Heading to the shores for some sand and sun? Don’t forget to ready your beach bag. Sun screen? Check. Towel? Check. Umbrella? Check. Knives?…
You must be heading to Coney Island.
The People’s Playground has already seen its fill of violence this summer, with a sharp rise in murders, as well as several reports of shootings and stabbings. Three stabbings this weekend will assure a continued climb in the stats.
From the Daily News:
A fight in the ocean that moved to the sand left three people stabbed on Coney Island Beach Sunday, police said.
Eddie Cruz, 28, of Queens, and Reynaldo Hernandez, 19, of Brooklyn, slashed three others involved in the dispute, police said.
Their victims were a woman, 32, slashed in the head, a man, 24, stabbed in the back and another man, 20, stabbed to the head. All were in stable condition at Coney Island Hospital Sunday night.
The stabbings come just two weeks after the newly-formed Coney Island Coalition Against Violence marched down Mermaid Avenue to urge an end to local violence. Just hours before the demonstration, a bike-by shooting sent a man to the hospital.
Luke Stangarone cleaning the Feltman window // Source: Tricia Vita, AmuzingTheZillion.com
Sheepshead Bay resident Luke Stangarone is on a mission to uncover the history of a magnificently preserved stained glass window. He’s enlisted the help of Amusing the Zillion blogger Tricia Vita, who then turned to us. And since we’re pretty useless, we decided to turn to you…
So here’s the deal: Stangarone’s wife’s relatives were old-school Coney carnies, and they managed to rescue two stained glass windows from the tremendous Feltman’s complex before it was torn down. The windows sat in a muddy Park Slope basement for decades until Stangarone decided to clean them up, and is donating one to the Coney Island Museum. But the problem is, they’re not sure where in Feltman’s the windows come from, and it was quite an expansive complex:
Charles Feltman is famous as the inventor of the hot dog, but his entertainment complex on Surf Avenue was multi-faceted and covered a full city block. According to the Coney Island History Project, which has a 120-year-old chair from Feltman’s Maple Garden on display, the Feltman empire included nine restaurants, two bars, a ballroom, an outdoor movie theater, a hotel, a beer garden, a bathhouse, a pavilion, a Tyrolean village, a carousel, a roller coaster called the ZIZ and the maple garden! Since Feltman’s closed in 1954 and was demolished to make way for Astroland Park in 1962, you’d have be over 60 to remember going there.
Well, any of you history buffs, or old coots (or both), know where these lovely windows come from?
View more photos at Amusing the Zillion.
Ever seen Coney Island beach so empty in the summer? I haven’t. That’s why I’m glad reader Allan B. thought it was worth sharing the view from his quiet Saturday morning visit to the shore. The beach even looks clean. Imagine that…
By Andy Levin // Source: nytimes.com
I wish I was a more talented photographer. The hundreds of photographs I sort through each month – from readers, contributors, aspiring and established artists – well, it’s just a constant reminder of how much I stink at the craft. But thank goodness for one thing: I’ve got this wonderful site to tell other people about all the great people out there.
Reader Athena D. sent over a link to New York Times’ latest Lens post – a profile and collection of Andy Levin’s Coney Island photographs. Levin began exploring and shooting Coney Island in his 20s. But unlike countless others, he avoided the all-too-tempting landscape of the amusement district and opted for the unsung heroes of Coney Island – the families that visit it and make all else possible.
“I tried to stay away from the freak show thing,” Levin told the Times. “Not that I didn’t appreciate what was going on with it. It just wasn’t my intent. I wanted to convey the commonality of the family experience. That’s sort of how I grew up. I think I was naturally more responsive to those elements.”
Levin’s black-and-white photos take place primarily on the sandy shores, with kids and adults swept up in familial bliss (as opposed to the instant gratification of the carny-ville). The resulting sensation of these photos is more akin to what we might remember as residents of the area, spending a regular visit on our summer weekends – and not the touristy weirdness of a mid-trip lark to the People’s Playground.
See the New York Times slideshow of Ed Levin’s Coney Island photos.
Artist's renderings of the proposed "potato chip" amphitheater.
Opponents of Borough President Marty Markowitz’s plan to bring a $64 million amphitheater to Asser Levy – Seaside Park are keeping a sharp, vengeful eye on the land. And now they’re noticing – and objecting to – things that have been going on for years.
