New York is getting back to normal entertainment-wise as most of the electricity has been restored to lower Manhattan almost exactly one week from the time Hurricane Sandy made landfall along the east coast. Having the power back means that downtown’s off-Broadway theaters, independent movie houses, Lower East Side concert halls and Chelsea art galleries can open again for business and the pleasure of its customers.

It was for the first time that the Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting was forced to issue permits on an as-needed basis for film shoots at exterior sites. This means that the business of movie and TV filming can begin to get back to normal for the twenty-four TV series and the over one dozen films now in production which use the streets of New York as their backdrop. Filming in New York’s A zone, the areas hardest hit by Sandy’s relentless winds, rain and ocean surges, is still not permitted. This includes parts of Brooklyn and all of Staten Island.

Katherine Oliver- NYC’s Commissioner of The New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting

“We’re getting back on track and back into business,” said Katherine Oliver, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. “There was minimal damage to stages last week — a little bit of water damage here and there. But they were able to get back on stages at the end of last week and, as of today and going forward; they will be on exterior locations as well.”