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Coney Island Is The Place to Celebrate New Year’s Day

Posted in Events, News, tagged Coney ISland Polar Bear Swim, Freezin for a Reason, January 1, New Year's Day, Ruby's Bar on December 31, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Formal Pose, Members of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club at New Year's Swim. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

Formal Pose, Members of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club. January 1, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

The Coney Island Polar Bear Club’s New Year’s Day Swim is wacky fun, but they’re Freezin’ for a Reason. Support a Bear and make a pledge now. According to the Bears’ website, “There is no fee for swimmers or observers but we encourage all participants to make a voluntary donation to our partner Camp Sunshine.” The Coney Island Plunge has already raised more than $20,000!

On January 1, 2010, more than one thousand people took the plunge, including about 140 members of the Polar Bear Club (ATZ, “By the Numbers: Coney Island New Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim 2010,” January 8, 2010). Tomorrow’s dip in the ocean is at 1 pm sharp, but get there early for festivities on the Boardwalk. You can register, pledge and buy Polar Bear Tee’s on the Boardwalk from 11 am.

Ruby

On New Year’s Day Ruby’s Bar & Grill will be the place to raise a toast to the New Year and to the real Coney Island. If you missed the last of the “Last Call” party/protests at Ruby’s in November, tomorrow may be your final last chance to have a drink at Ruby’s. Of course, we hope not. Ruby’s & the other evicted Boardwalk businesses made Curbed’s 2010 List of Threatened Neighborhood Places that are not dead yet. What to do? Take a cue from the folks who showed up at November 6th’s Rally, Party and Last Call and bring along a hand-made sign. Ruby’s will open at 10:30 am. Live music from 12:30 till around 4 pm.

American History Vanishing Before My Eyes. Coney Island Boardwalk, November 6, 2010. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Good News from Coney Island! Eldorado “Bump Your Ass Off” Bumper Cars To Reopen

Posted in Amusement ride, News, tagged Bump Your Ass Off, Bumper Cars, Coney Island, Eldorado, Kevin C Downs Photography, Scott Fitlin, Surf Avenue on November 18, 2010| 3 Comments »

We’re happy to be able to report a piece of good news from good ol’ Coney Island, which is reeling from a series of deaths, demolitions, and evictions. The good news is Eldorado Auto Skooters, Coney’s famed disco palace of bumper cars, will reopen in 2011. It’ll be “Bump, Bump, Bump your Ass Off” at 1216 Surf Avenue in memory of the Eldorado’s heart and soul, Scott Fitlin, who died in October.

ATZ received a personal note from Sheila and Sandy Fitlin, the owners of the Eldorado Bumper Cars, to thank us for ATZ’s eulogy to their son. We can’t tell you how happy we were to read the words: “Stop by to see us at the Eldorado this summer.” The Coney Island Rumor Mill had been speculating whether or not the Eldorado would reopen. Some were worried that the building, which is owned by the Fitlin family, would be sold.

We were amazed and moved by the response to “Rest in Peace: Scott Fitlin, Coney’s Eldorado Man” (ATZ, October 13, 2010). Our eulogy was read by thousands of people from all over the world! As Sandy Fitlin writes, “Tricia, Scott had friends he probably didn’t know cared for him so much.” We think Scott would have been surprised by the many remembrances and condolences posted on ATZ and the audio discussion forums Audio Heritage and Wave Music, among others. Scott’s friends will want to stop by the Eldorado this summer to hear the legendary sound system and “Turn that Wheel!”

Eldorado Marquee at Night. September 5, 2009. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Eldorado Marquee at Night, Surf Avenue in Coney Island. September 5, 2009. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Nov 16: Concrete, Wood or Plastic? Discussion on Future of Coney Island Boardwalk

Posted in Events, News, tagged Boardwalk, Coney Island, kebony, NY Climate Action Group, Rainforest Relief, recycled plastic lumber, tropical hardwood on November 15, 2010| 7 Comments »

Left: Tropical hardwood on Coney Island Boardwalk. Right: Faux wood or plastic lumber on Steeplechase Pier. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Last month, news that the City was planning to turn the boardwalk into a concretewalk stirred up a storm at a community board meeting. Ruby Schulz spoke for many when she said: “This is an absolute disgrace. Having the boardwalk is a plus for this community—it’s historic. And you’re going to turn it into a sidewalk?”

Over the weekend on the Coney Island Boardwalk, JK Kanepa from Rainforest Relief and New York Climate Action Group was handing out fliers in English and Russian for a presentation and discussion on alternate solutions to the use of tropical hardwood and concrete for the boardwalk: “We want to hear your thoughts about recent development on the Coney Island boardwalk.” Here’s the press release and agenda for Tuesday night’s event at the Aquarium:

Rainforest Relief and NY Climate Action Group present Materials for a New City: 2. Alternatives to Tropical Hardwoods for Boardwalks

Tuesday, November 16, 2010: 7 PM – 9:00 PM

THE NEW YORK AQUARIUM, W. 8TH STREET & SURF AVENUE
(ENTER THROUGH REGULAR ADMISSIONS GATE)

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization,an area of rainforest the size of a football field is destroyed every second—that’s an area the size of Manhattan every three hours.

Join us for an evening of informative presentations by some of the nation’s leading experts on the use of recycled plastic lumber and domestic woods in boardwalk construction and decking. We have solutions that respect the look and feel of a traditional boardwalk and can make New York City’s Boardwalk a model for an exciting, sustainable future.

7:00 – 7:05: Poetry Reading: “Under the Boardwalk” by Michael Schwartz

7:15 – 7:20: Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh (Invited), State Legislation on Tropical Hardwoods — A-10503: Tropical Hardwood Alternatives for MTA Railroad Ties

7:20 – 7:35: Tim Keating, Executive Director, Rainforest Relief: Tropical Hardwoods, Deforestation and Sustainable Designs for Boardwalk Construction

7:50 – 8:05: Douglas Murray, President, Kebony™ US: Kebony™ Modified Wood for Boardwalk Decking

7:35 – 7:50: A Short Film by Evelyn Carrigan: “Steeplechase Pier Boardwalk Renovation: Public Reaction to Recycled Plastic Lumber”

7:35 – 7:50: Dr. Richard Lehman, Chair, Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Director, Advance Polymers Center, Rutgers University: The Development and Capabilities of Recycled Plastic Lumber and Recycled Structural Composites

8:20 – 9:00: Open Forum/Questions

For more info on Rainforest Relief and NY Climate Action Group, visit www.rfny.net.

(Update: The website http://savetheboardwalk.wordpress.com went live on March 5, 2012 while an online petition continues to gather signatures. The public hearing at the Design Commission is set for Monday, March 12.)