Summer After Sandy: The Nautical Mile In Freeport, L.I.

FREEPORT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - It's Friday, the day we at WCBS 880 head to shore areas to check their progress as they reopen, many for the first time, after superstorm Sandy.

For today's installment of Summer After Sandy, Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs went to Freeport's Nautical Mile.

Bracco's Restaurant is an example of how hard the hurricane hit.

"Where we're standing now was six feet of water over our heads. I was down here the next day and it was actually some places that burned to the ground, but our place here, the docks were up in the air, kitchen was a loss. It was a tough go," owner Jonathan Bracco told Xirinachs. "You work one day at a time, one step at a time. You rebuild and now it's a chance to do something different. I think that's what helped us. We needed a nice facelift, a facelift for the whole area."

Some of the businesses will never come back, but many have been completely rebuilt.

Seventy-five percent of the restaurants and other businesses on the mile-long stretch of food and fun are back, according to Chamber of Commerce president Charles Hirschberg.

"Full recovery I think will probably be by the end of the summer, but right now it looks like we're back. I mean, we're here to stay," he said.

And the crowds are back too.

More than 100,000 people packed the strip for its opening celebration as the fix up continues.

"Great community. Great food," said Anne Nussbaum, who was among them, noting she's especially thrilled to see the miniature golf course open again.

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