Coney Island 5 days after Hurricane Sandy

American Suds, Mermaid Avenue.

I went out to Coney Island today with some friends who were transporting donations of  food, coats and baby items. These are some photos of what I saw. To me the thing that makes Coney Island such a special place is how no matter how urban it's side streets are you can never get away from how Mother Nature is really the one who owns the place even without Hurricane Sandy. So excuse me if these photos seem to jump back from the streets to the beach but that's Coney.

Garbage has not seemed to have been picked up in a while on Mermaid Avenue.

The Coney Island Pier is still standing but will need some help eventually.

Volunteers cleaning the beach area at Coney Island.

Window with food on the sill at the Warbasse Houses which houses thousands of elderly and still does not have power. Many volunteers showed up today to climb over 20 flights of stairs to check on residents and to donate supplies.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz at the FEMA staging area in Coney Island.

Coney Island residents waiting for supplies at FEMA staging area.

Getting water from fire hydrants which will probably have to carried up many flight of stairs.

The sand came up from the beach a couple blocks past Surf Avenue! Frightening!

 

Sand on the boardwalk. Volunteers were shoveling it back to the beach.

Coney Island will rise again but will be needing help for quite some time. I heard people say that power may not be on until NOVEMBER 10th!  That's another week of no heat, no hot water, no elevators and a whole lot of stress. And it is COLD there. Donations most needed are blankets, coats, flashlights, powerstrips, BABY ITEMS such as diapers, wipes, boxed milk, pediasure as well as insure, first aid items, cleaning items and non perishable food. There are no markets for these people to shop in right now.

Click here to see where you can drop off donations or donate manpower to not only Coney Island but all the communities in NYC that have been hard hit by Hurricane Sandy.





They did NOT vacate yet! Ruby's Open This Saturday

Coney Island Lover/Tour Guide Captain Bob wants you to help SAVE RUBY'S!.

I do not know the details as to whether, Ruby's Bar and Grill got an extension on their eviction orders or not but I would just like to get the word out that Ruby's will be open tomorrow- Saturday, November 20th from 11am on. is supposed to be sunny tomorrow, go and show your love and support for a business that should remain.

Continue to call your elected officials and spread the word about this petition.

List of Elected Officials and Involved parties.

Marty Markowitz ("Mr. I love Brooklyn" STILL has not said anything publicly)
askmarty@brooklynbp.nyc.gov
718-802-3700

Domenic M. Recchia, Jr
drecchia@council.nyc.gov
718-373-9673

Zamperla amusements
zamperla@zamperlausa.com
973-334-8133 ext 201

Coney Island Development Corporation
212-312-4233
info@thecidc.org

Christine Quinn
212-564-7757
cquinn@council.nyc.ny.us

Farewell To Paul's Daughter? Hope Not.

I attended the party for what may be but hopefully not the last weekend Coney Island icon snack bar Paul's Daughter this past Saturday afternoon. As a thank you EVERYTHING was on the house. Hot dogs, french fries, cotton candy, lemonade, beer - all gratis as a thank you to customers from the Paul's Daughter family.
Oh man these signs are so beautiful..what will happen to them?


A F.I.B commenter on a previous post about the party and described the scene, it pretty much sums up the feeling;" It was such a beautiful day at Coney today, and the party at Paul's Daughter was so gracious. The food was free, and very delicious - such generosity of spirit. I hope they don't have to leave Coney - that a miracle happens."
Ruby's was also open again this weekend and I heard a rumor that food was going to be free at another business that has been evicted, The Gyro Corner, today (Sunday).

Show your support for the small family businesses of Coney Island who have stuck it out through the years, please sign this petition.

"Paul's Daughter" Party * Saturday * Coney Island Boardwalk * Show Your Support* Free Eats

Paul's Daughter (formerly Gregory & Paul's)is the snack bar that has been in front of the former Astroland (now Luna Park) for 41 years with the iconic happy hamburger man on the roof, the beautiful hand painted signs and serves up classic Coney Island food, you know, the kind that the new UPSCALE restaurants will mimic and charge double for.

They are having a party this Saturday afternoon at 12:30 pm and they saying the food will be "on the house".

Show your support and pay your respects. It may be one of the last times you will see it in all it's glory.

Photo from Paul's Daughter family's collection on their Facebook page

And also a reminder- SIGN THIS PETITION!

******CREEPSHOW at the FREAKSHOW****** Begins This Weekend at Coney Island

I experienced Creepshow at the Freakshow two years ago and was so scared that I had to take a year off! If you like your Halloween scary, this is for YOU! Creepshow at the Freakshow in Coney Island really is creepy, especially the part when they take you down into basement, you get the feeling that there really are a lot of ghosts in the bowels of the Coney Island USA building. It's also alot of fun and like everything else that happens at Coney Island USA, completely unique. This years theme is "The Ride Inspector's Nightmare".