First there was the amplified sound law, which local synagogues are only just noticing have been violated for years. Now there’s the issue of using free labor from city and state prisoners to help set up and break down the Summer Concert Series shows.
According to the New York Post, “busloads of inmates in red-and-white-striped jumpsuits paying their debt to society by setting up and breaking down 2,000 chairs for the overflow audiences” are commissioned by the borough president’s office. And that’s fueling criticism from the amphitheater’s opponents.
“I’m shocked people are making a big deal out of it now after all these years,” Debra Garcia, the series organizer, told the Post.
Markowitz’s office is trying to reassure residents that the inmates aren’t a security risk, saying they’re “carefully selected” low-risk inmates. They’re also pointing out that it saves the nonprofit organizer thousands of dollars annually.
What do you think? Is this a legitimate danger, or are amphitheater opponents grasping at straws?
A man thought to be drowned in Coney Island’s waters emerged from the ocean unscathed after more than an hour on Sunday. We got some awesome photos and a brief summary of events from student photojournalist Lloyd Mitchell, who was on the scene.
Mitchell was covering the Cyclones game, and while they were losing 4 to 0 he heard helicopters flying overhead and decided to bail. He hit the beach to discover that a man was thought to be drowned. Scuba crews deployed, and combed the waters and beach for an hour before giving up. After packing their gear and heading out, other NYPD and FDNY personnel – as well as beachgoers – were shocked to see the man walk out of the water unharmed.
In the photos, the supposed drowned man is the one with a goatee, and you can see him being embraced by family just moments after coming up on land.
View the photos.
Okay, I made up the last part of that headline.
Check this out, from the Brooklyn Paper:
The former world hot-dog-eating champion, arrested in stunning fashion when he rushed the stage at the July 4 contest in Coney Island, had his case dismissed in court today and walked out a hero.
“I am so happy,” [Takeru Kobayashi] said, as dozens of reporters and photographers captured every move of this wisp of a man from Japan, who was facing jail for trespassing, obstruction of governmental operation and resisting arrest.
Continue Reading »
"For next trick, I do pogrom on elephants."
How do you say Greatest Show On Earth in Russian? Is it “Джерси Шор втором сезоне”?
Well, nevermind. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is coming up with its own translation… or perhaps America’s most famous circus is trying to pull in a bit of that “exotic” foreign appeal of Cirque d’Soleil. Regardless, tonight is “Russian Night” at The Coney Island Illuscination.
Planned as a nod to its Russian neighbors in Brighton Beach and elsewhere, Ringling Bros. is partnering with Russian community leaders. Assemblyman Brook-Krasny is serving as “Guest Ringmaster,” and there will be a preshow parade of Russian children in traditional costumes.
The Ruskies are giving back, too. A delicious treat will be presented to the elephants of The Greatest Show On Earth, and a traditional gift of bread and salt will be presented to the cast of the show.
In cooperation with the Be Proud Foundation, Ringling Bros. created special discount coupons for this event which were made available at many local businesses.
Again – this event is tonight. Pre-show activities begin at 5:30 p.m. The Coney Island Illuscination plays in an air-conditioned tent at West 21st Street and Surf Avenue through September 6.
There won’t be no R-E-S-P-E-C-T for the bad news that Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin has cancelled her two free Brooklyn shows, but, considering the circumstances, it’s possible that I Say A Little Prayer… (Ed. — Hah! Get it?)
Coming in via NY Times:
Aretha Franklin has canceled two free concerts in Brooklyn next week because of an injury.
The shows — at Wingate Field in East Flatbush, on Monday, and Asser Levy Park in Brighton Beach on Aug. 12 — were part of two series presented by Marty Markowitz, the borough president, and they were to be Ms. Franklin’s first concerts in Brooklyn. But she will not appear, according to Debra Garcia, who organizes the concerts for Mr. Markowitz. There was no immediate word on the nature of Ms. Franklin’s injury.
Medina
Milea
The online public vote that will ultimately determine the seven finalists in the Mr. Cyclone contest has gone live, and we’re calling on Sheepshead Bites’ readers to head over there and support our ‘hoods two representatives to the competition.
That’s right, two! We told you about Mark Medina, a retired Sheepshead Bay firefighter, last week. Now that all 21 semi-finalists have been revealed, we’ve found that there’s a second local in the contest: singer, songwriter and, uh, weight trainer Daniel Milea.
Go read their bios on the Mr. Cyclone voting page and cast your vote now!
