December | 2010 | Amusing the Zillion

Archive for December, 2010

New Music Video: Little Silver’s Where We Met

Posted in Music Video, tagged Coney Island, Erika Simonian, Little Silver, Steve Curtis, The Stolen Souvenir, Where We Met on December 7, 2010| 1 Comment »

Erika Simonian and Steve Curtis of the Brooklyn band Little Silver just released the EP The Stolen Souvenir featuring this hauntingly lovely single “Where We Met.” The music video by Jim Collier was shot this past summer in Coney Island.

See there
We met where
The sojourners found
A small bit of permanent ground

Did the couple, who live in Windsor Terrace, meet in Coney? “We did not meet in Coney Island,” Erika Simonian tells ATZ, “but from the window of our apartment on clear days, you can see the parachute drop. This is where we began together, in this apartment.”

“The first shot of the video is the parachute drop, and our window with curtain is the second,” says Erika, “We chose Coney Island to shoot the video because it’s an evocative place – that we see from our apartment. Plus all the life there – the beach, the boardwalk, the gulls, the awesome mixture of humanity….”

In addition to the Parachute Jump, you’ll catch glimpses of the Cyclone, Wonder Wheel and Luna Park’s Mega Disk’O, Air Race and Brooklyn Flyer. For more info on Little Silver and Tuesday night’s release party at Sycamore Bar in Ditmas Park, visit their website.

Bitter Week Ahead: Coney Island 8 Summoned to Court, Shore & Henderson Demo

Posted in Redevelopment, tagged Boardwalk businesses, Central Amusement International, Coney Island, Economic Development Corporation, Luna Park, NYCEDC on December 6, 2010| 8 Comments »

Demolition of Thor Equities-Owned Shore Hotel, Coney Island. December 5, 2010. Photo © Eric Kowalsky

Tis the season to be jolly, but there won’t be any fa-la-la-ing in good ol’ Coney Island this week. Last Wednesday, notices from attorneys for Luna Park operator Central Amusement International (CAI) were posted on the gates of the evicted Boardwalk businesses summoning them to court on December 10. CAI has retained the law firm of Davidoff, Malito & Hutcher, who filed a lawsuit to force the Coney Island 8 to “surrender the subject premises.” The eight businesses are Ruby’s, Cha Cha’s, Paul’s Daughter, Grill House, Gyro Corner, Shoot the Freak, Beer Island and Coney Island Souvenir Shop.

On Friday, Thor Equities demolition crew gutted the first floors of the Shore Hotel and the Bowery side of the Henderson Building. The dirty work will continue this week. Along with the demolished Bank of Coney Island, these historic buildings were doomed by the City’s rezoning of the parcels for high-rise hotels in 2009. A demolition permit was issued to Thor Equities in August and the Henderson’s remaining tenants were evicted, though a hotel is not expected to be built anytime soon. If you come to Coney Island for the New Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim, when you exit Stillwell Terminal and look across Surf, it’s likely the buildings will be demolished by then. What you’ll see is another empty lot to add to real estate speculator Joe Sitt’s collection of empty lots in Coney Island.

View of Thor Equities-owned Shore Hotel and Henderson Building in Coney Island. July 12, 2009. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Before the Demolition: View of Thor Equities-owned Shore Hotel and Henderson Building in Coney Island. July 12, 2009. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Will Ruby’s Bar be open on New Year’s Day? The Sarrels hope so, we hope so, but nobody knows. The future of the eight Boardwalk businesses will be the subject of legal wrangling this week, both behind the scenes and in court on Friday. According to the notice from CAI’s attorneys, copies of which were also sent by certified mail, “a hearing at which you must appear will be held at the Civil Court of the City of New York, 141 Livingston Street, ~~Part 52, Room 94(C)~~ on December 10 at 10 am.” (Update: The room number has been changed. We were requested not to post the new room number since the court date may not be open to the public.)

The notice also stated that “the license premises are an integral part of redevelopment” and that “time is of the essence.” Respondents were told to “surrender the subject premises” or face penalties of $2,000 per day. The previous notice to quit by November 19th, which ATZ posted last month, is referenced in the document. Central Amusement International states that the sublease with the businesses commenced on January 25, 2010 and ended on October 31, 2010.

