South Street Seaport, one year after Sandy

In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, much of the public attention focused on damage to beachfront communities like Seaside Heights and Breezy Point. But thousands of residents and businesses were also displaced around South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan, where a seven-foot storm surge washed through historic buildings, some centuries old.

A year later, some blocks remain eerily empty. On Water Street, in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, dozens of storefronts are closed or empty. The Bridge Cafe, one of the oldest restaurants in the city, is still closed—due to what its owner says are complications with renovating a building that dates back to 1794.

But there are some signs of life. Last week, the historic Paris Cafe on South Street reopened, as did the sushi restaurant Suteishi on Peck Slip. And the Italian restaurant Barbalu opened earlier this month on Front Street, replacing another eatery that had been destroyed.

Another transformation is in store for this neighborhood. Earlier this month, officials broke ground on a renovation of the mall on Pier 17—a project that will extend a few blocks north to historic buildings on Fulton Street, where developers are promising to build a food market modeled in part after the Ferry Building in San Francisco. (Holly Bailey/Yahoo News)