Paul’s Daughter | Amusing the Zillion

Posts Tagged ‘Paul’s Daughter’

Nov 13: Live-Tweeting from the Coney Island Boardwalk

Posted in amusement park, Redevelopment, tagged Boardwalk, Coney Island, Last Hurrah, Paul's Daughter, Ruby's on November 13, 2010| 1 Comment »

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

Easter Brunch at Paul's Daughter on the Boardwalk. April 4, 2010. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

We’ve set up our phone to live-tweet today’s last hurrah of Coney Island Boardwalk mainstays Paul’s Daughter and Ruby’s. The party starts around 12:30 at Paul’s and goes on till ??? ATZ will be there by around 2 pm. We expect to see many of our friends. If you can’t make it, follow us on twitter @AmusingZillion or on the web at http://twitter.com/AmusingZillion. “misscox,” who inspired us with her live-tweets from last Saturday’s “final last call–or maybe not?” at Ruby’s Bar, will be tweeting, too. Follow that girl! Ruby’s will be open today with cold beer and live music for what we’ve decided to call final final last last call (we hope not).

Final Last Call at Ruby's Bar. Novembe 6, 2010. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i

The family of Paul Georgoulakos, 81, who has been selling food in Coney Island since 1950, is throwing a party at Paul’s Daughter, formerly known as Gregory & Paul’s. The refreshments, including what we consider the best french fries in Coney Island, will be “on the house.” We’ve been a fan of G & P’s hand-cut fries since we first came to Coney in the 1970s and feel inexpressibly sad at the thought of eating our very last french fry at Paul’s.

Paul's Daughters: Tina and Valerie Georgoulakos with Tina's daughter Natalie. November 6, 2010. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

‘”We just want to say ‘Thank You’ to the Coney Island community,” Paul’s daughter Tina Georgoulakos told ATZ about Saturday’s party. “It is a celebration of the life of this store and the people who love it and Coney Island. We really feel everybody needs a feel good day to get rid of some of the ugliness that has happened.” Founded as Gregory & Paul’s in 1962, the restaurant and eight other Boardwalk businesses were evicted by Luna Park operator Central Amusement International to make way for redevelopment.

In an op-ed in the Brooklyn Paper, CAI and Zamperla USA CEO Valerio Ferrari writes: “The multi-million dollar program will bring back the world-class mix of entertainment, dining and nightlife that was once a hallmark of the famed Boardwalk.” Shoot the Freak’s Anthony Berlingieri, who also lost his lease, responded “Where’s our thanks?” Shoot the Freak was not among the Boardwalk businesses that reopened last weekend to say a bittersweet farewell to friends and fans. As for this weekend, we’ll let you know via twitter…

UPDATE

As we tweeted on Saturday: Boardwalk biz owners met for round table strategy session with their attorney in front of Cha Cha’s. Although tomorrow, November 15, is the date they originally had to get out, notices of landlord CAI’s intent to sue for eviction were delivered or posted on their premises mid-week extending the vacate date through November 19.

When we left Ruby’s on Saturday at 5:30, the joint was still jumpin. It will be open again Sun & “on the house” party 2 doors down at Gyro Corner. Grill House also remained open for Last Hurrah Weekend.

Rubys host emailed on Sunday morning: “Busy schedule. Polar Bears swim @ 1…Killer Joe @ Gyro 1 pm – blues rock & soul…Neptune Jam @ Grill house 1:30 – Paul Sanchez. Bratva – w12/ Surf @ 2 – Changes – bike classic rock band – Richi Lupo – played at Rubys yesterday.”

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This Week in Coney Island: Party at Paul’s Daughter, Hypocrisy at NYCEDC

Posted in Real Estate, Redevelopment, tagged Central Amusement International, Coney Island Boardwalk, Gregory & Paul's, NYCEDC, Paul's Daughter, Seth Pinsky, small business on November 10, 2010| 2 Comments »

Connoisseurs of hypocrisy should enjoy this one: On Tuesday, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) tweeted “Support your small local business,” yet refuses to support or say a word to the press about the nine small local businesses booted off City-owned property in Coney Island. The NYCEDC leased the Boardwalk property to Central Amusement International, the New Jersey-based operator of Coney Island’s new Luna Park.

It appears that City officials are trying to distance themselves from responsibility for the eviction of Mom and Pops by referring all requests for comment to CAI. In an op-ed in this week’s Courier News, Valerio Ferrari, president of Central Amusement International promised a “multi-million dollar program that will bring back the world-class mix of entertainment, dining and nightlife that was once a hallmark of the famed Boardwalk.” Last week, Ferrari told us that Luna Park is investing $1.4 million in a new restaurant at the corner of Surf and 10th Street, formerly occupied by Gregory & Paul’s. A Boardwalk restaurant/bar hoping to get a lease renewal would have had to make a million dollar investment as well, Ferrari said.

