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Sunny's Bar In Red Hook Struggles To Reopen After Hurricane Sandy
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 27, 2012
Modified Nov 27, 2012
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John Del Signore/Gothamist
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 27, 2012
Modified Nov 27, 2012
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One of New York's most lovable bars, Sunny's, needs a little help to get back on its feet after Hurricane Sandy. Like many Red Hook establishments, the longstanding bar, owned by the neighborhood native Sunny Balzano, sustained considerable damage during the storm. According to a Kickstarter page created to raise money for repairs:
During the hurricane, water filled the entire basement that houses all of the mechanical systems for the building. We will need to replace the boiler, water heater, compressor, refrigerator and ice machine. We will need all new electrical panels and wiring. We will need to replace a large percentage of our existing stock. Water also came into the 1st floor of the bar and rose 2 feet, causing buckled floors and ruining many musical instruments and a lot of our sound equipment.
These are the big ticket items, but there are a huge number of other things that need to be repaired or replaced that are too numerous to list. We are only now, weeks after the hurricane, finally at the point where we can realistically tally up all of the damage. We only have part of the power back as of Friday, November 16th.
Sunny's, which Balzano's great grandfather opened in 1890, has 23 days left to reach its goal of $20,000. The pledge prizes are pretty sweet—$250 gets you a first-generation, original membership card to "The Red Hook Yacht and Kayak Club" which was the official name in the late '90s, before it had a legit liquor license. Back then each drink cost $3 and you kept a running tally of your orders on a nautical-themed drink card. $1,000 gets you dinner with Sunny himself at a local Red Hook Restaurant—Balzano promises "he won't even run to the bathroom when the check comes."
And if you've never been there in person, here's a peek inside during Anthony Bourdain's visit to Sunny's:
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John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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