Fire Island property owners whose businesses were destroyed in yesterday's devastating blaze promised that the Island's legendary gay clubs would be back and ready for action this summer. more ›

Were you thinking of heading out to Fire Island to brave Irene? Just stop that. At 3 p.m. today Suffolk County is expected to call for a mandatory evacuation of Fire Island [Reg. Req'd]. In addition those Nassau county residents on barrier islands or in storm-surge areas south of Sunrise Highway and north of Route 25A are being asked to leave as well. But voluntarily (for now). more ›

Did The Social Network marketing team plant this story? Or was it's Mark Zuckerberg's PR team? Allegedly Facebook has done some good in the world. The social networking platform helped a Staten Island woman get her long forgotten Bishop Kearney High School class ring back after she lost it over thirty years ago in the ocean, while swimming off Fire Island during a family vacation. more ›

Two off-duty Nassau Marine Officers helped save four fisherman whose "boat began sinking in shark-infested waters south of Fire Island," according to Newsday. Mike Spagnuolo and Mike Larmony, in Spagnuolo's charter boat, the Gina Ann, heard the distress call; Spagnuolo said, "We heard the panic in their voice and we knew we had to get there. We knew there were no other boats out there." The distressed boat, the Anger Management, sank minutes after the Gina Ann arrived. Anger Management captain Ray Pasieka and his crew put on life jackets and swam about 50 feet to the Gina Ann. Pasieka, who caught a mako shark but left it on the sinking boat, said, "That was the biggest fear, jumping in the water. We knew there was a shark in the water in eating distance." more ›

Two Fire Island police officers have been acquitted of most of the charges against them stemming from a 2005 incident that left a tourist with a burst bladder. While the jury remains deadlocked on a lesser charge of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of a year in jail, they have found Police Chief George Hesse and Officer Arnold Hardman not guilty of first-degree gang assault, as well as other charges. The two were accused of beating a drunken marketing exec named Sam Gilberd at the Ocean Beach police station after arresting him for littering. The beating allegedly occured after an irate Gilberd kicked the station door after he was initially released; he says the cops then pulled him back inside and beat him senseless. According to Newsday, the officers' lawyers may now try to get the other charge dismissed, but Gilberd's still proceeding with his civil lawsuit, seeking $22 million in damages. more ›

A Manhattan marketing executive who says police on Fire Island beat him until his bladder burst is finally having his day in court. Yesterday Sam Gilberd told jurors his account of the alleged assault, which he says took place in the Ocean Beach police station one night in 2005. Police had arrested a drunken Gilberd after he threw a glass outside a bar; after issuing him a summons, Gilberd made the very stupid decision to kick the station's front door on his way out. It was then, he says, that he was grabbed from behind and told him, "Now you've pissed off the sergeant." Gilberd told the jury, "I remember being hit, I remember being punched. I got a big kick in my stomach and everything got really bright, and then it went dark." Acting police chief George Hesse faces gang assault and other charges; another officer is accused of failing to seek medical attention for Gilberd and lying to first responders about the extent of his injuries. In 2007, the Suffolk County DA accused Hesse and other officers of running an "out of control" police department, rife with on-duty drinking and fornication. more ›

The ferries to Fire Island are seeking an immediate fare increase that would raise the cost up to 25 percent, raising one-way fares from $8 to $10, and round-trip from $15 to $18. Newsday reports that ferry reps of the "Fire Island Ferries Inc. of Bay Shore and the Davis Park Ferry Co. of Patchogue told county legislators this week that they will lose more than $150,000 each this year and will need the fare hikes to avoid doing the same next summer." To counter that, a rep from the Legislature's Budget Review Office claims the ferries made more than $1 million in 2007, thanks in part to a previous fare increase of 10%, and is suggesting another hike not be granted before the end of September. In order to raise the fares the private ferry companies will need the county's approval first. more ›

You don’t have to wait until summer to catch sweet some rays out on Fire Island; playwright Charles Mee and a troupe of 108 actors and musicians have brought the beguiling little beach community to Tribeca, where they’ve transformed a cavernous space at the 3LD Art and Technology Center into a beach party of epic proportions. The wholly immersive experience begins as soon as you step inside the theater and realize that not only is there no stage, but there aren’t even any seats: the performers weave their way among the audience members, who recline on pillows or beach chairs. more ›

Police brutality claims occur in even tranquil beach towns. The Suffolk County DA's office has charged four members of Fire Island's Ocean Beach police, including the acting chief of police, for the 2005 beating of a Manhattan resident. Last week, other former police officers had filed a lawsuit, as the NY Times reports, claiming the acting chief "surrounded himself with a clique of officers who they claimed covered up instances of police brutality against vacationers and drank and had sex while on duty." more ›

