59th Street. (8/14/03)
Spiderman? (8/14/03)
Stuck on a scaffold 25 floors above ground, man on a wire tries to climb to safety ... safely. (8/14/03)
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Made it! (8/14/03)
Free water for the thirsty (8/14/03)
Police direct traffick onto Williamsburg Bridge (8/14/03)
(8/14/03)
Made it! (8/14/03)
Free water for the thirsty (8/14/03)
Police direct traffick onto Williamsburg Bridge (8/14/03)

Pedestrians cross WB to Brooklyn (8/14/03)
Pedestrians cross WB to Brooklyn (8/14/03)
Pedestrians cross WB to Brooklyn (8/14/03)
Pedestrians take a break on the WB (8/14/03)
Pedestrians cross WB to Brooklyn (8/14/03)
Pedestrians cross WB to Brooklyn (8/14/03)
Pedestrians cross WB to Brooklyn (8/14/03)
Pedestrians take a break on the WB (8/14/03)

Supper time in Chess Mazurek's Queens kitchen. (8/14/03)
Automobile lights brighten the FDR Drive (8/14/03)
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Supper time in Chess Mazurek's Queens kitchen. (8/14/03)
Automobile lights brighten the FDR Drive (8/14/03)
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A bottle of water and a paper first thing in the morning on August 15, 2003. (8/15/03)
Headline says it all (8/15/03)
Cell phones and cordless home phones are useless, so callers wait on line to use pay phones. (8/15/03)
Someone tried to get a free cheeseburger last night ... (8/15/03)
A bottle of water and a paper first thing in the morning on August 15, 2003. (8/15/03)
Headline says it all (8/15/03)
Cell phones and cordless home phones are useless, so callers wait on line to use pay phones. (8/15/03)
Someone tried to get a free cheeseburger last night ... (8/15/03)

NYU Women's Soccer team has all the power it needs. (8/15/03)
New York City busses are free ($2.00 fare suspended) and crowded - no subways running (8/15/03)
New York City busses are free ($2.00 fare suspended) and crowded - no subways running (8/15/03)
Lucille Lozada started directing traffick when the lights went out last night. Someone came along and handed her a red flag, and she's been out there waving it ever since. (8/15/03)
NYU Women's Soccer team has all the power it needs. (8/15/03)
New York City busses are free ($2.00 fare suspended) and crowded - no subways running (8/15/03)
New York City busses are free ($2.00 fare suspended) and crowded - no subways running (8/15/03)
Lucille Lozada started directing traffick when the lights went out last night. Someone came along and handed her a red flag, and she's been out there waving it ever since. (8/15/03)

(8/15/03)
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Sometimes they listen ... (8/15/03)
... sometimes they don't. (8/15/03)
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(8/15/03)
Sometimes they listen ... (8/15/03)
... sometimes they don't. (8/15/03)

Self-Reliance NY Credit Union closed due to blackout (8/15/03)
Conscientious SRFCU employees cheerfully wait to see if the lights go on: (l-r) Genya Kuzmowycz Blahy, Christopher Kovalchick, Maria Dzus, Maria Maslowycz. (8/15/03)
Conscientious SRFCU employees are ready in case the lights go on: (l-r) Genya Kuzmowycz Blahy, Mira Hankewycz, Christopher Kovalchick, Maria Dzus, Maria Maslowycz. (8/15/03)
Tom Birchard of Veselka, a popular East Village Ukrainian restaurant, took it all in stride. All food items that could be saved went into the freezers immediately but Veselka still offered full service until midnight last night. (8/15/03)
Self-Reliance NY Credit Union closed due to blackout (8/15/03)
Conscientious SRFCU employees cheerfully wait to see if the lights go on: (l-r) Genya Kuzmowycz Blahy, Christopher Kovalchick, Maria Dzus, Maria Maslowycz. (8/15/03)
Conscientious SRFCU employees are ready in case the lights go on: (l-r) Genya Kuzmowycz Blahy, Mira Hankewycz, Christopher Kovalchick, Maria Dzus, Maria Maslowycz. (8/15/03)
Tom Birchard of Veselka, a popular East Village Ukrainian restaurant, took it all in stride. All food items that could be saved went into the freezers immediately but Veselka still offered full service until midnight last night. (8/15/03)

Loyal patrons of Veselka enjoyed free pastries on Friday morning. (8/15/03)
Darkened East Village Pharmacy workers did their best to service their customers. (8/15/03)
Dogs are people too! (8/15/03)
Supermarkets were closed - cash registers weren't operating. (8/15/03)
Loyal patrons of Veselka enjoyed free pastries on Friday morning. (8/15/03)
Darkened East Village Pharmacy workers did their best to service their customers. (8/15/03)
Dogs are people too! (8/15/03)
Supermarkets were closed - cash registers weren't operating. (8/15/03)

Local grocers kept the water flowing. High-rise buildings depend on water pumps, and those stopped working when the power went out. (8/15/03)
East Village residents take a rest before climbing up 10 flights of stairs carrying weighty bottles of water. (8/15/03)
Elderly man with a cane makes his way slowly up a pitch black stairwell illuminated by flashlight (and a camera flash). (8/15/03)
New York's uptown is lit, while the East Village (foreground) along with other neighborhoods such as Chinatown remained in the dark. (8/15/03)
Local grocers kept the water flowing. High-rise buildings depend on water pumps, and those stopped working when the power went out. (8/15/03)
East Village residents take a rest before climbing up 10 flights of stairs carrying weighty bottles of water. (8/15/03)
Elderly man with a cane makes his way slowly up a pitch black stairwell illuminated by flashlight (and a camera flash). (8/15/03)
New York's uptown is lit, while the East Village (foreground) along with other neighborhoods such as Chinatown remained in the dark. (8/15/03)

New York's uptown is lit, while the East Village (foreground) along with other neighborhoods such as Chinatown remained in the dark. (8/15/03)
New York's uptown is lit, while the East Village (foreground) along with other neighborhoods such as Chinatown remained in the dark. (8/15/03)
New York's uptown is lit, while the East Village (foreground) along with other neighborhoods such as Chinatown remained in the dark. (8/15/03)
The Brooklyn half of the Williamsburg Bridge is lit, while the other side is illuminated only by headlights of Manhattan-bound cars (8:45PM, August 15, 2003). (8/15/03)
New York's uptown is lit, while the East Village (foreground) along with other neighborhoods such as Chinatown remained in the dark. (8/15/03)
New York's uptown is lit, while the East Village (foreground) along with other neighborhoods such as Chinatown remained in the dark. (8/15/03)
New York's uptown is lit, while the East Village (foreground) along with other neighborhoods such as Chinatown remained in the dark. (8/15/03)
The Brooklyn half of the Williamsburg Bridge is lit, while the other side is illuminated only by headlights of Manhattan-bound cars (8:45PM, August 15, 2003). (8/15/03)

The Brooklyn half of the Williamsburg Bridge is lit, while the other side is illuminated only by headlights of Manhattan-bound cars (8:45PM, August 15, 2003). (8/15/03)
New York's uptown is lit, while the East Village (foreground) along with other neighborhoods such as Chinatown remained in the dark. (8/15/03)
The Brooklyn half of the Williamsburg Bridge is lit, while the other side is illuminated only by headlights of Manhattan-bound cars (8:45PM, August 15, 2003). (8/15/03)
New York's uptown is lit, while the East Village (foreground) along with other neighborhoods such as Chinatown remained in the dark. (8/15/03)