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Posts Tagged ‘Coney Island’

Photo of the Day: Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy (CRAB) in Coney Island

Posted in Photo of the Day, Photography, tagged beach, Beach replenishment, Beach restoration, Coney Island, Coney Island Beach, Hurricane Sandy, post-Sandy, sand, Sandy, US Army Corps of Engineers, USACE on September 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy (CRAB) on Coney Island Beach. September 22, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

It was a gorgeous Sunday for walking on the Coney Island Boardwalk but what in the world was that tripod-like vehicle on the beach? We knew it had something to do with the US Army Corps of Engineers Post-Sandy Beach Replenishment Project currently underway, so we phoned their Public Affairs Department. Press Officer Chris Gardner says it is a CRAB aka Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy. This unique 18,000 lb. vehicle has a top speed of 2 mph on land and somewhat less in the water. Power is supplied by a 53-hp Volkswagen engine on the deck which drives a hydraulic pump. In the photo below that Gardner took on Friday, the CRAB is surveying a profile of the beach. You can see more photos from the set here.

A Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy (CRAB) heads into the water by the Steeplechase Pier at Coney Island to gather data on the beach profile. September 20, 2013. Photo by Chris Gardener via New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

As ATZ reported earlier this month, the $7.2 million project to pump 600,000 cubic yards of sand along Coney Island’s shore began the weekend after Labor Day. Approximately 272,000 cubic yards of sand is replacing sand lost during Hurricane Sandy and the remaining amount of sand is to restore the project area to its original design after 20 years of erosion. According to the USACE, the engineered beach is designed to act as a buffer and reduce risks to homes and businesses from coastal storms like Hurricane Sandy. The crews will be working non-stop for another 2 to 3 weeks in order to be finished before the hurricane season.

Coney Island Post-Sandy Beach Restoration, September 20, 2013. Photo by Chris Gardener via New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Happy First Anniversary to Tom’s Coney Island!

Posted in Food, Food & Drink, tagged anniversary, Boardwalk, Coney Island, Tom's Coney Island, Tom's Restaurant on September 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

First Brunch at Tom’s Coney Island. September 23, 2012. Photo © Bruce Handy via Coney Island Photo Diary

“We are going to have a small gathering at the store this afternoon at 4pm to celebrate our 1 year anniversary,” says Jimmy Kokotas, owner of Tom’s Coney Island. One year ago today, September 23rd, the Boardwalk outpost of the popular Prospect Heights restaurant opened for business after many months of construction. Coney Island resident and ATZ contributing photographer Bruce Handy was one of their first customers and sent us the above photo of his first brunch.

Tom’s on the Coney Island Boardwalk. November 17, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr

“I had two eggs over easy, home fries, whole wheat toast and coffee, all good,” said Bruce, whose photos of Tom’s first Sunday brunch he posted on his Coney Island Photo Diary. Are they serving pancakes yet? “Not sure, guy next to me had waffles,” he said. Since then, many eggs over easy, pancakes, sandwiches and wraps have been served at the Boardwalk establishment, which is open year round. “We will be staying open through the winter from 8-5, 7 days a week,” Jimmy Kokotas tells ATZ. “We are currently open 8-7 till daylight savings begins.”

What a year it’s been! A little over a month after Tom’s opened, Superstorm Sandy struck and flooding from Coney Island Creek devastated the neighborhood. The Boardwalk businesses miraculously escaped damage and Tom’s was of the few restaurants open in Coney Island. In the days after the storm, Tom’s became a hub of activity, serving as a command center for volunteers and a host for breakfast meetings about storm relief for local business owners and organizations.

Happy 1st Anniversary and many thanks to Jimmy Kokotas and family and Tom’s staff!

Tom’s Coney Island, 1229 Boardwalk (at Stillwell Avenue), Brooklyn, NY 11224. Phone 718-942-4200

Video of the Day: Coney Island Carnival (1945)

Posted in Amusement ride, film, video, tagged 1940s, Coney Island, Games, newsreel, rides on September 22, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Before television, newsreels like this one filmed in Coney Island circa 1945 were shown in movie theaters. The film starts with the Wonder Wheel (described by the narrator as “a mass of iron lace”) and ends with the Parachute Jump (“the highest in the whole United States”) and the Cyclone (“mountain climbing on wheels”). Among the long-vanished rides that appear are the Virginia Reel, Looper, Whip, Octopus, Caterpillar, Rocket Ships, a carousel with a ring machine and the original Steeplechase horse race.