In the near future, beach-goers and amusement-lovers will no longer be reduced to entering the Coney Island Boardwalk like rats scurrying up the gangplank to a rotting death ship. For time immemorial, visitors have reached the boardwalk at 10th Street via two depressing ramps located on either side of the street—and it's a miracle anyone makes it to the top without killing themselves in despair. But come 2014, mankind will at last access the legendary Sands of Coney via a grand beachfront entrance fit for pharaohs and captains of industry. Just don't let the unicycle riders set you on fire with their torches!
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Results tagged “boardwalk”
Behold The Grand New Entrance To The Coney Island Boardwalk
Big Section Of Coney Island Boardwalk Will Become Plastic-And-Concretewalk
Despite impassioned opposition from many local residents, the Bloomberg-appointed Public Design Commission yesterday approved a plan to turn part of the famous Coney Island boardwalk into a mix of plastic and concrete. After postponing the vote multiple times, the Commission finally approved the Parks Department plan to change a five block section of boardwalk, from Brighton 15th Street to Coney Island Avenue, into a strip of concrete and plastic. The renovation will cost $7.5 million.
A Peek At The New Coney Island Tom's Restaurant
Last week, beloved Prospect Heights breakfast institution Tom's Restaurant announced plans to expand for the first time in their 75-year history, after signing a deal to open a second location on the Coney Island boardwalk. Now, more details are emerging about what the space will look like and who Tom's Zamperla-sanctioned neighbors will be.
How Badly Were The Rockaways Damaged By Irene?
The Rockaways began their post-Irene cleanup efforts this week, and while some locals were psyched for the storm to hit, not everything was peachy keen at the beach. "The beach erosion is significant. So is the boardwalk damage," said City Councilman Eric Ulrich, whose district covers parts of Rockaway.
New Coney Island Restaurant Operators To Bring "Miami Beach Expertise" To Boardwalk
Just what Coney Island needed, some Miami Beach flavor! After forcing out eight longstanding local establishments on the Boardwalk, international amusement giant Zamperla has enlisted the services of one Michele Merlo, a food and beverage guy who comes to us from Miami's Pelican Hotel. Goodbye Ruby's, hello Club Lexx! Bros, Coney Island is gonna be so ballin' next summer.
The Coney Island "Concretewalk" Is Already Cracking!
Last year, the city announced plans to massively renovate the Coney Island Boardwalk because of years of damage and disrepair, and began replacing the classic wood planks on Riegelmann Boardwalk with slabs of concrete. Locals were up in arms about the changes, but officials touted the durability of the new material. But as Sheepshead Bites points out, could it really be called "durable" when it's already cracking?
NYPD: One Or Two Brighton Beach Shooters Still At Large
Police have already arrested 19-year-old Iloune Driver in relation to the Brighton Beach shooting that left four injured and 16-year-old Tysha Jones dead. But Driver, who is currently being held without bail in the case, may not be the last person charged in Jones' death.
19-Year-Old Arrested For Brighton Beach Shooting
Police have arrested a 19-year-old Brooklyn man in connection with last week's fatal shooting on Brighton Beach. Iloune Driver has been charged with second-degree murder and assault with intent to cause serious physical injury for the violence that left 16-year-old Tysha Jones dead and four others injured.
"Beef On The Beach" Led To 16-Year-Old Bystander's Death
Police believe that the 16-year-old girl who died in Thursday afternoon's Brighton Beach boardwalk shooting, which also left four others injured, was not the target. Tysha Jones of East Harlem had been sitting on a railing—and nearby was the intended target. Police spokesman Paul Browne explained the violence "erupted out of young adults getting into some sort of beef on the beach," and Police Commissioner Kelly called Jones' death a "terrible tragedy."
Men In Black III Brings Coney Island Back To the '60s
Last year there was a casting call for Men In Black III, where a call out specified "people that are less than 4’10 and more than 6’5 in height to play aliens. Men and women to play late 1960s New Yorkers." Another last month noted they were still looking for "1969 New Yorkers (hippies, beatnik poets, 60s celebrity look-a-likes, bikers, models, etc)" and explained "most scenes take place in 1969 and men and women must be willing to get a hair cut and to work around smoke."
Coney Island Makeover Includes Big Fancy Condo Towers
While some of us have been bemoaning the new changes to Coney Island's amusement district, further west down the boardwalk another dramatic development has largely escaped public notice, until now. Gristede's billionaire John Catsimatidis wants to change the zoning laws for a second time in order to build three big condominium towers for a project called "Ocean Dreams," where some 400 units would be sold for market price. Located on the site of what is now parking lots used for school bus parking, the development would be built next to a quiet gated community called Sea Gate. As you can see from these renderings, this is quite an ambitious and optimistic project! But will the city let Catsimatidis's dreams come true?
