This past summer was something of a renaissance for my most beloved of Brooklyn 'hoods, Coney Island. The new Astroland is no Six Flags, but it's a great little family amusement park, shiny, clean and idiosyncratic. There was plenty of fun to be had at the freak show and on the Boardwalk, including yours quizzly hosting a super-fun T-shirt contest. Everything was the way Coney should be: grungy and great. And of course, the Cyclone: my favorite roller coaster, badder and better than ever.
Next summer promises to be even better, and you can get a jump on the fun. At Monday's NYC Clash of the Trivia Champions, we've got two Coney-affiliated sponsors…
The Coney Island History Project, "a not-for-profit organization that aims to increase awareness of Coney Island's legendary and colorful past and to encourage appreciation of the Coney Island neighborhood of today." An excellent cause. And for the prize haul, they're kicking in a nice little prize package: a copy of the book Coney Island Lost and Found…
…a couple DVDs of the Coney-set documentary Up on a Roof, and some T-shirts. And: the Cyclone!
A bunch of free rides (and T-shirts) on the greatest roller coaster in the galaxy. The season's over, but put the passes in a safe place and whip 'em out when the '11 season begins in April (put them where you kept your Pavement tix). Monday night!
And here it is, from the front car:
September 23, 2010
Sponsor spotlight: CONEY ISLAND!
July 23, 2010
TONIGHT: T-Shirt Contest & Fashion Show is ON!
A reminder/update about tonight's Coney Island Cyclone T-Shirt Design Contest and Fashion Show. It is indeed on, despite the rain, although the location is being shifted slightly: It'll now be at the near-legendary Ruby's Old Tyme Bar & Grill, 1213 Boardwalk on the Coney, a short jaunt from the Stillwell Avenue subway stop. It has tons of great, greasy food, and is conveniently located just steps from the Shoot the Freak concession. Most of the details here still apply: It's still 6 to 8pm, I'm still hosting and doing a little local trivia, we'll determine what the new official T-shirt design for the Cyclone will be, and burlesque dancers will be baring all (or most).
The one time I rode the Cyclone in the rain, it felt like I was taking a shower in a beehive. But fuck it, I'm doing it tonight no matter what. In case you aren't…
July 18, 2010
Friday: Coney Island!
I have to confess, I have committed a heinous crime to my most cherished principles: I have yet to visit my homeland, Coney Island, this summer. Back in the good old days, I cruised the train out to the Coney five or six times a summer, where I'd really fuck shit up. I'd get my fortune told, make out on the Wonder Wheel, stare at the ocean. Dude, I once ate the frog legs at Nathan's.
And, of course, I'd ride the Cyclone roller coaster, my darling Cyclone. I've written in this space about my love for roller coasters, but the legendary Cyclone is special. I long ago made a promise to myself to never visit Coney Island without riding it at least once, and I have never broken that vow.
Yet here we are, mid-July, and I've yet to visit in 2010. An especially egregious crime considering that this year, Luna Park has been revived, and is supposedly well equipped for a new age of glory. But I'm headed out there this Friday, July 23, to assist in that glory, as I'll be hosting the Coney Island Cyclone T-Shirt Design Contest and Fashion Show! Visit the Cyclone's official site right now to vote for one of 11 potential designs for the coaster's new official T-shirt. On Friday, some of the designers, joined by a complement of Brooklyn's finest burlesque talent, will be displaying the goods, and the winner will be revealed. I'll be your MC, punctuating the proceedings with Coney Island–appropriate trivia and prizes (count on free rides, which is nothing to vomit at, mind you). It all takes place practically under the Cyclone, 834 Surf Avenue at 10th Street (right across from the W 8th St–NY Aquarium subway stop), 6–8pm. Stick around afterward to try some rides with me (this article got me excited) and watch the Friday night fireworks, and maybe—maybe—I'll have a Nathan's hot dog. I still like to party.
To get you excited…
