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Posts Tagged ‘Coney Island Boardwalk’

Jazz Funeral Parade for Coney Island Seeks Angels

Posted in Events, tagged April, Coney Island Boardwalk, DancingMan504, James Demaria, Jazz Funeral on January 25, 2011| 2 Comments »

When Coney Island’s now demolished Henderson Music Hall was subjected to “pre-demolition” work in October, we shuddered at the destruction to come and said it was time to start planning a New Orleans style funeral. As it turns out, James Demaria, a New York filmmaker with strong ties to New Orleans, is planning a traditional “Jazz Funeral for Coney Island” on Sunday April 3, 2011.

The event is currently seeking angels on Kickstarter, the popular funding platform for artists, filmmakers and other creative types. With 23 backers and 25 days left to go, the project currently has pledges of $1,015 towards its $3,000 goal. “Our Jazz Funeral and Second Line Parade will say goodbye to the old and express our hopes for the rebirth,” says Demaria, who staged a “Second Line” over the Brooklyn Bridge last year on the same date. Following the funeral parade to dance along with the music is called “second lining.” These joyous parades have been called “the quintessential New Orleans art.”

The April 3rd event in Coney Island will feature a New Orleans style brass band, horse and carriage for the symbolic coffin, and Darryl “DancingMan504” Young leading the way. The group will stroll down Coney’s Stillwell Avenue in a somber march. But when the procession nears the Boardwalk, says Demaria, “it’s time for the dead to be reborn. From that point we will ‘Second Line’ and dance until we can’t dance no more.”

According to Kickstarter’s all-or-nothing rules, the project must be fully funded before its time expires on Saturday, February 19, to receive any funds. The minimum pledge is just $5.00. Pledges of $200 will receive a limited edition framed photo from the event. Pledges of $500 will receive a Second Line dance lesson by DancingMan504, with whom you will lead the parade. Here’s the project’s page on Kickstarter.

“Coney has always been one of my haunts and I feel that both places have a similar aura. NOLA and NYC for that matter,” DeMaria tells ATZ. He says the project is part of his mission of keeping the Second Line culture alive. The New York City-based photographer is currently working on a series of films and photo stories with the musicians of New Orleans and plans to film the event. “Coney Island USA is behind us to help secure the permits. Jambalaya Brass Band out of New York City will be playing along with some New Orleans musicians who are flying up for the event,” Demaria says.

“In turn, we will use the footage to help shine a light on DancingMan’s charitable program, ‘Heal To Toe.’ Since Hurricane Katrina, Darryl has been using his gift of dance to inspire and motivate the kids of New Orleans. He helps them get in shape and instills a sense of pride in their culture that was almost destroyed in 2005.”

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Paul’s Daughter Dishes on the Boardwalk Brawl

Posted in Real Estate, Redevelopment, tagged Coney Island Boardwalk, Gregory & Paul's, Paul's Daughter, Sodexo on January 13, 2011| 9 Comments »

1959: Paul's wife and daughter visit him on the Bowery. Photo © Tina Georgoulakos via Paul's Daughter Facebook

Over the past two months, the owners of Ruby’s and Shoot the Freak have emerged as the spokesmen for the Coney Island 8, the eight Boardwalk businesses locked in a eviction battle with Zamperla’s Central Amusement International. But we’ve heard very little from the others. ATZ got in touch with Tina Georgoulakos, owner of Paul’s Daughter, which was founded as Gregory & Paul’s in 1962, for her view on the Boardwalk Brawl.

“I wanted so much to be a part of the New Coney Island but they didn’t even offer me a tiny little spot on the Boardwalk,” says Tina. “They didn’t even respond to me about my proposal, they didn’t even write my name on the eviction notice. And then to find out I’m being replaced by Sodexo, a company who paid out $100 million to settle lawsuits because of racism against their employees and fraud against New York schools. I feel like I’m in a bad B movie.”

