Photo: Kathryn Kirk
If you happen to be wandering around downtown Brooklyn with your brood during the next few weeks, be sure to stop by Borough Hall. From now until October 23rd, Coney Island’s long-lost Dreamland Bell—which was retrieved from the Atlantic Ocean last month—will be on display.
The 500-pound, three-foot-tall bell was discovered under water in September by diver Gene Ritter; it landed on the ocean floor back in 1911 when an 18-hour fire burned down Dreamland Park. Because the bell was underwater for almost a century, the only way to preserve it is to keep it wet (a hose has been set up to trickle water over it while it’s on view).
For young fans of Coney Island and parents depressed by the park’s sorry state, the bell is a nice reminder that the Brooklyn fun zone has faced tough times in the past—and managed to overcome them and flourish. So cheer up and give your kids a peek at NYC history. There may still be glory days ahead for Coney Island. We’re particularly excited about the newly-bright future of its other underwater spectacle: the New York Aquarium.
Every year, Nathan’s Famous hosts its annual Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest. But this year, New Yorkers are invited to embrace a new tradition: a cross-species eating competition!
On Friday three large elephants, currently starring in Ringling Bros.’s Coney Island Boom-A-Ring, will go up against three brave humans in a six-minute hot-dog bun eating contest. The trio of people, Juliet Lee (43), Gravy Brown (30) and Tim “Eater X” Janus (32), sound up to the challenge, but the elephants, Bunny (42), Susie (46) and Minnie (48), who weigh nine tons collectively, don’t seem too concerned. The beasts gobble upward of 200 pounds of food every day!
If nothing else, this event should prove to be a great teaching tool: You can show your kids firsthand the difference between human and pachyderm eating styles, thus giving new meaning to the refrain, “Don’t behave like a wild animal!” On second thought, if Team Human has any chance of winning, they’ll have to throw all dining etiquette to the wind.
Cross-Species Eating Competition: Elephants vs. Humans Fri Jul 3 at 11am. Coney Island, corner of Surf and Stillwell Aves (ringling.com/coneyisland). Free.
- Coney Island January 2009
It’s been common knowledge for a while now that the old-time, seedy charm of Coney Island was on its way out due to a massive re-developement plan. But the photos of the shuttered shops on the boardwalk plastered with for lease signs still comes as a shock to me.
As easy as it is to rag on gentrification, the fact is, most folks (especially us parents) enjoy the benefits of a sleek, clean, amenity-laden neighborhood. And yet, as a native New Yorker who doesn’t like change, I often find myself complaining bitterly about the trajectory of the city. That’s when my 73-year-old mom (also born and bred in the Big Apple) shuts me down by saying, “The only thing that doesn’t change about New York is the fact that it always changes.”
Still I can’t help feeling like something is wrong in the city. Hard times usually inspire a certain amount of fight in its citizens, but right now, everyone I see just seems so tired. Yes, I know there have been Save Coney Island rallies. But the people protesting look exhausted.
This quote from Dianna Carlin, Coney Island glamor queen and erstwhile proprietor of the Lola Staar boutique on the boardwalk, sums up what I’m talking about. An unwavering supporter of her community for almost a decade, now that she’s out, Carlin told The Observer: “My New Year’s resolution is I just want more stability in my life. I’m just tired of fighting. I can’t live my life like this anymore. I’m getting too old for this.”
If we are headed back to the ’70s, as many folks fear, looks like we’re on our way with little spunk.
God I hope there’s still a Mermaid Parade this year.
