Add The New York Post on Google Hundreds of people remained under evacuation orders Wednesday more than 24 hours after they were forced to flee over fears a Midtown high-rise would collapse — including hotel guests completely caught off guard.
Cris Stennett, 47, a public health researcher, said she learned about the evacuation early Tuesday as she stepped from her hotel room’s shower and heard firefighters pounding on her hotel room door.
The firefighters gave “like 30 seconds” to get out, forcing Stennett to leave behind her ID and several other necessities, she said.
“I was naked and afraid, afraid and naked. I mean, I still had stuff on my body,” she said.
“It was definitely not a pleasant experience.”
The multi-block evacuation order that scrambled Stennett and others from the area near the afflicted high-rise at 235 E. 42nd St. narrowed a day later, but several buildings stayed off-limits — leaving scores of travelers, workers and business owners in limbo.
Four buildings — 815 Second Ave., 225 E. 43rd St., 231 E. 43rd St., and 235 E. 43rd St. — remained under a full vacate order, city officials said.
The ground-floor restaurant at 217 E. 43rd St. — Yakiniku Toraji — was under a partial vacate order, according to officials.
The city kept East 42nd and 43rd streets between Second and Third Avenue blocked to vehicles, but let local residents, workers and visitors return, so long as they weren’t going to the four buildings still under an evacuation order.
Still, many New Yorkers were unlucky enough have business in the closed buildings.
Shawn Williams, 59, a retired corrections officer, said she drove from Harlem twice in as many days to pick up her pain medicine from her doctor’s office in an affected building before a trip to Connecticut.
“I came yesterday and I couldn’t get in,” she said. “So, I change my appointment for today and now they are closed.
“Yesterday, I paid $35 for parking and today I paid $58, for nothing.
“I’m going to go to the ER to get medicine because I cannot do without it. I can go into withdrawal so I have to have it.”
Minas Galitsis, 47, the general manager at The Casual Greek Restaurant on the corner of 44th Street and Second, had to close the eatery Tuesday.
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He was able to reopen the next day, but lamented the lost business.
“Thankfully nobody got hurt, but somebody’s gotta be held accountable,” Galitsis fumed. “No one’s taking accountability for all the businesses that had to close.”