Parks Department Tweaking Coney Island Concretewalk Plans
Last year, because of years of damage and disrepair, the city announced plans to renovate the Coney Island Boardwalk, replacing the classic wood planks with slabs of concrete. Locals were up in arms about the possible changes, and the city then tweaked its plan in order to include imitation wood along the Riegelmann Boardwalk. But even that would be too much compromising for some.
Coney Island Eight Take Buyout for One Last Summer
After a marathon seven hour negotiating session yesterday, seven out of eight businesses on the Coney Island boardwalk that have been fighting eviction agreed to a "deal" late last night that would allow them to stay for one last summer. But after this season, they must slag off so that international amusement giant Zamperla can build a giant generic sports bar/restaurant complex operated by the French-based Sodexo, one of the world’s largest food and facilities management companies. So long Ruby's, and God Bless Generica!
Video: New Coney Island Ride Ready for Cookie Tossing
While the international amusement company Zamperla has been working to push eight local business owners off the Coney Island boardwalk and replace them with a big sports bar restaurant complex, the company has also been busy building their new amusement park, The Scream Zone, which will compliment the new Luna Park this summer. Today they completed the first new ride. Called Zenobio, the ride stands more than 100 feet tall and sweeps riders through the air at 60 miles per hour. Here's video of the same ride in action elsewhere:
Doomed Coney Island Boardwalk Owner Blasts Councilman
When Councilman Domenic Recchia came out in favor of evicting eight mom-and-pop businesses from the Coney Island Boardwalk, he argued that they "made a lot of money paying cheap rent all these years... They had plenty of chances to buy these properties and fix them up, but they never did." Today one of the owners, Tina Georgoulakos of Boardwalk snack stand Paul's Daughter, tells Amusing the Zillion that's balderdash.
Photos: Coney Island New Year's Day Polar Bear Club Swim 2011
Thanks to the unseasonably warm weather, there was a massive turnout for today's annual New Year's Day Coney Island Polar Bear Club swim. With temperatures in the lower fifties, there was nothing holding back the masses from stripping down to their trunks and bikinis and BP bio-hazard suits and running into the Atlantic Ocean—which wasn't exactly bathwater, but compared to the frigid weather and blizzard conditions we've recently experienced, today's temps made for a nearly perfect day at the beach. As such, the bragging rights that came with this year's swim aren't very exclusive, but the atmosphere was jubilant, and a lot of money was raised for Camp Sunshine.
City Fines Amusement Giant For Razing Shoot the Freak
There was considerable outrage last week when Zamperla, the multinational amusement company leasing prime Coney Island boardwalk property from the city, abruptly bulldozed Shoot the Freak, the ten-year-old attraction where customers step right up to fire paint ball pellets at a human target. Shoot the Freak and seven other boardwalk businesses are fighting Zamperla's eviction order in court, so it came as a surprise that the company would raze the attraction before any legal decision had been issued. Now it turns out that Zamerla didn't even bother getting a permit from the Department of Buildings to do the work.
Coney Island's Shoot the Freak Bulldozed, Boarded Up
Although the owners of eight local businesses are suing to stop their eviction from the Coney Island boardwalk, the amusement giant controlling their leases isn't waiting to give them the boot. The first to get the bum's rush is Shoot the Freak, an open-air attraction that's let customers fire paint ball pellets at the titular "freak" for the past ten years. Anthony Berlingieri, who operates the famous game, tells the Post, "I’m still in shock. Zamperla never contacted me before throwing out my equipment and basically shutting me out of business."
Ruby's Opening for New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim, Protest
If you were thinking this morning about how great it would be to spend a winter's day at the beach, here's good news. Ruby's Bar & Grill—the imperiled Coney Island institution—will open up for the annual Coney Island Polar Bear Swim. Despite receiving an eviction notice from the sinister corporate amusement giant Zamperla, the essential boardwalk dive isn't budging, and plans to open for "a HUGE protest" on New Year's day. A host at Ruby's (Facebook) tells us the doors will pop at 10:30 a.m. for the annual "Polar Bear Plunge for Camp Sunshine." Meanwhile, questions are being raised about the food service company that Zamperla wants to install on the Boardwalk to replace eight businesses, including Ruby's.
