28 The Queens Courier • October 24, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com sandy retrospective COOKING UP A COMEBACK LIC restaurant better than before BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] As an ocean rushed down the street and filled their basement-level restaurant with seven feet of water, brother and sister duo Laura and Lawrence Vecchio could only watch in fear of losing everything. The Vecchio family was one of the thousands of business owners who received massive amounts of damage after Superstorm Sandy hit the city last October. With their family-owned restaurant, Mia Famiglia, located at 44-29 9th Street -- which opened only months before Sandy, in April 2012 -- just a little over 500 feet away from the East River, the siblings were expecting a maximum of two to three feet of water after hearing the warnings of a storm. However, after standing in the first level lobby of the Wyndham Hotel, on whose lower level the restaurant is located, and watching the storm pass through Long Island City, they knew the next few months were going to be difficult. “We anticipated water but not that,” said Laura, who is the head chef at the restaurant. “It looked like an ocean coming down the street.” The family had close to $275,000 in losses and damages, including kitchen equipment, tables, chairs, walls and much more they had to repair and replace. “Nothing was salvaged,” said Lawrence. Along with dealing with the aftermath of the storm and staying closed for three months, the Vecchios said they also had no help from their landlord, the owners of the Wyndham Hotel, who they allege left them to fend for themselves. The owners of the hotel did not return calls for comment as of press time. Post Sandy, when the city released its new storm evacuation maps, the brother and sister duo learned Mia Famiglia was moved from Zone A to Zone 2. The Office of Emergency Management determined the maps “based on six evacuation zones that represent varying threat levels of coastal flooding resulting from storm surge.” “There’s no logic to it, we didn’t move,” said Lawrence. “We’re still in the same spot. The water is still in the same spot. So how can you say we’re not Zone A severe?” Yet, with all the damage and problems the storm threw their way, the family said Sandy has not put them down, but actually allowed them to come back stronger. With the help of the Small Business Association, the Vecchio family fought to start the new year bringing back their warm family dishes, including homemade cheesecakes made by Antoinette Vecchio, a.k.a. “Mama,” to the Long Island City community. Another helping hand also recently came through the Food Network which approached the family after Lawrence had created a Yelp account for the restaurant and shared their story. Mia Famiglia was invited to participate in a brand new show called “Restaurant Divided,” where restaurants are divided in half with two different concepts on each side, and in the end the idea with the best profitability and customer reviews can decide to either take before Photo Courtesy Lawrence Vecchio home the money or get a full restaurant makeover. Mia Famiglia will appear in the show’s debut episode on Thursday, October 24. “Sandy has actually hurt us and helped us at the same time,” said Laura. “So ‘she’ kind of torn us down and built us back up.” THE COURIER/Photo by Angy Altamirano SHADY PARK REPLANT, REBUILD BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] After receiving massive damage during Sandy, the beloved Long Island City park, nicknamed “Shady Park” for its signature tall trees, is coming back to its glory after the first phase of repairs. The Parks Department began repairs in June at Andrews Grove, located on 49th Avenue between 5th Street and Vernon Boulevard, after the park was left with significant damage after Superstorm Sandy hit the city. Play equipment, safety surfaces and fencing were destroyed and the park lost eight of its signature tall trees. After that, only a small part was accessible by residents. After more than two months of working to restore the 2.3- acre park to its original state, local elected officials, Parks Department officials and community members cut the ribbon on September 6. The fixes to the park came through more than $90,000 in city funding and included removing all damaged items, repairs to the playground equipment, new safety surfaces, benches, concrete and asphalt work. The next phase of bringing “Shady Park” fully back is the planting of eight new trees where the old ones once stood and bringing the shade back to the community. Working together with the Friends of Shady Park — a group of neighbors advocating for the repair of Andrews Grove Playground – Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer was able to secure $10,000 in private funding from jetBlue and Warner Bros. to help bring back the trees lost during the storm. Sheila Lewandowski, founder of Friends of Shady Park, selected the new trees that will be planted in the park in November. “Within an hour after the construction equipment was cleared the swings were filled with smiling children,” said Lewandowski. “I knew the park was reopened when the sound of many more children laughing echoed down the block. Now we can heal. Next we replant.” THE COURIER/ FILE PHOTO The beloved Andrews Grove in Long Island City, nicknamed Shady Park” after its tall trees, will finally be getting some of the shade Superstorm Sandy took away. after Photo Courtesy of Geoffrey Croft - NYC Park Advocates
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