The good news, as The Atlantic Wire reported yesterday, is many bookstores in Manhattan and Brooklyn managed to weather the storm, and should be—if they aren’t already—doing business as usual within the next day or so.
The bad news is powerHouse Arena, a beloved bookstore situated in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, was not so lucky. Because of its proximity to the waterfront, powerHouse was hit with 28″ of water and sustained heavy damage; though a final number has not been calculated, powerHouse is looking at an estimated total of tens of thousands of dollars worth. While they intend to reopen soon, for now powerHouse is seeking donations in order to assist with rebuilding efforts. If you feel so inclined, you can help them out by visiting their website. Any amount, small or large, is always good in this case.
Not without humor, powerHouse has also created a Tumblr called Sandy Hates Books, which will track the store’s recovery.
For more information on how Hurricane Sandy has affected other East Coast bookstores (New York and beyond), you can find a full roundup over at Shelf-Awareness.
