The lease held by Nathan's Famous at Stillwell and Surf avenues on Coney Island doesn't run out for 18 years, and CEO Eric Gatoff insists, "We expect to be in that building forever." But some Coney Island lovers are still freaking out over Mayor Bloomberg's rezoning plan, which was recently approved by the City Council. They worry it leaves the hot dog icon vulnerable, because there's nothing in the plan to stop a developer from buying the property (owned by the Handwerker family, which founded the original Nathan's) and building a nice 20-story hotel tower. An application for landmark status was submitted by Coney Island USA to The Landmarks Preservation Commission years ago, but no verdict has yet been issued. Now over 130 people have signed an online petition in the past few days demanding landmarking, and Coney Island USA founder Dick Zigun tells the Daily News, "To not have Nathan's would be insane... You don't want the new Coney Island to be indistinguishable from a suburbanized, homogenized, standardized amusement park off the New Jersey Turnpike." Speak for yourself, Zigun—the Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags makes the Cyclone seem like a kiddie Teacup ride. more ›

An auction was held yesterday afternoon to liquidate the contents of Gregory & Paul's restaurant, one of the last remaining components that made up Astroland's three-acre space. Gregory & Paul's occupied the corner lot opposite the Cyclone, at Surf Avenue and West 10th Street, and owner Paul Georgoulakos oversaw more than 40 years of warp speed summer seasons catering to hungry beachgoers, selling everything from half-shell clams to cotton candy, funnel cakes to sausages. more ›

Yesterday's Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest had a lot to live up to after last year's heavily-hyped and record-breaking victory that saw Joey Chestnut bring the Mustard Belt back to America by snapping the six-year victory streak of legend Takeru Kobayashi. How did they manage to top it? Overtime! more ›

The air at Coney Island is charged as the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest will be underway in moments. Contributor Billy Parker is on the scene and tells us the Nathan's "Franksters" (hot dog mascots) had a dance "to the death": "The old Frankster had serious moves, while a newer Frank was booed." Tien Mao, hot dog enthusiast, and I will also be chiming in. more ›

Bless the Daily News for suggesting that Coney Island institution Nathan's Famous might become a "towering wiener wonderland with clubs, stores and hotel rooms," thanks for a provision in Coney Island development plans. We now dream of living in a building shaped like a hot dog, complete with relish-stucco exterior - and we'd hope our fellow tenants would be Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi and that there would be room service from Nathan's. more ›