Lighthouse Tour with Charlie Denson and M'lady

Coney Island Light!

On Saturday, Nicole and I went to my little lighthouse in Coney Island along with Charlie Denson, to do a tour. Despite the weather, it was a great day, and Charlie seemed really happy to finally get to go inside the lighthouse. And I was happy that he and Nicole finally got to see it. For me, it was just great to be back.

The New Jersey Lighthouse Society originally asked for the tour, and they came with smiles in the rain. I did what I could to tell them a little about the light and my grandfather, and then up the tower they went! Well, most of them anyway, but we all had a great time.

Busy August!

Well, I haven't had a post in a couple of weeks! Shame on me, eh? I've been going to Coney a lot lately though. Started learning how to roller-skate at Dianna's Dreamland rink, which is awesome. I try to get there early so I don't kill anyone while I learn.

The films that will show at the Coney Island Film Festival have been announced and I'm starting to look into them to see which ones I definitely want to check out. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I'm trying to get a bunch of friends to join me this year.

I'm messing around with my websites, consolidating them. And Coney's very own "cutest sword-swallower in the world", miss Heather Holliday, has asked me to create a website for her, which I'm also working on. She's a lot of fun and even though the site is just a modified version of my design for my own sites at the moment, we're moving along with the customization pretty quickly.

Anyhow, happy Labor Day weekend everyone! Come check out Coney and the Rockabilly Music Festival!

Guerrilla Sand Sculpting in Coney

Amazing weekend. I sculpted the looming "Coney Mall", complete with Zombie shoppers. The sand sculpture contest was basically a shill for Whore Equities. They were as far away from subtle as possible, too, with T-shirts on all of the workers that had their name slapped on them and they hired a professional team to build a huge clone of what they built last year, except this time with Whore Equities' name on it.

A loving cup! A loving cup!

Ah, Coney Island Lager, and having one at the Freak Bar is the best. Can you believe that some bars in Manhattan are charging $20 for one of these? Come down to Coney Island and have one with me at the Freak Bar for $7.

I love Brooklyn.

Working on a few big projects, that should be ready soon. And lots of things going on in Coney at the moment. The Dreamland Roller Rink is coming back! And the Siren Music Festival is coming up! I'll keep everyone posted.

Long Time, No Sea

Been slacking off on the blog for a bit! I have been in Coney a lot lately though. Two weeks ago I went to Coney to give my talk on growing up at the Coney Island Lighthouse, and it went very well. I had been preparing for that right up until then, so I didn't have much else going on until after that was over. A few days later I went to The Gate in Brooklyn with my cousin Steven to try out the new spin-offs of Coney Island Lager. They came out with three new beers - the Sword Swallower Steel Hop Lager, Albino Python White Lager (brewed with spices), and the Human Blockhead Tough-As-Nails Lager. We liked them all, but the Human Blockhead was our favorite. And they even let us keep some Coney Island Lager beer glasses, even though only half of our beers came in them.

Last weekend I went with my girlfriend Nicole to Lola Staar / Dianna's roller-rink benefit party at Peggy O'Neils, and then we headed to the Burlesque show Lucha Muertes Atomicos #3 at the sideshow. Both were incredibly awesome, and completely different from one another. Jo Boobs performed her fan dance at the benefit party, and Scott Baker was on hand to keep everyone laughing with slightly off-color jokes. And the burlesque show was full of surprises and rowdy entertainment including a masked man with a mysterious mustache (hmmm) who jumped off a ladder onto broken glass...

Also, a special shout-out and "get better soon" message goes out to Angie / Miss Cyclone who is recovering from a softball-related injury. 30 cc's of Brooklyn blackout cake, stat!

Coney Week

I'll fill in the details this afternoon, but last week started with the Coney Island USA Spring Gala party, which was a blast (see the photo), then went into the Save Coney Island rally, the This or That Burlesque At the Beach Gameshow, and on Saturday, I went to Coney for the Cyclone, Wonder Wheel, Aquarium, Skeeball, Sideshow, and a bunch of other stuff!

