News | Amusing the Zillion

Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Ghost Signs on Coney Island’s Mermaid Avenue

Posted in News, Photography, tagged Coney Island, faded ad, ghost sign, Jimmy Prince, Major Market, Major Meat, Mermaid Avenue on November 5, 2013| 3 Comments »

Ghost sign for Major Meats on Mermaid Ave. October 23, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

In 2009, Jimmy Prince closed Major Meats, his butcher shop at 1516 Mermaid Avenue, after more than 50 years. The hand-painted signage on the gate and the wall of the building next door stayed on. “Major has been proud to serve the Coney Island Community with the best Prime Meats since 1932. We are now looking forward to the 21 century,” says the lettering amid charmingly naive depictions of the Cyclone, Parachute Jump, Wonder Wheel and Astrotower. In the mural, Major Market is right next door to Nathan’s, which is actually at Surf and Stillwell, and has its own blimp in the sky!

Detail of Ghost Sign for Major Market. October 23, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

Out of nostalgia and respect for “The Prince of Mermaid Avenue,” who is now 81, and beloved in the neighborhood, the signage on the wall and the gate were never painted over. Whenever Jimmy is around Coney–he has a part-time job at a butcher shop in Marine Park– he can’t go 15 minutes without a former customer coming over and giving him a hug.

Keep Coney Island the Playground of the World, Sign at 1621 Mermaid Avenue. October 23, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

Since the now faded and peeling signs appeared in stories about vacant stores in Coney Island one year after Sandy, ATZ wanted to highlight their history. “Keep Coney Island the Playground of the World. Keep Coney Island Clean,” says the message on the gate. Sandy didn’t do in the signs, though the storm did destroy the new deli that was there.

Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery has leased 1516 Mermaid Avenue. October 23, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill has leased the store, according to broker Joe Vitacco. The building is owned by the Russo brothers of Gargiulo’s, who have completely renovated the space for the new tenant. Golden Krust is relocating from 1621 Mermaid Avenue.

Established 1932. Sign for Major Market. October 23, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

Lottery to Become Member of Coney Island Polar Bear Club

Posted in Events, News, video, tagged Coney Island, Coney Island Polar Bear Club, membership, Polar Bear Swim, winter bathing, winter swimming on November 3, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Coney Island Polar Bear Club, November 6, 2011. Photo © Bruce Handy via Coney Island Photo Diary

Best known for their New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge, the Coney Island Polar Bear Club actually goes for a dip in the Atlantic every Sunday at 1pm from November through April. Today, November 3rd, is the first swim of the 2013-2014 season for the country’s oldest winter bathing club, founded in 1903 by Bernarr Macfadden.

In this video by Polar Bear Capri Djatiasmoro, taken on April 28, 2013, the final cold water swim of last season, the Bears “circle up” at the ten minute mark. The water temp was 50F / 10C. Want to join them? For the 2013-2014 season, the Coney Island Polar Bears are accepting 10 applicants for membership chosen by lottery.

To register for the lottery, you must sign up here and will be notified of the results by November 9th. Selected applicants are required to pay a $25 application fee (non-refundable), participate in 12 swims within a single season between November and April and be voted in by a majority of the membership. The club has approximately 150 full-time members with about 100 coming out for weekly swims. Here’s another vid, also by Polar Bear Capri Djatiasmoro, of the group walking to the water on a cold day in January. Can you say camaraderie?

You can also join the Coney Polar Bear Club for one guest swim. Just show up at the Bears “Clubhouse” at the Aquarium’s Education Hall on the Coney Island Boardwalk at West 8th Street by 12:30 pm with your bathing suit, a towel, surf boots or an extra pair of sneakers, and some warm clothing.

Membership is not required for the January 1st Polar Bear Plunge, a fundraiser for Camp Sunshine and local charities. Besides being a great way to start off the new year, the event raises more than $20,000 annually for Camp Sunshine, a retreat for children with life threatening diseases.