There’s no home in the Hamptons for poor, old Gothamist. No bungalow on Fire Island, not even a shack on the Jersey Shore. No, Gothamist prefers (and by “prefers” we mean “has no other option than”) to summer in Coney, in Brighton or Rockaway or waiting on line at Shake Shack. And though we spend the balance of most summers huddled around our puttering air conditioner, we’re feeling a touch nostalgic for those balmy seaside days. That’s why earlier we went to Coney and why we’re now going to Randazzo’s Clam Bar in Sheepshead Bay. more ›

-- Jewish lifeguards are being discriminated against at Jones Beach. Opines Krucoff: "I suggest sending in the IDF to secure the beach." more ›

-- And some sad news to end the day: another biker was killed today, this time at 9th Avenue and 29th Street by a truck making a right-hand turn. This follows an accident last night at S4th and Roebling in Williamsburg that left a biker "severely injured." Please be careful out there! more ›

This is probably the first September 11-related lawsuit involved nudity. Queens resident Mark DelCore is suing various Fire Island officials for the right to have his rat terrier along when he sunbathes nude. Why does he want to sunbathe nude? The Smoking Gun explains:

DelCore said that he was in a lower Manhattan gym on the morning of the World Trade Center attack and, when the planes hit, was forced to leave the facility while still wet. After the first tower collapsed, DelCore said that he was covered with a "light dusting" of an unknown substance (which attached to his wet skin) as he ran north from the scene. His resulting condition, which he said does not have a name, led to him going on disability from his job with a New York bank.

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. more ›

Summer in the city for many means a mass exodus to the beach, whether it be the Jersey Shore, Fire Island or the Hamptons. For those not willing to brave the traffic, or opted not to go for the summer share (read lack of funds) it doesn’t mean we have to miss out on all the nautical bliss. We can enjoy that beachy atmosphere without having to inhale the exhaust on the Long Island Expressway. Turns out a short ride on the F train takes us to that lazy, seaside watering hole. Trout in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn has everything that you would want for a laid back Saturday afternoon – outdoor seating, killer bloody marys, steamed to perfection littleneck clams -- well, except the beach part, but don’t worry, you’ll never notice it’s missing. more ›

We're in the middle of a cold snap, but meteorologists want us to freak out about the possibility of a New York hurricane this year. AccuWeather believes that New York City is overdue for a hurricane, given "current cycle of storms, pressure systems and above-normal water temperatures in the Atlantic." (The 1938 Hurricane just missed NYC, but hit Long Island, killing hundreds.) After Hurricane Katrina, Mayor Bloomberg said that Office of Emergency Management would be able to handle a hurricane, but the OEM is reviewing the plan from head to toe. You can see the OEM's hurricane and coastal storm information here and find out which evacuation zone you live in. Of course, areas that New Yorkers flock to on the shore, like the Hamptons and Fire Island are even more vulnerable. Gothamist thinks the only way to freak out is to demand the city explain what its plans are - we hope there are some town hall type community meetings planned. more ›

The NY Post reported a Manhattan man was allegedly beaten up by Fire Island police officers after he was taken in for littering. Sam Gilberd wasn't beaten up for littering, but rather for closing the station house door "in an offensive manner." He was punched and kicked until he was an unconscious, and his bladder ruptured. Gilberd is suing (of course), but his lawyer didn't have anything to say about the littering summons. So, when you leave the city, don't litter, don't madly flail your arms for a cab, and don't ask for the express because who knows what will happen. more ›

Between a trip out to Fire Island this weekend, and New York Metro's wrap-up of new fish shacks, Gothamist is ready for summer. While our all-time favorite is Pearl Oyster Bar, we're eager to try the newbies -- Black Pearl, in the East Village, and Bar Minnow in Park Slope. We've already had a sample of the fish shack at BLT Fish, and while we only got a tiny taste of the raw bar and a batch of fried oysters (pictured at left), we want to head back for another round soon. more ›

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Here at Ask Gothamist HQ, we've received tons of questions about fun summer activities, like the recent question about the New York Philharmonic Outdoor Concert Series. more ›

Julie Atlas Muz, Burlesque Star/Mermaid more ›

David Joerg, Co-Founder of Vindigo more ›

Jen Bekman, Gallery Owner more ›

The Post has suggestions for day trips, via the train, like going to Fire Island or Foxwoods, and Gothamist appreciates them, as we don't have cars nor the ability to be too far from high-speed Internet access for too long. (Wi-fi is not everywhere, folks.) We'd also like to suggest taking NJ Transit to Spring Lake, which has a lovely beach.
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