New York City could best be described today as a cross between ‘Omega Man’ and New Year’s Day. It is eerie, empty and enticing. I couldn’t resist going for a ride this morning to soak in the atmosphere and get a sense of a city on notice. Central park was busy as usual with joggers, but that was about all, and the Park’s rangers had all parked their cars in the middle of the road, away from the trees. There were a handful of horse-drawn carriages but none of the usual mass of pedicabs. Riding down Broadway, where all the shows for the weekend have been cancelled, I felt for the tourists. Imagine coming all this way ( if you could actually land – all the airports are currently closed ) and finding your Broadway show cancelled, most of the restaurants closed, no public transport ( first time ever the transit system has been shut down because of weather ), Soho like a ghost town, and the city buttoning down for a hurricane! Nevertheless, there was a feeling of adventure in the air, and when I stopped to take a photo of a theatre sign announcing the closure of the show, a bunch of people lined up behind me to take the same shot. Further downtown, past taped windows and boarded businesses, the sense of being part of an extraordinary event was further enhanced by all the film crews assembling on the tip of Manhattan, waiting for Irene….