City prepares to shut down

The snowstorm expected to dump more than two feet of snow on New York City had a name, Juno, and it’s own hashtag, #snowmaggedon, by Monday as the city prepared to be crippled in its onslaught.

New Yorkers scrambled for food, booze and entertainment on Monday before taking shelter, and as the city braced for a nearly complete shutdown.

“I really don’t believe it’s going to be the way they say it is,” said Lacy Thomas, a street vendor selling hats, gloves, ear warmers and Statue of Liberty tsotchkes near Bowling Green early Monday afternoon.

Thomas predicted the snowfall would be lighter than forecast, but business was down on Monday, and his $5 umbrellas could go up in price if the snowfall did increase.

Visiting New York for the first time from Northern Ireland, Bryan Hanson said he’d probably stay close to his Midtown hotel until the heaviest of the snow passed.

“You’re better prepared than we are, you guys get on with it,” said Hanson, as he waited to take pictures at the Charging Bull statue. Belfast, said Hanson, is a lot less snow savvy than the Big Apple.

Grocery stores around the city were packed, and shoppers queued up outside Trader Joe’s on 14th Street, and the adjacent wine store, to get inside.

“I just got back into town, and there’s no food in my fridge,” said Jennifer Hartman, 32, who was waiting outside the store, adding she only had waffles in her freezer.

“I went to school in Buffalo, so to me, it’s fine. I actually like the snow,” Hartman said.

Kyle Hayes, 25, had a short wait outside Trader Joe’s Wine Shop to buy a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

“I’m going to make music, watch Netflix tonight. And if the show at Terminal 5 isn’t cancelled, I’m going to go to that,” said Hayes, a stylist assistant from Bed-Stuy.

As shops in Union Square started posting signs on their doors about early closures, Taylor Jones, who works as a canvasser, was still hoping to get people to donate to his company’s cause as everyone else rushed to get home.”

“I had no idea until I came to work that there was going to be this crazy ass storm,” Jones, 29, from the West Village said.

Jones said his snowstorm plans include a trip to the gym, hot chocolate, Netflix, and hopefully a date on Tinder. Dating sites see much more traffic during storms, Jones said.