Also on Tuesday, Paul’s Daughter, the Boardwalk restaurant formerly known as Gregory & Paul’s, posted an invite to a party on Saturday afternoon at 12:30. “It’s on the house!” Come out and enjoy the best french fries in all of Coney Island (yes, better than Nathan’s!) and photograph their iconic signage, perhaps for the very last time (we hope not). Watch for our photo album and reminiscences of the 40-year-old Boardwalk establishment coming tomorrow! Paul’s is one of the nine businesses being forced out by the redevelopment.

Paul's Daughter, formerly Gregory & Paul's, on the Coney Island Boardwalk. June 27, 2009. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

ATZ learned that the businesses, which had been given only two weeks to vacate the premises, were granted a four-day reprieve, presumably to give them a little more time to pack up decades worth of memorabilia and get out. Or perhaps the extension has something to do with legal action taken by eight of the business owners reported in today’s New York Post. Yesterday the businesses received letters extending the original November 15th deadline to vacate till November 19th.

Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for the NYCEDC or its president Seth Pinsky to reply to our tweets: Waiting for @sethpinsky @NYCEDC to “figure out where it makes sense for the various tenants to remain as we build out the amusement park” and Let’s see if @NYCEDC will at least relocate the mom & pop businesses booted off City-owned land in Coney.

This Friday, November 12, will be the one-year anniversary of the city’s press conference on the land buy where Shoot the Freak’s Anthony Berlingieri posed the question directly to Mayor Bloomberg: “Is there a place for us?” NYCEDC President Seth Pinsky gave a diplomatic reply: “Our intention is for the foreseeable future to keep all the tenants in place, certainly through next summer [2010]. And we’re going to be looking to work with each of you to figure out where it makes sense for the various tenants to remain as we build out the amusement park.”

Hey Seth, come to the party at Paul’s Daughter on Saturday, November 13, at 12:30 pm, and support local small business in Coney Island!

Party, Rally, Pay Your Respects to Coney Island Boardwalk 9

Posted in Real Estate, Redevelopment, tagged Boardwalk, Central Amusement International, Coney Island, Eviction of Small Businesses, NYCEDC, Paul's Daughter, Ruby's on November 6, 2010| 1 Comment »

Coney Island Needs Your Help: The Official Poster from Friends of Ruby’s Bar & Grill

This weekend, patrons and friends of the nine booted out Boardwalk businesses will converge in Coney Island to party, rally and pay their respects. Ruby’s Bar will be open for “Last Call…for now” on Saturday from 12 noon till at least 6 pm. Friends of the beloved bar organized a rally and petition drive. You can sign the online petition here. We expect to see lots of protest signs and as many dear friends on this heartbreaking occasion as on New Year’s Day.

The businesses who lost their leases aka “The Coney Island Boardwalk 9” are Ruby’s, Cha Cha’s, Paul’s Daughter, Grill House, Gyro Corner, Shoot the Freak, Beer Island, Pio Pio Riko and Coney Island Souvenir Shop. Paul’s Daughter, who was interviewed yesterday by New York Magazine’s Grub Street, will also be open on Saturday for a farewell party. On Sunday, Coney Island band Neptune Jam will be playing in front of the Grill House. We wouldn’t be at all surprised if Cha Cha’s and Shoot the Freak are open, too. We’ll let you know! UPDATE 10:30 pm… Ruby’s was still rocking when we left around 8 pm! But Saturday was “Last Call” for now. Cha Cha’s and Shoot the Freak remained closed, but Gyro Corner was open. Both Paul’s Daughter and Grill House will be open on Sunday.

Paul's Daughter, Coney Island Boardwalk. Last day of season, Oct 31, 2010. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

As we said on the eve of Coney Island’s official last day of the season, which was October 31: If you have a sentimental favorite on the Boardwalk, come out and show them some love. And don’t forget to take souvenir photos. This weekend could be your very last chance.

If you can’t make it and want to make your voice heard, we recommend calling 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC) and leaving a comment for the Mayor or sending an email via the City’s website. The property is City-owned, yet the City has been silent since the news broke. Plans for a revamped Boardwalk were probably part of the original proposal for the new Luna Park and certainly had input from the City’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). It’s pretty clear the City wanted these old Boardwalk businesses gone from the new Coney Island or we’d have heard about a plan to relocate them instead of silence.

The only politician who has commented on the situation is Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who told Grub Street: “As a Brooklynite, I have great respect for all boardwalk businesses that have kept the faith during hard times, therefore I’m calling on the City to see if we can help them stay in the area if not on the boardwalk.” You can encourage Marty to broker a deal by emailing askmarty@brooklynbp.nyc.gov or phoning 718-802-3700.