From the press release:

"THE RIDE INSPECTOR'S NIGHTMARE is an interactive show (allow 45 minutes for the complete experience) that tours various rooms at the Coney Island Sideshows by the Seashore building generally not available to the public such as the damp creepy basement, back stairs, etc.

Audience members will take a "tour" of several amusement park ride "NYPD Crime Scenes" including a deadly collapsed roller coaster and will meet living-dead performers along the way including drunken incompetent ride inspectors, creepy ticket sellers and lots of dead and decapitated bodies of innocent tourists. At the conclusion of the show, the audience will also get to partake in a courtroom trial of the negligent ride inspector and will be sworn in for horrific jury duty. "

CREEPSHOW AT THE FREAKSHOW is Coney Island’s original Halloween extravaganza and one of the best haunted tours in all of New York City. This year, the rides at new Luna Park will be open weekends during the October run of the show. Come see what the New York Press called "not only the best and wildest haunted house in town, but the smartest as well."

CREEPSHOW AT THE FREAKSHOW can be found at Coney Island USA,

1208 Surf Ave. Corner of Surf Avenue and West 12th Street

Dates and Times:
Friday, October 15, 7pm - Midnight
Saturday, October 16, 5pm - Midnight
Sunday, October 17, 5pm - 10pm
Friday, October 22, 7pm - Midnight
Saturday, October 23, 5pm - 9pm
Sunday, October 24, 5pm - 10pm
Monday, October 25, 7pm - 10pm
Tuesday, October 26, 7pm - 10pm
Wednesday, October 27, 7pm - 10pm
Thursday, October 28, 7pm - 10pm
Friday, October 29, 7pm - Midnight
Saturday, October 30, 5pm - Midnight
Sunday, October 31, Halloween!, 4pm - Midnight

All tickets $10 at the door. Parent or Guardian must accompany anyone 13 and under.

Go to the website here.

Read about F.I.B's visit to the Creepshow when the theme was Phantom of the Dead Presidential Wax Museum here.

Coney Island Eulogy?

After the end of a wonderful summer at Coney Island it is easy to forget the battles between the historic preservationists and the big buck developers. The dreary weather has suddenly brought it all back into play.

Faber's Fascination on Surf Avenue finished out the summer forever this year. Housed in one of the oldest, if not the oldest building in the Coney Island Amusement area, I have learned via the Coney Island watchdog blog Amusing the Zillion that the building has had water pouring off the second floor of Henderson's Hotel which shares the structure since yesterday and owners Thor Equaities hadn't bothered to send someone over until about 36 hours later to look at it even though they had been notified. The situation is dangerous and the building could collapse. A.T.Z is calling this "neglect in progress" and has said 'The Henderson Building has already suffered so much damage from the “pre demolition,” it’s like watching an old person being slowly tortured to death. Save Coney Island, which has proposed re-purposing the building, might as well go ahead and start planning a New Orleans style funeral for the Henderson Music Hall right now. Read the whole story with a video of the situation here.



In the meantime, check out this video made by Coney Island native and friend Justin Wishnik, which features Faber's Fascination and is sadly called Coney Island Eulogy.

Coney Island Film Festival #10 Wrap

Bambi the Mermaid performs to the Andrew Sisters at the opening party for the Coney Island film festival.

Once again the opening films and following party was a smashingly entertaining affair that did not disappoint. Sideshows by the Seashore knows the meaning of entertainment. Burlesque, fire eaters, exotic snake handlers, human blockheads...now THAT's a party! You all better go next year!

The winners of the festival have been officially announced, and I am happy to say that I was lucky enough to see quite a few of them. Congratulations to all!

2010 Award Winners
Best Animation - Birth - Signe Baumane
Best Experimental - My Own Private March - Howie Alex
Best Silent Film - Loop-da-Loop and Giuseppe - Jason R. Jaworski
Best Horror Film - Alice Jacobs is Dead - Alex Horwitz
Best Music Video - "This Town" Gambit - Randy Scott Slavin
Best Documentary Short - The Faux Real - Suzanne Hillinger
Best Documentary Feature - Dirty Martini and the New Burlesque - Gary Beeber
Best Short - Flat Love - Andres Sanz
Best Feature - Satan Hates You - James Felix McKenney
Best "Made in Coney Island" - Last Summer at Coney Island - JL Aronson

Also! I just want to let you know that there is more burlesque happening this Thursday and Friday, and it's well worth the trip, they've got thee best in the business in that place!

Click here for the schedule and more details on that and many other events.

Found in Coney Island...

My eagle eye found this golden plaster elephant in a shadowy alley in Coney Island last Friday night. I would love to know where it came from. The elephant was double sided and had tusks and jewels. It was broken off of something. From a ride? From a fortune tellers lamp? All I know is that it was very Aladdin like. Elephants are supposed to bring good luck, so I made a wish and left it where I found it. The next day when I passed by, it was gone.