Ruby's, Others Definitely Suing to Stop Boardwalk Eviction
As expected, eight of the nine family-owned Coney Island bars, eateries, and attractions which are facing sudden eviction will be fighting their fate in court. (The only one not joining the lawsuit is Pio Pio Riko Peruvian food stand, which opened last year.) Anthony Berlingieri, owner of Shoot the Freak and Beer Island, tells The Post he and the other businesses have hired a lawyer and will sue Zamperla, the company leasing the property from the city. He says the businesses spent thousands of dollars each coming up with business plans at Zamperla’s request to justify lease renewals "even though Zamperla already decided to kick them out."
Boardwalk Empire Brings Money, Glamour to the City
If the mid-century Mad Men aren't for you, perhaps you've been tuning in to HBO on Sunday nights for Boardwalk Empire, the show set in Atlantic City during the Prohibition Era. While New Jersey may be the backdrop, there's plenty of New York City to be seen—and not just in the New York gangsters portrayed on the show. First of all, they've been shooting all over the city, and the 1920s boardwalk was actually built in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Check out this timelapse below:
Smoking World Reacts To Park, Beach, Boardwalk, Plaza Ban
Embattled smokers reacted bitterly to the news of increased restrictions on their activity yesterday. In the wake of Mayor Bloomberg's announcement that, pending City Council approval, the city would ban smoking in parks, beaches, pedestrian plazas and boardwalks, smokers took to the streets to defiantly light up. Here are some of the most indignant reactions:
Park Smoking Ban Outlaws Butts On Pedestrian Plazas, Too!
Now it all makes sense: First the city bans cars from some of the busiest blocks in NYC, turning them over to bums and tourists. And once New Yorkers come to accept these spaces as lazy plazas, not bustling thoroughfares, the Nanny State moves to tighten its grip. Today Mayor Bloomberg declared that his new law banning smoking from city parks and beaches will also cover pedestrian plazas. Oh, and boardwalks, too. Say goodbye to your postprandial cigar on the Coney Island boardwalk, Boris! What's next for the city's health Nazis, no fatties?
Drunken Man Takes Leisurely Drive On Queens Boardwalk
A Queens dad was arrested this week under Leandra's Law after cruising down the pedestrian-only Rockaway Beach Boulevard completely drunk with six kids in tow. Doesn't he know one should always hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach?
Zamperla Threatening Coney Island Boardwalk Businesses
[UPDATE BELOW] Considering all the stuff that could have happened with Coney Island, we actually liked the new Luna Park. It's still reasonably priced, isn't surrounded by Vegas-like hotels and concessions, and allows for free beach access. But all that changed with news of operating company Zamperla's alleged mission to shut down boardwalk mainstays like Ruby's and Cha Cha's. Joe Sitt ain't got nothin' on Zamperla.
Woman Attacked By Vicious Stray Dogs Sues City
A woman attacked by stray dogs on the Rockaway boardwalk in 2001 is suing the city, claiming they created a breeding ground for the vicious dogs by letting them feed on garbage in a city-owned vacant lot.
Coney Gets "Best Beach Boardwalk" Title
Summer's here, and Travel + Leisure is looking at the best oceanside attractions nationwide, or as they label it: America's Best Beach Boardwalks. Coming out on top: our very own Coney Island!
Coney Island Stabbing Breaks In New Luna Park
Welcome back to the old neighborhood, Luna Park. Just a day after its grand opening Saturday, the atavistic amusement park was witness to a stabbing just steps from the entrance, on the Boardwalk near West 10th Street. Police say Joshua Perez, 17, was stabbed in the torso during a dispute with another teen named Christopher Acosta. A Luna Park security guard tells the Post, "I saw [him] stagger in off the boardwalk and fall down, and a crowd grew around him. Mothers were holding their kids back, and they all looked shocked and concerned."
Coney Island Boardwalk Becomes Furniture
As the city goes about replacing parts of the decaying Coney Island boardwalk with charming concrete, a Red Hook design firm has reclaimed pieces of the old ipe wood for a "Coney Island line" of furniture. Uhuru Designs is debuting a Wonder Wheel Coffee Table, a Boardwalk Console, and a Cyclone Lounger, all made from bits of the old boardwalk. The lounger will set you back $7,200, but unlike the Cyclone, you probably won't have to worry about fracturing any vertebrae while sitting on it. You can give it a test run this weekend when St. Ann's Warehouse in DUMBO hosts the BKLYN Designs fair, featuring loads of design-related events.
Coney Island Boardwalk to Become Concretewalk
Can you still call it a boardwalk if you take the boards out of it? It's an existential question now facing fans of the famed Coney Island Boardwalk—the city has begun replacing the classic wood planks on the Riegelmann Boardwalk with large concrete slabs from Ocean Parkway to Brighton First Road.
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