Amy,
A couple of economic anecdotes:
In the week after the disaster, and the week following that, I went to a couple of very popular and up-scale mid-town Manhattan restaurants. The first was no more than 40% full, and we basically closed it down when we left at 10:30. The second I just walked into off the street; only three tables were in use.
A friend of mine is involved with a restaurant in Williamstown, MA. He said business fell off initially, but has come back strongly since, as apparently some people in the northeast who had thought to get on a plane and go somewhere have decided to get into the car and pick apples/ watch the leaves change color.
Last weekend, I visited Amherst, MA, and dropped in on a wine store run by an old friend from grad school. While Tuesday is usually soft, business was surprisingly strong on the 11th, and in the ensuing days, hit levels only seen during the Christmas season. I guess people decided to eat at home and drink wine.
Best,
2MacLean |
