Hurricane Irene: Wall Street Is Wet but Ready --- Lower Manhattan Largely Spared Damage, Though Commute Remains a Concern
New York-area financial exchanges and some of the city's large banking firms said they planned to open Monday, after Manhattan emerged from the storm largely unscathed.</br></br>But few expected a quick return to normal life. While officials said New York's subway would be largely operational, many trains from the suburbs won't run and many surrounding bedroom communities remained hampered by fallen trees and flooded roads.</br></br>The ability to conduct any business would prove welcome. The rare threat of a hurricane had New York City braced for the worst. After officials shut down subways and buses for safety reasons, retailers, museums, Broadway theaters, restaurants and even nail salons followed suit, bringing the city to a standstill.</br></br>Concern focused in part on the fate of the Financial District downtown, considered one of Manhattan's more vulnerable areas. But after a rainy night Saturday, the storm moved northward on Sunday having done little damage in Manhattan.</br></br>In most of Manhattan, including downtown, power was largely intact and there was minimal flooding. In Battery Park City, an area along the mouth of Hudson River that the mayor's office had ordered evacuated, residents were biking and jogging by lunchtime Sunday.