The week Sandy blew into town was an unforgettable experience in New York from black outs and floods to businesses and offices shut down across the city. We’ll never forget roaming Downtown that first night as darkness set in and the lights never came on. East Harlem rode out the storm as best it could, and thankfully, took only a few small hits. Unfortunately, many other parts of the city weren’t so lucky, so before you check out a few images that we’ve put together, consider donating time, food or money to a few of these worthy causes to help out our fellow New Yorkers in need.

An empty beer garden the night before. C. Nelson, 2012.

Sandy a few hours before it hit. C. Nelson, 2012.

106th & Lex during the heart of the storm. C. Nelson, 2012.

Flatiron bubbles the day after. C. Nelson, 2012.

Free subways had a brief, shining moment. C. Nelson, 2012

Bye Sandy: Moon rise over East Harlem. C. Nelson, 2012.