Photo Album: Four Transformations, One Year After Sandy

Posted in amusement park, News, tagged Brooklyn Public Library, Coney Island, Coney Island USA, Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, Grandma's Predictions, Sandy, shooting gallery, Steeplechase Pier, Superstorm Sandy on October 30, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Hurricane Sandy Aftermath in Coney Island

Steeplechase Pier, Coney Island. October 30, 2012. Photo © Jim McDonnell

It’s still painful to look at photos taken in the days after Sandy. On the one year anniversary, from the many photos posted on ATZ over the past year, we’re highlighting four public amenities and amusement park icons in Coney Island which were ravaged by the storm. The four were not only rebuilt but have also undergone a dramatic transformation from the way they looked before Sandy. On October 30, 2012, photographer Jim McDonnell took the first photos that we saw of damage in Coney’s amusement area, including the heartbreaking photograph above of Steeplechase Pier. The 1,040-foot-pier, a popular spot for strolling, sunbathing, fishing and watching the fireworks, finally reopened on October 2nd after several months of reconstruction by T.B. Penick and Triton Structural.

Coney Island’s Reconstructed Steeplechase Pier. October 2, 2013. Photo © Charles Denson, Coney Island History Project via flickr

The sleek new pier, as photographed by Charles Denson of the Coney Island History Project, is light years ahead of the pier that preceded it. Originally built by George Tilyou in 1904 as part of his Steeplechase Park, the pier was later acquired by the City of New York City and had to be rebuilt in the late 1950s after a fire.

A waved-shaped communal lounger and benches made from reclaimed ipe from the pier’s old decking are among the new amenities. There’s also a shade structure with letters spelling out CONEY ISLAND that cast an elegant shadow. LTL Architects redesign for the reconstruction of the pier won Special Recognition at the 31st Annual Awards for Excellence in Design by the New York City Design Commission.

Coney Island Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library on Mermaid Avenue. February 22, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Nearly a year after being wrecked by Sandy, the Coney Island Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library reopened on October 23rd after a $2.5 million rebuilding effort. The interior has been completely transformed by Beatty Harvey Coco Architects, a firm which specializes in libraries. Huge photos of Coney Island’s landmark Wonder Wheel, Cyclone and Parachute Jump decorate the walls. Photos of the redesigned library, including new furniture, computer stations and meeting rooms can be seen in “Photo Album: Coney Island Library’s Comeback from Sandy,” (ATZ, October 24, 2013)

The venerable, circa 1923 “Grandma’s Predictions” has been telling fortunes under Coney Island’s 1920 Wonder Wheel all her life. Her inner workings were destroyed by floodwater from Sandy. Grandma, an irreplaceable antique as well as a good luck charm for the Vourderis family who own Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, was taken to arcade restorer Bob Yorburg’s studio in Putnam County for some TLC.

Grandma’s Predictions after Sandy, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, Coney Island. November 10, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr

The rare fortunetelling machine got eye surgery as well as a new wig, dress and wax hands cast from the original mold. A fine new cabinet was hand-crafted based on the design of one from the 1920s. Her motto “What does Grandma Say?”was hand-lettered in gold leaf. Grandma returned to her spot under the Wonder Wheel on Mother’s Day. Get your fortune told — only 50 cents!

Grandma’s Predictions, newly restored 90-year-old fortunetelling machine under the Wonder Wheel in Coney Island. May 12, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr

One of the casualties of Sandy in Coney Island’s amusement area was Denny’s Ice Cream, established in 1978 and owned by Coney Island USA. The nonprofit arts organization bought Dennis Corines’ building next door to CIUSA’s headquarters in 2011 for $1.3 million with the idea of eventually expanding their arts space. In the meantime, they kept the beloved ice cream shop open, serving banana pistachio cones and other popular treats until the store fixtures were destroyed by Sandy. Since the building had to be gutted, the future renovations had to happen in time for the 2013 season. What to do?

Coney Island Post-Sandy: Interior Demolition of Storm-Ravaged Denny’s Ice Cream, Surf Avenue. November 17, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr. November 17, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr

The idea of installing and restoring this 1940s Mangels shooting gallery on loan from Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park came up when it had to be moved during the park’s renovations after the storm. The gallery was manufactured in Coney Island by William F. Mangels, the inventor of such early 20th century thrill rides as the Whip and the Tickler, and the builder of the mechanism for the B & B Carousell. Intact Mangels shooting galleries are exceptionally rare since most were long ago sold for scrap metal or broken up by antique dealers who sell the targets individually to collectors. The Shooting Gallery’s Arts Annex hosts sideshow performances and this year’s Creep Show at the Freak Show, which continues through October 31.