Savitri D., normally acting as director of the Church of Stop Shopping, became a mermaid this past weekend. After marching in the Mermaid Parade on Coney Island as Queen, and attending the Ball later that night, she began a hunger strike. She now sits in a storefront on Coney Island, fasting until a scoping meeting tomorrow regarding the fate of the area. You can see her on a livecam that's been set up; she talked......

Photo, by joe holmes at flickr 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." Update: We've added more pictures to the gallery!......

Mermaid Parade Coney Island 2008 from Seamus Condron on Vimeo Yesterday's festive Mermaid Parade brought out many revelers, some of whom captured the festivities on video. Here are some of those videos--if you have some, let us know by emailing us at tips(at)gothamist(dot)com. Above is some of the parade floats and participants, and below is one of the Brooklyn Bombshell Revue, via Rikomatic: After the jump, three more videos including Reverend Billy, Mermaid Queens......

Reverend Billy and Savitri D have been named King Neptune and Queen Mermaid of the 2008 Coney Island Mermaid Parade, taking place this Saturday, and they're using their power to save Coney "from the gentrifying apocalypse of RETAIL ENTERTAINMENT HELL!" But as they say, No pain, No Gain -- and in order to help their cause, the Queen Mermaid has declared a hunger strike.The Queen Mermaid will refuse to go back in the ocean! She......

Their day in the sun ocean is just around the corner, but the Polar Bear Club of Coney Island may be in too deep with one donation they recently accepted. The Brooklyn Paper reports that in spite of the club "growling in the anti-Thor procession during the Mermaid Parade," the Polar Bears have "made peace" with Thor. Polar Bears president Lou Scarcella explained that when Thor took condos out of their plans for Coney Island......

One of the city's biggest industries is the tourism, and the city announced a major push to keep the tourists coming in. Mayor Bloomberg and other officials kicked off the " first-ever global multimedia communications campaign to promote New York City." An advertising campaign titled "This is New York City" will features outdoor posters, internet advertising and a TV spot. Plus, the NYCVisit website features ways for visitors to plan their trip. Bloomberg said, "Everyone......

This morning the video mentioned in this Metro piece was up on YouTube. Now it's missing and all that's left is a message reading it "has been removed by the user." The video was posted by Coney Island developer Thor Equities’ and portrayed a clearly scripted and favorably edited scene from the Mermaid Parade. The clip, which opens and closes with the Mermaid Parade logo, features costumed revelers professing their love of Coney Island and......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery on Broadway in Manhattan, a water search between 19th and 26th Aves. in Queens, and an injured officer on Albany and Clarkson Aves. in Brooklyn. One would think that Albany pols were immune from shame, but Gov. Spitzer wants to make a tour of it, in an attempt to embarrass Joseph Bruno. The latest group to organize against a Wal-Mart invasion in their community: Orthodox Jews.......

The MTA has embraced Internet technology once again to offer the public streaming webcasts of public meetings at its midtown Manhattan headquarters. Thanks to Governor Spitzer's "Executive Order 3," which requires all public agencies to broadcast meetings by July 1, the MTA is investing just over a hundred thousand dollars to set up and maintain the technology. MTA executive director and CEO Elliot Sander said, "The MTA shares Governor Spitzer’s focus on transparency and access,......

Pizza lovers in the city can breathe a sigh of relief as Di Fara is back, after being temporarily closed by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. We couldn't detect any obvious changes to the pizzeria and Dom DeMarco was with head gear and sans gloves creating pizzas in the traditional way. When we visited yesterday, they were doing their normal brisk business with a mix of locals, some MTA employees having lunch,......

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade was today. If you missed it, there's a chance for you to still get in on an historic boardwalk event this week. The Cyclone Roller Coaster is celebrating its 80th birthday this Tuesday. WNBC profiles Gerry Menditto, who's been looking after the Cyclone for decades, along with a look at the roller coaster itself. The Cyclone still uses the same 100 horsepower motor it used when it opened in......

THEATER: HERE Artistic Director Kristin Marting concludes the OBIE-winning art center’s season by directing performer/dancer Alexandra Beller in us, “a highly athletic, sensual and dynamic blend of movement with song, text and a layered soundscape. Beller created this deeply personal commentary on the state of the union from the perspective of a woman who is at a crisis point in a love relationship.” As we haven’t seen it, we’ll defer to The New Yorker on......

Jill Cunniff keeps a blog (a "MamaLog") about being a mom and a musician in New York, but you probably know her best as the lead singer and bass player of early-90s band Luscious Jackson. The band broke up in 2000, but Jill is still creating and performing music - all while being a mom, a wife, and doing her part to clean up New York's beaches. This weekend she'll perform at the Mermaid Parade......

The Hamptons may reek of money, but Coney Island is getting its very own scent, courtesy of downtown fragrance company Bond No. 9. Inspired by all the recent development along Brooklyn's bayshore, parfumeur Richard Harpin designed a location-based scent that is the borough's first from the company. It will retail for $40 an ounce, $125 for 1.7 ounces or $180 for 3.4 ounces, indicating to us that the value lies in the increasing size of......