Burlesque at the Beach 2008

Ah, what a great night for burlesque! Yes, it may have been raining, but that doesn't matter when you're indoors watching the first Burlesque at the Beach of the 2008 season. Had a great time, and tonight is even more fun with the Gotham Girls Roller Derby and a sweet birthday party to go to.

As for what you missed last night, it was babes, beer, and a birthday. And what's a birthday without cake? And if it's burlesque, it's more than just a cake...

Pistachio Ice Cream & Great Friends

Dick Zigun said we should chug our beer? Okay, since he said so.

Went to my second home, Coney Island, on Friday night and helped the Annual Congress of Curious Peoples choose their new members. There were five categories and after we all had a thorough and educational discussion led by James Taylor, we made a decision on a certain category, and welcomed in the new inductee with a chant and a drink. And by drink I mean (if possible) an entire drink. And Coney Island Lager comes in a 22 ounce bottle.

A great time was had by all.

When all of the categories were finished, the audience was cleared of any children and the rest of us were treated to a very special act by Charlotte Sometimes - a new take on the "human pincushion."

After the show I had the honor of buying Norman a Kid's Meal from Nathan's. If you haven't already heard, the Kid's Meal is the way to go if you want a hot dog, fries, and a soda, because it's much cheaper. Yes, of course it's hillarious to see grown men buying Kid's Meals, but it's part of the fun. Especially when you're drunk.

The next day I slowly made my way back to Coney, this time with my cameras and mini-tripods. I checked in with the other people recovering from the night before just as the Sideshow was opening for Alumni weekend shows. This is where performers of Sideshows past came back to work there for a bit. Eak the Geek was back, as were Tyler Fyre, Thrill Kill Jill, Little Jimmy, The Great Fredini, and the Penguin Boy (who still works at the Sideshow).

I finally managed to get over to the Lola Staar gift shop when it was open, and had some great tacos & conversation about Coney and our projects. Since it was freezing, she closed her store early and went home to warm up and I went to back to wandering Coney in search of fun.

Skee-ball was calling, so I got in my regular practice and scored a bunch of tickets - trophy of champions.

Then it was time for an old Coney favorite - pistachio ice cream. The best place for it now is Denny's right next to the Museum, so I bought one and snapped a photo of it. Damn, thinking about it is making me want more.

Anyhow, I also took some other cool shots, including the Grandma's Predictions machine where Grandma is getting visions of the Lovers. ConeyLovers, perhaps? Hmmm...

Derby Girls Know How to Party

Went to the Gotham Girls Roller Derby season opener at LIU last night, after walking there from Union Square (crossing the bridge was awesome with the nice weather). Being an LIU grad (and mischievous) I decided not to wait on line with the others waiting to get in and just snuck into the campus so I could check out my old stomping ground. Saw the artwork in the LLC building, relaxed outside the Honors Lounge, and sucked up some fresh air while checking out the warm-ups.

Then I headed inside, assisted by Regina Dentata of the GGRD's Manhattan Mayhem, who allowed me to hide behind her as I ninja'd my way in. The Gotham Girls killed both visiting teams, but they get respect for trying. Awesome matches and a great start to the season.

Afterwards a bunch of us partied until the early hours of the morning, and a lot of fun was had by all. Thank you to everyone who made it such an awesome night.

It's a good thing the only thing I had to do today was go have a giant Italian meal with my Brother, his girlfriend Lizzie, and our families. We always joke that when they get married, her side of the church will look like Italy and our side will look like the U.N.

SHOWBIZ!

Last night I went out for dinner and drinks with some friends and family, and afterwards we went to the late night show of "This is Burlesque" at Corio, 337 West Broadway and Canal Street in Manhattan. Between Murray Hill and the World Famous Pontani Sisters, they put on a hell of a show, with comedy, dancing, and always something for everyone. So go check them out!

Coney Photos

Went to the Bond Street Gallery today, where they're showing Coney Island photographs by Harold Feinstein, Bruce Davidson, Bruce Gilden, Sid Grossman, Harold Roth, and Henri Silberman. I was entranced, especially by the emotion we all share as human beings, that shines brightly in Coney Island.