Day after the eviction: Tina and Paul Georgoulakos. Photo © Tina Georgoulakos via Paul's Daughter Facebook

Zamperla’s plan for Paul’s Daughter’s Boardwalk location at the southeast corner of Luna Park is a restaurant run by food management giant Sodexo. The French multinational is the world’s 22nd largest corporation. Since the park opened in May, the company has been Zamperla’s partner for “On Site Service Solutions,” setting up and managing food and beverage kiosks in the park.

In early December the Boardwalk businesses were asked to give access to architects from a firm that was hired by the EDC this summer to do existing condition reports on each of the Boardwalk properties. They were requested to provide access for them since the city needed these reports for insurance purposes.

“The architects did complete floor plans and elevations, they then turned those drawings over to Sodexo,” says Tina. “One of the architects asked Sodexo rep Sandy Boyd if Sodexo was going to be a year-round restaurant and she replied ‘oh no, it will be seasonal, there aren’t enough people here off season.’ Of course being open all year is what CAI has been pitching to the public so it’s just another lie.”

Burger Girl at Paul's Daughter. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

After the shock of finding out that her location at the Boardwalk entrance to the park would become a Sodexo-run restaurant, Tina was disapppointed that the City and Zamperla didn’t at least offer her another space, even a smaller one, on the Boardwalk. If another location had been offered she would have a smaller menu and take the Burger people from the roof and put them together, along with the iconic signage, she says.

The lack of support from City officials and some comments in the media have also been hurtful. In Monday’s NY Post, Councilman Domenic Recchia said, ‘I understand the sentiment that these businesses have been here a long time, but they also made a lot of money paying cheap rent all these years. If they really cared, I know firsthand that they had plenty of chances to buy these properties and fix them up, but they never did.”

1962: Paul partners with Gregory Bitetzakis and takes over the old Howard Johnson’s on W. 8 St. and the Boardwalk. They call it Gregory & Paul’s Bar and Grill. 1968: Rockefeller buys the property their store is on and donates it to the Aquarium, putting them (and seven other stores) out of business. Photo © Tina Georgoulakos via Paul’s Daughter Facebook

“I wish Recchia had called me. I imagine he’s going to be very angry when he finds out he was misinformed,” says Tina. “It hurts me to hear such untruths about my store Paul’s Daughter. There aren’t any violations against it. I’ve been handcuffed by one year leases for years and years. And I would have given anything to have been given the opportunity to purchase the property but it was never offered and by the way it sold for 32 30 million dollars to Sitt. I pay $100,000 for seven months. I guess some people don’t think that’s a lot. I proposed to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to modernize my iconic store.”

Paul’s Daughter is located on the former Astroland property and was able to remain there after Sitt bought the land. In 2009, the city purchased the property along with two additional lots on Stillwell for $95 million and leased them to Zamperla, which pays $100,000 annual rent plus a small percentage of the gross receipts to the City. According to CAI’s contract with the City, Luna Park also received a subsidy of $5.7 million from the City for “among other things, facilitating the purchase of certain equipment necessary for the Tenant to operate the Premises as a first class amusement park.”

Easter Brunch at Paul's Daughter on the Boardwalk. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

“I would have been elated to share in Valerio’s vision for Coney Island only he kept it a secret,” said Tina. “If they were even entertaining the idea of me staying wouldn’t they have shared their vision with me?” On the day of eviction, Valerio Ferrari, Zamperla USA CEO, told ATZ: “They didn’t have the vision that we have for the Boardwalk. It’s a business decision.” He said Zamperla/CAI’s vision is to revitalize the Boardwalk by making it a lively place open 365 days a year. But it’s also a matter of investment dollars.

Says Tina: “It breaks my heart to know that not only is my city, my beloved New York, not helping me, they are trying to tell lies about my business to make me look bad. I haven’t a clue as to why. Ask anyone in Coney Island about my dad aka ‘The Chief.’ I don’t know a soul who doesn’t adore him. Forty-one crazy, wonderful years on the Boardwalk. I love NY….. I love Brooklyn and I love the view from my store even more. I wish someone could help me stay.”