Ruby's Rally, Party & Last Call. November 6, 2010. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

We hope some kind of agreement can be reached to allow indigenous Mom & Pops such as Ruby’s and Paul’s Daughter to be part of the new Coney Island. The sudden notice to “vacate the premises” sent to the Boardwalk veterans on the day after the season ended calls to mind Thor Equities’ Christmas Eve lockout of 2008, when Joe Sitt was dubbed “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” by the NY Post. In that infamous incident, Sitt’s henchmen cut locks on Boardwalk businesses and hung up banners advertising Stores for Lease. Lynn Kelly, then president of the Coney Island Development Corporation, told the Post, ‘Sitt’s behavior shows why the mayor’s planned rezoning is needed, “so that the boardwalk businesses and all of Coney Island have a chance to thrive.'”

Just days before CAI’s “vacate the premises” notice was delivered to the Coney Island 8 on November 1st, Kelly left her longtime position with the CIDC and NYCEDC (Economic Development Corporation) for a new job as CEO of Staten Island’s Snug Harbor Cultural Center. Too bad we’ll never get to hear Kelly’s explanation for the eviction of the Boardwalk businesses by Luna Park, which is a public private partnership with the EDC and Kelly was fond of calling “her park.” Neither the EDC nor the Mayor’s Office will comment to the press about the Mom & Pop businesses booted off City-owned property in Coney Island. The NYCEDC leased the Boardwalk property to CAI, the New Jersey-based operator of Coney Island’s new Luna Park. City officials–both appointed and elected–continue to distance themselves from responsibility for the evictions by remaining silent and referring all requests for comment to CAI.

UPDATE… December 9, 2010

Friday morning’s 10 a.m. court date for the eviction of the “Coney Island Eight” reportedly got postponed at the request of their attorney. ATZ was told that a postponement is a basic move at the beginning of a case. We’re not reading anything into it. Not yet. Stay tuned for new date.

UPDATE… December 10, 2010

The judge adjourned the hearing till January 10, 2011.

Boardwalk 8. November 27, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

Zamperla Air Race Ride Wins Sales at IAAPA Attractions Expo

Posted in Amusement ride, tagged Air RAce, Attractions Expo, Coney Island, IAAPA, Luna Park, Zamperla on December 5, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Zamperla's Air Race Ride Seat & Video on Display at IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando. November 17, 2010. Photo © Intercot via twitter

A seat from Zamperla’s prototype Air Race ride at Luna Park Coney Island took a trip to Orlando last month. The Air Race seat and ride video were on display in Zamperla’s booth at the Nov 15- Nov 19 IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions) Attractions Expo. Valerio Ferrari, CEO of Zamperla USA and Luna Park, tells ATZ that two Air Race rides were sold to parks in Europe at the trade show. A few other deals are in the discussion phase, he adds.

An Air Race has also been sold to a park in China, ATZ learned from Alberto Zamperla, president and CEO of Antonio Zamperla S.p.A., in October. Designed by Mega Disk’O creator Gianbattista Zambelli, the Air Race sends riders upside down at up to 4g forces. The thrill ride made its world debut at Zamperla’s new amusement park in Coney Island in June.

Zamperla Air Race Ride in Operation at Luna Park Coney Island. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

The IAAPA Attractions Expo, the premier annual conference and trade show for the amusement industry, drew 25,000 participants from 96 countries to the Orange County Convention Center. Zamperla’s booth displayed the Luna Park NYC logo while individual video terminals showcased the park’s Zamperla rides.

In an article we wrote about the new Luna Park for IAAPA Funworld, Ferrari says, “Our intention is to have the latest rides that we develop in our park.” The fact that the world’s largest manufacturer of amusement rides is trying out prototypes at Luna Park is an exciting development that calls to mind the heyday of Coney Island when the first models of any new park or carnival rides would make their debut here.

Zamperla also benefits because the New York City amusement park functions as a showroom for Zamperla’s New Jersey-based North American operation. Luna Park closed for the season after Halloween and will reopen on Palm Sunday (April 17, 2011), but the majority of rides remain in place and on view.