Check it out... The show runs March 27th to May 8th at the Bond Street Gallery, 297 Bond Street, Brooklyn - (7i8)858.2297 - http://www.bondstreetgallery.com/

There's also a cool exhibit at the Brooklyn Historical Society called "Lost in Transition: South Brooklyn, Williamsburg & Coney Island", which are photographs done by High School students to capture and document what the ongoing changes in Brooklyn mean to them. Although the Coney Island portion is small, it's still worth checking out. And while you're there, check out the other great items on view. http://www.brooklynhistory.org/

Pink Party, Roller-Rink Rampage in Coney!

Amazing party thrown by Dianna / Lola Staar yesterday at the Dreamland Roller Rink grand opening in the Child's building. In case you somehow managed not to hear about it, she won a contest run by Glamour magazine and Tommy Hilfiger. Her dream, the roller rink in Coney Island, was made true yesterday and we helped to celebrate it with her.

Continuing the whirlwind of Love being thrown at Coney Island right now, Dianna put on an extraordinary event with roller-skating, cotton candy, popcorn, dancers, stilt-walkers, hula-hoop girls, stars, politicians, legends, and the best part of Coney Island - people who enjoy having fun.

After hanging out with some of my favorite people (especially Marie Roberts) at the Coney Island Museum and the Sideshow, I went over and got in line to enter the party. I met a lot of great people online, especially Big Bob and all of his great friends from the roller-skating world. When Channel 12 Brooklyn news came by, we got them to interview him, and he tried to hide behind me and pretend I was Big Bob. I'm a big guy, but I'm not the famous "Big Bob." Nice try though!

I wore my equalizer T-shirt, which attracted a lot of attention, and even though I didn't end up skating (they ran out of large men's sizes - I'm a size 13) I had a great time. I met a lot of awesome people and got to spend some amazing time with others I already had the pleasure of meeting. After the party I walked with Norman (Blake, of course) over to Cha Cha's and we had a couple of drinks with the guys over there - awesome conversations with Norman, Tommy, Fisherman, Donny Vomit, Jodi, Jen, and a bunch of others. And today I was helping the Coney Island Museum stay warm so poor Marie wouldn't freeze too badly, and Dianna came by so we all talked about how great the party was and the plans for the future.


Hopefully like much that has been going on in Coney Island, this will be the foot in the door to adding more positive energy and fun to the area. And maybe in the meantime I can learn to skate!

Philip's Candy, My Addiction

Yes, today was yet another great day in Coney, my friends. I went there with my partner-in-crime and cousin, Jacqueline. We made the rounds, talking to some of my favorite Coney Islanders, like Norman Blake, Rob Leddy, Serpentina (who has a new beer coming out soon) and of course, Miss Cyclone herself, Angie Pontani - who I believe is the hardest working woman in Coney Island.

Oh, the skee-ball! If it's not a sport, it should be. Jacqueline and I played skee-ball, the crane game (we got robbed) and many other things. Eventually, of course, we took a ride on the Cyclone, and after two of the workers jumping on the security-bar to lock me in, I was secured. Yes, I'm almost too big for the Cyclone (6'3").

Anyhow, awesome day. The Great Fredini was in the Museum at one point with his son Kostya who was practicing his magic act, and it was great to see the two of them together, Father and Son performers of Coney Island. We also spied Donny Vomit, who always reminds me of a much cooler Coney Island version of comedian David Cross.

The icing on the cake, other than riding the Cyclone on opening day, was that when I went to my parents' house on Staten Island I had the pleasure of talking to Philip of Philip's Candy Store fame, and he's as great today as ever. I wish he was still in Coney Island, but talking to him in his store on Staten made me smile.

And oh, the candy... Mmm....

Hanging Out With Dick, Charlie & Terry

Today I pulled a bunch of new articles to put on the site, and then I headed over to Coney to see what was going on. On the way there I took some good video of the trip in to the Stillwell Avenue stop.

I ran into Charlie Denson again and we talked for a while about the lighthouse and researching Coney. Then I headed up to the Museum and properly introduced myself to Dick Zigun, since he had known my as the bouncer from the party at Southpaw. We talked about his past work and the Museum, and the lighthouse, and he asked me to speak at the Museum about our family growing up at the light, which I agreed to. So that should be awesome, although I have to set up the event with them.