Last Day of Season at Paul's Daughter, Oct 31, 2010. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Goodbye (Or Maybe Not?) to My Coney Island Equivalent of Proust’s Madeleine

Posted in historic preservation, Redevelopment, tagged Coney Island Boardwalk, cotton candy, french fries, Gregory & Paul's, Paul's Daughter on November 21, 2010| 5 Comments »

Thank you to Paul Georgoulakos and his family and staff for more than 40 years of service to Coney Island. Here’s our slide show from November 13th’s “Thank You Coney Island! We Love You” party along with additional images.

Writing about the closing of Paul’s Daughter, formerly known as Gregory & Paul’s, is so overwhelmingly sad that we keep postponing it. We keep hoping the Coney Island Rumor Mill has it right this time and the rumors that some or all of the evicted Boardwalk businesses will get one to three year leases from Luna Park turn out to be more than wishful thinking. The legal wrangling begins in court on Monday.

Paul Georgoulakos behind the counter on Paul's Daughter's last day. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

The evicted business owners and their attorney will be rallying on the Boardwalk on Monday at 2 pm. A politician is expected to show up. We can’t say the pol’s name, but considering the absolute silence from officials since November 1st’s Monday Morning Massacre, a politician’s support would be news. UPDATE... ATZ learned that the event previously described to us as a “rally” and which we were unable to attend was actually a meeting on the Boardwalk in front of the Grill House. In attendance were the business owners, their attorney and a politician, as well as the press and bystanders. The pol was State Senator Carl Kruger, who said “Coney Island should be evolution not revolution” and promised to fight for their cause. Watch News 12 Brooklyn at 5 pm for a report and check Rich Calder’s blog in the NY Post.

When Mayor Bloomberg visited Coney Island this season, we’re told that he posed for a photo with 81-year- old Paul Georgoulakos. If somebody would send us the photo, we’ll gladly post it with an appropriate caption: @MikeBloomberg: Please show respect for Coney Island’s elders & renew Boardwalk leases. In the meantime, call 311 or 212-NEW YORK outside of NYC and leave a comment for the Mayor.

The Best French Fries in Coney Island. Paul's Daughter on the Boardwalk. November 13, 2010. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Paul’s hand-cut french fries are the best in all of Coney Island–yes, better than Nathan’s! Our fondess for G & P’s fries is linked in our memory to Gregory’s appearance in the lede of our travel feature for Islands Magazine in 2000. Color photos of Coney’s characteristic “Shish-Kabob Hot Dog French Fries” signage were splashed across the pages along with pix of the Wonder Wheel and the Mermaid Parade. “Greetings from Coney Island!” was published in the Best Beaches Issue along with Thailand, Greece, Kauai, Puerto Rico and Bermuda! A sticker proudly proclaiming “Coney Island NYC” appeared on the cover of issues for sale in New York.

Here’s the beginning of the story…

Last summer in Coney Island, I discovered that a freshly-spun cotton candy from Gregory and Paul’s was my equivalent of Proust’s madeleine. I was waiting for my order of crinkle-cut, Coney Island-style french fries, when the sight of cotton candy being turned out by a deft hand caught my eye. One, two, three twirls round a paper cone — and it was done. But instead of handing the confection to the fellow who was putting the finished products into clear plastic bags, Gregory handed it to me.

“How did you know I wanted one?” I was incredulous.

“I could see it in your face,” the canny showman explained.

He was right. Though it never would have occurred to me to eat cotton candy as an appetizer to french fries, that’s exactly what I did at Coney Island that day. And blissfully. The moment the magical stuff began to melt on my tongue, I was transported back to the little New England carnivals of the 1950s and ’60s, when I was a carny kid who had the run of the midway, and “floss,” as we called it—along with french fries, hot dogs, popcorn and snowcones — was everyday fare.

Cotton Candy, Saltwater Taffy and Hand-painted Signs at Paul's Daughter. November 6, 2010. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

When the magazine came out in December 2000, Coney was on the cusp of a renaissance. Now it’s come to this: out with the old-timers and the quintessential Coney Island eateries and every little bit of authenticity. Why can’t old and new co-exist in the new Coney Island?