Results tagged “boardwalk”

Like awaiting the results of a biopsy, we've been dreading the release of further details about Andrew Lloyd Webber's plans to write a sequel to classy Broadway blockbuster The Phantom of the Opera. Webber announced his diabolical plan back in 2007, but suffered a setback when his new kitten destroyed all the music he'd written! But not even the selfless heroism of, um, cats can stop this maestro, and now he's announced quite the surprise.

Ha, remember how last spring that poor guy fell through Ruby's floor into a filthy, rat-infested basement? If this photo is any indication, patrons at the quintessential Coney Island dive should also use caution when stepping out of the bar. Or, at least they would if the place was actually open; after ongoing negotiations with controversial landlord Joe Sitt, the owners of Ruby's still do not have a lease.

It's on! John Strong's freak show is officially headed East to set up shop on Coney Island this summer, just blocks from Dick Zigun's Coney Island Circus Sideshow. A press release announces that this summer visitors to the area will be greeted by more than 25 fun-filled rides and dozens of circus freaks, courtesy of John Strong’s Shows, allegedly the largest collection of oddities and freaks in all of America. Did we mention his entourage includes a 17-inch horse named Tiny?

The Coney Island Boardwalk has been seriously deteriorating over the years, and Borough President Marty Markowitz says it's time for Washington to help save it. He tells the Daily News what anyone who's drunkenly stumbled around the Boardwalk with a Pina Colada knows all too well: "It’s in horrible condition." The city is currently spending $5 million to renovate a small section of the Boardwalk (with plastic!), but a total overhaul of the entire 3-mile promenade is estimated to cost more than $200 million. That's close to half of the total $500 million for infrastructure projects the city expects to receive as part of the federal stimulus package, and Markowitz says it's worth it, because Coney Island "generates jobs and it generates family fun, which is so needed right now." But with Astroland gone and other Boardwalk businesses getting squeezed by developer Joe Sitt, one wonders how much fun a family can really expect in the summers to come. On the other hand, falling into one of those treacherous holes in the Boardwalk is no fun at all.

After a heavy-handed scare tactic on Christmas Eve, Coney Island developer Joe Sitt is expected to offer new leases to nearly a dozen Boardwalk tenants—except for one: funky pink-hued boutique Lola Staar. As previously reported in the Brooklyn Paper, Lola owner Dianna Carlin believes Sitt and his company Thor Equities are retaliating against her for her outspoken criticism. She tells the Daily News, "No one knows better than me how vicious and evil they are but it still astounds me." Yeah, one could see how comments like that could sorta backfire. Carlin, who says she's "heartbroken," reveals that a Sitt lackey called her recently to say, "We're kicking you out. Have a Happy New Year." Michael Sarrel, co-owner of Ruby's, says, "We believe we are being renewed, but as of today I don't know for sure. There's a substantial rent increase. The truth is the previous rent was fair. The new rent is unfair."

With a deal to sell some of his prime Coney Island boardwalk real estate to the city stalled, developer Joe Sitt is moving to snatch up more land in an attempt to build a controversial entertainment-amusement-hotel complex. Kansas Fried Chicken king Horace Bullard tells the Post that he's "leaning toward" selling the former Thunderbolt roller coaster site to Sitt for $91 million. Those three acres would tighten Sitt's grip on most of the land stretching from Keyspan Park to the Cyclone.

According to an email and this post on the Coney Island message board, the annual post-Polar Bear swim party at Ruby's Bar on the boardwalk will proceed, despite escalating fears that the beloved dive would close. On Christmas Eve, a large number of businesses on the boardwalk were plastered with "For Lease" signs by Thor Equities, which owns much of the property on Coney Island and is locked in tough negotiations with the city over the make-up of a proposed upscale hotel and amusement project.

The Astroland rocket is in dire need of a home, Ruby's is closing its doors, everything is for rent...so it's not really surprising that Coney Island is being picked apart by vultures. The latest: Gowanus Lounge is reporting that the Coney Island History Project's Tricia Vita's memorial collage to Astroland was stolen. And NewYorkology reports that the city has approved plans to replace the original pier and boardwalk, which means the old wood is now for sale! "The material used for this project was a Brazilian hardwood called Ipe - a unique durable rain forest wood perfect for decking and outdoor use. It is now available for sale reworked or in its original condition with its natural ocean-weathered grey patina." (More info here for interested buyers.) Is Coney becoming the next Shea Stadium?

    

It looks like would-be Coney Island developer Joe Sitt has gone all Henry F. Potter this Christmas, sending workers out last night to put up "For Lease" signs on boardwalk properties owned by his company, Thor Equities. A commenter on the Coneyisland.com message board snapped some photos last night and this morning, depicting the signs above such indispensible boardwalk mainstays as Nathan's and scruffy dive bar Ruby's Bar & Grill.

Our favorite Coney Island Boardwalk joint, Ruby's Bar & Grill, might not survive to see another summer! Kinetic Carnival reports they have yet to receive a lease for the 2009 season, whereas last year they had already been given a renewal by August. The indispensable dive bar's demise was portended back in May, when the floor collapsed beneath a man using their bathroom, causing him to fall ten feet into the basement. The fact that he fell into a rat infestation didn't help the situation, and Ruby's was closed the following day by a health inspector. There are currently no negotiations with landlord Thor Equities, and it's unclear whether other Coney Island staples like Steve's Grill House and Cha Cha's will also go the way of Astroland. Some fear that this year's Polar Bear Day Party at Ruby's may end up being their last hurrah.

                   

By all accounts, it seems like Saturday's Mermaid Parade was a great deal of fun, enjoying perfect weather and drawing large crowds. One can only hope that the Coney Island tradition dating back to 1903 remains as popular in coming years. Thanks to everyone who tagged and/or submitted their photos "gothamist."

This afternoon (2 p.m.) is Coney Island's annual Mermaid Parade, which is the semi-official start of summer for many New Yorkers. It's generally one of the most joyous occasions one can come across in the five boroughs, so let's hope it doesn't take on a funereal tone considering the possible destruction of the boardwalk in its present state.

State senator Carl Kruger, an outspoken critic of Mayor Bloomberg’s plans for Coney Island, is now accusing the city of “extorting” $68,000 from the owner of Tatiana Restaurant and Nightclub, a popular Russian nightspot on the Brighton Beach boardwalk. Tatiana Varzar lost her restaurant in a massive fire in 2003 that authorities believe was caused by homeless people living under the boardwalk.