My most unforgettable and craziest shopping memory in New York City took place on a cool November evening in 1965. I had just left work in the garment district of the city and was feeling very proud of myself because my plan was to start my Christmas shopping early for once in my life. I walked a few blocks to the Gimbels Department Store that was located on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Thirty Third Street. Gimbels was Macy s biggest competitor in those days and their sales were legendary, especially their famous basement bargains.
As soon as I headed into the main floor, which was already crowded with evening shoppers, I took the escalator up to the ladies lingerie department where I intended to purchase some sleepwear for my best friend. The saleslady, as they were called back then, was not very helpful and after showing me one or two lacy nightgowns that had been displayed in a glass showcase, I realized that these were not quite the sleepwear I had in mind. Turning around to leave, I decided to take the elevator back down to the main floor instead of riding the escalator. This turned out to be a momentous decision.
When we reached the street level, the elevator operator opened the doors and announced the main floor (yes, they had human operators, no push buttons, in those days). As I stepped out, the lights went out and the entire building was enveloped in total blackness. I heard people calling for help because some riders on the escalator had fallen when it jerked to a stop as the power failed. I didn’t know it at the time but the entire Northeast area of the United States and a great deal of Canada had been blacked out. It became known as the Great Northeast Blackout of 1965.
It took a little while before the store personnel gathered their resources and flashlights to help us customers get our bearings. Finally, they began to escort us to the outside doors. For an instant I hoped that the store would let us spend the night in their bedding department, since there was no transport available. I thought that my walk home to Seventy Second Street and First Avenue might be fraught with danger, what with looting, rioting, etc. Amazingly, there was very little crime that night.
The worst part of my shopping experience, besides not having bought any Christmas presents, was the walk up seventeen flights of stairs after walking home.