Chuckie Takes a Ride

New Mask!

This scene is right out of a Love and Rockets comic book...

These photos were actually from last summer, my camera is broke and I feel naked..Coney Island was packed out over the 4th of July weekend, wish I could of shared it with you!

"Hand Across The Sand" at Coney Island.

F.I.B stumbled upon the "Hands Across the Sand" protest against off shore oil drilling at Coney Island yesterday, which was part of a nation wide action that occurred along the beaches at noon. About 350 people participated on the shores of Coney. One of the organizers who hails from Rockaway, said she was motivated to take part in this event when she heard that there is talk of drilling off the shores of the Rockaway peninsula!

While the event sort of reminded me of that old "I'd like to give a world a coke" commercial, these folks were doing the reverse, they were not selling anything but the idea that corporations are destroying our waters.

Read and see images about the event on the oil tainted beaches of Penescola, Florida.

And sign the petition asking President Obama to Move beyond oil.

Happy Summer....

Scenes From Mermaid Parade 2010

A beautiful day for a parade, made up for last year on which it rained. The beach and boardwalk were packed, Surf Avenue not as much as usual. Some of the usual suspects in the parade such as the man with the rainbow beard and his matching poodle (who went throught the parade route at least 3 times!), Debbie the brown haired mermaid, the rabbi who broke off from the Polar Bear Club and started his own and the the swing dancers amongst some others. No Mummers this year. The vibe was quiet to me...needed much more music, what was up with that? I think the oil spill has effected the usual celebratory mood...it was not ignored in this years parade as you can see.

Mermaid Parade This Saturday!

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What is the Mermaid Parade?

"The Mermaid Parade celebrates the sand, the sea, the salt air and the beginning of summer, as well as the history and mythology of Coney Island, Coney Island pride, and artistic self-expression. The Parade is characterized by participants dressed in hand-made costumes as Mermaids, Neptunes, various sea creatures, the occasional wandering lighthouse, Coney Island post card or amusement ride, as well as antique cars, marching bands, drill teams, and the odd yacht pulled on flatbed."

This year the Mermaid Queen is performance artist/musician Laurie Anderson and King Neptune is LOU REED!! (Who whatofthought?)

This is the route!

* The Parade will start at West 21st Street and Surf Avenue
* The Parade will roll east to West 10th Street
* at West 10th Street the Parade will turn south towards the boardwalk
* cars and motorized floats can park on West 10th Street
* At the Boardwalk, the marchers and push-pull floats will turn west and head towards Stillwell Ave.
* At Stillwell Ave. the Parade will disband

Go to this website for more info..you can STILL REGISTER to MARCH!

Read here about when F.I.B marched in the year 2000! (Last year I volunteered read about that here)

"The Jazz Stripper" on Thursday at Coney

As it is getting warm, naturally my thoughts start turning to Coney and low and behold when I checked the haps on the Coney Island USA website I saw that they are kicking off the season in their usual inimitable style. I am psyched for another great summer and look forward to seeing the new Luna Park amusement area which opens on Saturday BTW but anyway.....this one is too good not to mention and it needs mentioning because it is happening waaaaaaaaaaaaay out in Coney Island on a Thursday night, this is an event that will draw one of the most interesting crowds that perhaps will ever mingle..burlesque devotees and Neil Diamond fans!

From the press release:

Brooklyn is famous for many things: hipsters, a bridge or two, the Dodgers - and of course, Neil Diamond. On Thursday, May 27th, Sweet and Nasty Burlesque brings THE JAZZ STRIPPER to Coney Island's Burlesque At The Beach for a night of tassel-twirling tributes to the greatest singer-songwriter ever to come out of Kings County.

THE JAZZ STRIPPER will feature old favorites, new surprises, the return of the Neil Or No Neil trivia contest - and a special finale tribute to Mr. Diamond, as only Coney Island can do it. So turn on your heartlight, thank the Lord for the night time, and travel down those Brooklyn roads with Nasty Canasta and Sweet and Nasty Burlesque: Creamy Stevens, Gal Friday, Sapphire Jones, Bastard Keith and Tigger! will make you a believer at THE JAZZ STRIPPER, a Diamond-studded night of burlesque on Coney Island

Neil or No Neil Trivia?! It is a MUST see!
Starts at 9pm- 10 dollar admission

Burlesque at the Beach
Coney Island USA
1208 Surf Ave.

Go to Coney Island USA to see all the other fab events happening. There is more burlesque on friday and a screening of the film, Escape from New York on Saturday. Five bucks includes free popcorn.

"Save Coney Island Benefit" this Saturday.

Save Coney Island is holding an alternative country/bluegrass fundraiser this Saturday at Galapagos in Dumbo that starts in the afternoon and will go until 9:30 pm.

