PHOTOS: Maplewood Village After Sandy

It looked almost like a typical weekday afternoon in Maplewood Village on Tuesday. Folks were strolling around, shopping, eating and running into friends.

But look a little closer, and it is clear that the village was not untouched by the wrath of Hurricane Sandy. Though there is power, there are also shattered windows, fallen power lines and tree limbs, bent street signs and cordoned off side streets. (See here for more photos of devastation throughout town).

Conversations center on several key questions: Are you all OK? Do you have power? When will school be back? (SOMSD schools are closed at least through Wednesday). 

What was open: Kings, Village Wine Shop (despite a severely damaged front window), Mapleleaf Diner (which was packed with a line out the door; they will be open until 9 p.m.), St. James Gate, Village Ice Cream, Scriveners, Able Baker, Arturo's, Kokoro and Village Coffee.

Getting into the Village is a bit tricky as there are numerous roads closed including Maplewood Avenue at Walton, Woodland and several intersections of Ridgewood Road. Also closed is Dunnell Road by the train station. Valley Street is mostly passable throughout South Orange and Maplewood.

Also, Springfield Avenue was not so lucky. According to reports from Mayor DeLuca and others, there is no power (and no working stoplights) on the Avenue for now.