Mermaid Parade 2009 this Saturday!

It's that time again, the time for the largest art parade in the United States, The Mermaid Parade! And yes HARVEY KEITEL will be crowned King Neptune this year!

From Coney Island USA's website:
Coney Island – The 27th Annual MERMAID PARADE will step off at 2 PM on Saturday, June 20th 2009, incorporating several major changes that will guarantee that America’s largest “art parade” also goes down in history as the biggest parade ever in the 168 summer seasons of legendary Coney Island! Coney Island is indeed open and the Mermaid Parade is alive and well. Special highlights this year include:
King Neptune MR. HARVEY KEITEL with his Queen Mermaid Daphna
Recording artists, THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS performing on a float
PHILADELPHIA MUMMERS dressed as Maine Fishermen
MONSTER TRUCK ‘BLUE THUNDER’ performing a parade prelude
Performers from Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey’s BOOM A RING
New & Improved parade route beginning at Surf Ave & West 21st.

Click here for the link with ALL the details from the fab folks at Coney Island USA.

Click here to read bittersweet memories of F.I.B's first Mermaid Parade in 1990 and what it was like to be in it in the year 2000.

Click here for pictures and commentary from Mermaid Parade 2007.

Click here for here for pictures and commentary about Mermaid Parade 2008.

See you there, rain or shine!

*Please note a COMPLETELY new route, conveniently bypassing the abomination created by Joe Sitt around the former site of Astroland. It starts at W. 21st heads to W. 1oth and then goes down the boardwalk ending at W. 15th Street.

Mermaid Ball later at the former Child's Restaurant, details on the Coney Island USA website.

And AFTER the Mermaid Parade at around 8pm, talented friend and author/illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg, of the children's book "Mermaids on Parade" will be at Superfine in Dumbo autographing books at an after party. Details here!

The Death of Brooklyn

What does it mean? Brooklyn died a long time ago?

F.I.B spends some time at the Bay Parkway subway station a couple times a week. For those that don't know it overlooks Washington cemetery. The cemetery is densely packed with the tombstones on land divided in half by the subway/Bay Parkway and bordered by a sanitation station, housing and ironically a "Wholesale Liquidators". This particular tombstone is a mystery to me. Most of the people buried here are jewish, going back to the early 1900's. The newer stones have photographic images on them, mostly Russian Jews.
Reserve your spot now!

R.I.P - Astroland.

I guess as Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote there is a part of Cony Island that is of the mind and I feel that is a major part of it's mystique. Hopefully that spirit will not be overtaken by Niketown although it wouldn't suprise me if some corporation would co-opt the beat poem into their ad campaign eventually.

Astroland's Last Day Open is this Sunday.

So in response to my earlier post, former Astroland owner Carol Albert did not receive her lease from Thor Equities yesterday and true to her word has thrown in the towel, rather than shut the park as usual in October this Sunday is the last day for Astroland as we know it. In a word - sad. (and why the hell did she sell it?!)

Last Day at Astroland for the season or forever?

It was a strangely calm and eerily quiet afternoon at Coney Island considering it may be the last day of Astroland as we now know it. I got there about a half hour after the “Save Astroland” rally was supposed to start. It seemed that there was more press than participants and the press seemed disappointed. I was disappointed too. I say a “may be the last day of Astroland” as when I chit chatted with people who worked there, no one seemed to know what the future holds. They all seemed tired. Tired from working a busier than usual summer or quite possibly tired of hearing about “Coney’s Last Summer”.I happened to catch “The Zipper” ride dismantled and loaded on a truck leaving Astroland with no fanfare. Couldn’t they have waited until tomorrow?! Then again, Sitt decided to start demolition right before the season started so why should I be surprised? F.Y.I - I was almost knocked over by a well-known blogger who came outta nowhere when this occurred!There goes "The Zipper" down Surf Avenue on the beginning of it's journey to it's new home in Honduras.

Some "last day of Coney as we now know it" photos, try not to get too depressed....This beautiful building will be demolished.Everything must go because this vendor will not be back next summer.Shuttered Jones Walk.Cruising the fairly empty boardwalk.Remember the Eldorado? You better because it will probrably be ripped down!Is this what the whole park will look like next summer?

A day at the beach......

Yes, Coney Island is partially demolished, partially boarded up and there are large signs advertising "prime retail space" along Surf Avenue but that did not deter the happy crowds that were on the Boardwalk, at Astroland or catching striped bass on the pier and proudly TAKING IT HOME!!!! Here's some pictures..Like everywhere in Brooklyn, the trees blossom here too....Shoot the Freak makes it here for another season......The games are freshly stocked with prizes.....Future luxury condo site..a crying shame!