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As dawn came on Friday, passengers stranded by the powercut and forced to nap outside awoke to stiff necks

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Grand Central Station - usually busy on a Friday morning - was almost empty as commuters took Mayor Bloomberg's advice and stayed at home

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Ferries across to Manhattan were virtually the only form of transport still operating at normal levels

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Traffic lights stayed out for much of the day, leaving police to direct cars on New York's streets - free at last from Thursday's gridlock

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In many cities, civilians - such as this Toronto lawyer - pitched in to help direct traffic

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In Toronto, power slowly started returning on Friday, after a strange night of learning to live - or serve beer - without the aid of electric light

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The power failure did not stop some resourceful New Yorkers from dining out

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At its peak, the blackout was a unique sight, with many city centres resembling the inky blackness of Toronto

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In New York, the Statue of Liberty became a lonely monument in a sea of black

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But by Friday night, the lights were back on in New York's Times Square