Hurricane Sandy: For some, a rare business opportunity (+video)

But they noticed the streets were teeming with people, who had no work to attend and were looking for things to do.

"I think it was cabin fever," Darwisch said from his packed store, adding that he sold more than 80 pairs of shoes.

Likewise, Orva Shoes, on East 86th Street between Third and Lexington Avenues, was bustling with customers shopping for rain boots.

Further downtown, L'Express, a restaurant on New York's Park Avenue at East 20th Street, set up a temporary counter outside its front door to sell $2 coffee. A sign proclaimed to passers-by: "We help you when there's no Starbucks," a reference to the popular coffee chain that closed its outlets during the storm.

Larger stores around the region also tried to lure in customers during and after the storm. Barney's New York had a "Settle in with Style" sale that began at noon on Monday, just as the hurricane-force winds were starting to pick up.

In a blast e-mail ad campaign, it offered sale prices on Japanese Sencha green tea, travel backgammon sets and $500 geometric throw blankets.

Some people were clearly drowning their sorrows as business was brisk at area liquor stores, an opportunity that Brooklyn's Gnarly Vines Wines and Spirits was quick to take advantage of. The store was open Sunday through Tuesday and saw a steady stream of customers, even during periods of high wind.

"Sunday was the busiest day of the year for us so far. Sales were almost as good as on last Christmas Eve," said store manager Ben Rosenthal, who said the store also worked through Hurricane Irene last year. "For us storms are basically the same as major holidays."

Reporting by William Schomberg, Caroline Valetkevich, Steven C. Johnson, Ilaina Jonas, Mirjam Donath, Patrick Flanary, Eric Platt, Edith Honan and Hoda Emam; Writing by Steven C. Johnson; Editing by David Gaffen, Martin Howell and Lisa Shumaker

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