It's hot, humid, and I want to go to the beach. What are my options? Well, Gateway National Recreation Area is right in our neck of the woods, extending in three New York City boroughs and into northern New Jersey. It is a good place to start your quest for the perfect patch of sand and cooling waters. Queens: Jacob Riis Park 2 to Flatbush Ave., Q35 Bus to Riis Beach Staten Island: Great Kills......

Rain or no, the 2006 Coney Island Mermaid Parade was earlier this afternoon, and Gothamist's man on the street Jake Dobkin and his trusty camera braved it so you didn't have to. A good time was reportedly had by all. The resulting photos, we think, speak for themselves. [Related: you can see more pictures at the Mermaid Parade Flickr Group and MermaidParade Flickr Tag. Also check out some good shots from Eatsdirt, a perpetual......

- AMNY looks ahead by 24 years at NYC's future - cue the "In the Year 2030" music - A glimpse into the Diamond District from The Morning News - Rikers Island geese control measures work, but what to do with the dead geese? - Governor Pataki tries to give his friends sweet jobs in the state government before the door hits him on his way out - A toddler drowned in a Queens......

Outdoor activities are going into overdrive this first weekend of summer. With a Mermaid Parade tomorrow afternoon, a Pride Parade Sunday, the Yankees hosting the Marlins, and the Gothamist-A Hamburger Today QBQ BBQ tomorrow evening there is no shortage of things to do outside. If you are attending any of these events you might want to have an indoor alternative available. Showers and thunderstorms are looking good from later this afternoon through tomorrow. A cold......

In this heat it’s time to turn to all things frozen, which brings up the eternal question: What is the ideal receptacle for ice cream? Cups are really are a wimp’s way out and cones can be too kiddy. The answer may be found at Villabate Pasticceria in Bensonhurst. There you can get outstanding gelato served inside a brioche roll. This is not your usual ice cream sandwich. Villabate is known for its bread—its semolina......

This Friday at Crobar, the good people at Coney Island USA are having a fundraiser and mini-hot dog eating competition. The "City of Fire" Spring Gala will feature various entertainment, including Miss Coney Island, the World Famous Pontani Sisters, and a mini Mermaid Parade. For our money though, the eating competition is where the money is at. Dick Zigun, Coney Island USA's Artistic Director, will take on Crazy Legs Conti, the IFOCE's 12th ranked eater.......

The weather was perfect for today's Mermaid Parade in Coney Island- perfect for seeing lots of topless ladies, that is. There were also lots of guys in full drag, ten-year-old girls wearing fish costumes, and older men showing off their vintage hot rods. Pictures have already started to pile up on Flickr- if you took some, add them there (tags: "Mermaid", "MermaidParade", "Coney Island", etc) or post them to your own site and add......

Tomorrow, head to Coney Island and experience one of the New York's wildest (and funnest) events, the Mermaid Parade. The Mermaid Parade always has crazy (usually barely there) costumes and even more colorful people... and the Cyclone and pizza are just steps away! This year, the King is David Johansen (Buster Poindexter and New York Dolls) and the Queen is Karmen Guy (Mad Juana). Keep in mind it's going to be hot, so wear......

- Last weekend was the Mermaid Parade. - Fahrenheit 9/11 sparked the box office, and Michael Moore took to the NYC theaters. - Finding a catsitter in NYC. - What of NY's new self-extinguishing cigarettes? - City schools are out! - Joel Steinberg is released and the city remembers the terrible murder of Lisa Steinberg - The Real World should stay in NY - Dick Cheney is booed at Yankee Stadium - Penn Station's......

This past weekend was the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, and the weather held out for the wild creativity of slinky sea-inspirsed couture. NY1 had a great quote from one onlooker: "The costumes are crazy. There are boobs everywhere.� It wouldn't be the Mermaid Parade without them. Newsday leads their article with a chesty description: "Marlena Zaps and her two friends sloshed along Surf Avenue yesterday, their breasts covered by an elaborate contraption: clear fish......

This Saturday from 2-6 pm on Coney Island is the Mermaid Parade! You know what that means? Hand made costumes and scantily clad parade marchers! The Mermaid Parade, now in it's 21st year was started as a tribute to Mardi Gras in Coney Island, a celebration that lasted from 1903-1954. Gothamist asks you, where else can you see people celebrate "the sand, the sea, the salt air and the beginning of summers, as well as......

I keep telling Jen that we need to do posts with more nudity- posting about Anil Dash and Pete Rojas can only boost traffic so much. With that thought in mind, I knew I had to post about the decision in the naked mermaid case. It seems that at last year's Coney Island Mermaid Parade, 31 year-old Brooklyn resident Amy Gunderson was arrested for going topless. Arresting a naked mermaid at the mermaid parade is......