From their press release:

"Citigrass, Piñataland, 2009 Fiddle Champion Rob Hecht, Animal Pharm, and Central Valley Wildfire will headline the bill at a special event that benefits the advocacy group “Save Coney Island”.

The event also features dance performances by the Prospect Cowgirls, country BBQ, raffle prizes and after-concert Burlesque. "

It wouldn't be a Coney event without burlesque!

When & Where: Saturday, January 30th at Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main Street (at Water Street) in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

The event begins at 3:00 p.m. and runs until 9:30 p.m.

Admission is $15 before 5 p.m. and $20 from 5 p.m. onward; a raffle ticket is given free with each admission.

Parachute Performance Festival at Coney Island 9/12 & 9/13

The other weekend when I stopped in at the Coney Island History Project, I met Amanda Deutsch, the director of this new performance festival happening after hours at the Coney Island Aquarium. There are some interesting folks on the line up including actor John Ventimiglia (“Artie Bucco” from The Sopranos) reading Henry Miller’s words on Coney Island amongst others.

The festival aims to highlight the history of Coney Island, while simultaneously bringing people to discover what the present Coney Island has to offer. The goal is to create something new and create a bridge over the whole neighborhood—east and west. Festival-goers can come, spend the day, walk around Coney Island, eat lunch at a local restaurant, ride the Cyclone and enjoy a poetry reading.

And speaking of spending the day in Coney Island before the festival check out the Coney Island History Project located next to the Cyclone on Surf Avenue. It's a FREE fun museum and they are offering free downloads of a Coney Island walking tour for your ipod or phone! Click here to find out more.
>Free samples of Stumptown coffee will be available at the Coney Island History Project to get you caffeinated and ready to go....

Saturday – Hosted by visual artist and performer, Africasso.
Performers:
Cara Benson
Charles Denson, author of Coney Island: Lost and Found
Jibade Khalil Huffman, author of 19 Names for our Band
Dennis Nurkse, former Brooklyn Poet Laureate
Patricia Spears Jones
Edwin Torres

Sunday – Hosted by the illustrious burlesque dancer, Angie Pontani (Miss Cyclone)
Performers:
Edmund Berrigan, poet and member of the band, I Feel Tractor
Michael Cirelli, poet and founder of Urban Word NYC
Eileen Myles, poet, author, ran for president as a write-in candidate.
Akilah Oliver
John Ventimiglia (“Artie Bucco” from The Sopranos) reading Henry Miller’s words on Coney Island.

Where: New York Aquarium’s Alien Stingers exhibit (after hours)
When:Saturday, September 12th & Sunday, September 13th @ 6:30 p.m.

Surf Avenue at West 8th Street
By Subway:
F, Q to West 8th Street stop
F, Q, N, D to Stillwell Avenue stop

Stupendous Sunsets & Sand Castles

Outstanding workmanship! The symmetry was amazing and the detail!!! Steps! Gothic Style Windows! Flying Buttresses! And of course the beach, the water was divine. As I have said before, who needs the Hamptons and those annoying people that go there. Gimme Coney!

P.S- When you visit be sure to stop by Coney Island USA and see the Side Show (I did!) or visit the museum or have a beer at the fab Freak Bar where you just might herar live xylophone music by Fisherman as I did yesterday. Always something going on there so check the schedule.

Also! The FOUR DAY Rockabilly Festival is still going on at Cha-Cha's Bar. Checkitout!

Walkin' in the Sand.....

One of the best beaches in the world despite the (non)lifeguards!

Brighton Beach Bay or NONwatch.

Notice the "beach closed" tape? Many people didn't!

Some of you Brooklyn beach bums may be aware that the waters were closed to swimmers over this past weekend due to extreme riptides. But not to worry because you could swim anyway! Most of the lifeguards along the strip of beach between Coney Island and Brighton were more concerned with how to style themselves (should I wear the designer sunglasses and the lip gloss?) or how fast they should twirl their whistles. The most shocking thing was that the group I was near spent most of their time BEHIND or on the SIDE of the lifeguard stand with their backs to the water! (I guess they never heard of the number one surfer rule of thumb. NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR MOTHER!) It was only when someone told them that someone was IN the water that they would self consciously saunter down to the shore, twirling their whistles and would ineffectively blow them. No hand signals, no authority, just non stop whistle blowing. It was infuriating to watch I have to say. I wouldn't trust these self involved Abercrombie & Fitch model wannabees with my life! I am sure there were beach goers on the shore that could be more trusted if there was a rescue situation. Rip tides are no joke but apparantly the joke is on the young children who are not being watched by paid so called "lifeguards".Check out this lifeguard on a cigarette break BEHIND the lifeguard chair. Which, by the way no one sat in the whole day. I am not one to whistle blow on lazy workers but these guys are PATHETIC!