For a late lunch, of course - Nathan's.

Later on I headed over to the Child's building and checked out where Diana's new roller-rink will be. That's where I met Terry, who I spoke with for a long while about the neighborhood and everything that's going on. That is, until we both started to freeze, when it was time to go!

Save Coney Party Recap

Since I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep again, I decided to put up this entry I've been meaning to add.

On Saturday, March 8th, I went to the Save Coney Island party that Lola Staar organized. I invited a bunch of friends and family, and despite laziness and the rain, some of them made it. Since I knew my Brother, his girlfriend, and a friend of theirs were on their way, I waited outside Southpaw for a while after the doors opened.

Before the doors opened, however, I was mistaken for a bouncer (a lot) because of my height, my being right outside the back-door, and because I tried to help people as much as possible by answering questions, helping the performers get in, etc. One of the security guys was giving Scotty the Blue Bunny a hard time, for example, but I convinced him that he was alright and he was let in.

Once inside, I immediately went to buy ten raffle tickets (ten because it to support Coney), and went to mingle. I talked up David Gratt for a few minutes, discussing how we both thought the Coney Island scene and the Gotham Girls Roller Derby scene would mesh well together, and then I partied and enjoyed the show for a while.

When my Brother, his girlfriend Lizzie, and their friend Chris came, they got settled and watched the show with me. We all partied together and had a lot of laughs and eye-candy (and ear-candy, too - Kilsy was awesome).

During all of this they did a few raffles, and when they got to the second batch, they auctioned off a date with Miss Cyclone. They called out the winning number, and it was not mine. But the winner wasn't around anymore, so they chose another ticket, and I thought "Hey, I think I have that one" but I didn't believe it at first so held my tickets up to my brother's iPhone (for light) and confirmed it.

Murray Hill, entertainer extraordinaire (who took over for Scotty the Blue Bunny & Ekaterina as host) called me to the stage and joked around with me for having so many tickets. Once he confirmed that I won, exclaiming "Holy shit," he brought me up on stage and I stood with him and Miss Cyclone herself, Angie Pontani. Murray joked about me getting lucky on my date, teasing Angie, and also teased me about what I called my "Coney Style" - my jeans & sneakers and T-shirt of a hot dog on a date with some mustard. Then he asked what I did for a living and when he heard that I was a Financial Analyst, that sealed the deal. He basically, using music and body language, signalled "Jackpot!" which everyone cracked up at.

Angie brought me backstage, and since she had to go get ready for her next act (all of the girls are really hard working entertainers) I had a seat and talked to some of the other ladies there, talking about growing up in Coney Island and they told me how I'm going to have fun on my date, etc. Then Jen, the "Ringmaster" of Thirsty Girl Productions, came and gave me her card so that I could get in touch with them, and they ushered me back to the main events.

When I got back to the party, I found out that amazingly enough the next raffle that they had was won by my brother, who was also called to the stage to get his prize pack. He asked whether he had to get up on stage, because he didn't feel like climbing up, and Murray told him that since he looked like he could kick Murray's ass, he didn't have to come up. ::grin:: Hey, I can't help it if all of us Schubert men grew too much because of all Mom's good cooking.

Afterwards a bunch of people whom I didn't yet have the pleasure of knowing congratulated me, and even as I walked around later, strangers kept telling me to have fun on my date. The rest of the night I hung out with my bro, Lizzie, and Chris, and also my hard-working other friends like Lola, Norman Blake, Allen Lee, Pookie Patootie (stage manager that night), and made my way home via the subway.

Somehow, I made it back home and spent most of Sunday recovering and telling my family about our crazy night. It was doubly awesome because of all the great people there, so a giant thank you to everyone who made it such an amazing night!

Oh, and I'll keep everyone posted on our date!

ConeyLove.com / Welcome!

Hey, welcome to ConeyLove.com - the place for everyone who loves Coney Island. Whether you're talking about the shiny, scrubbed parts of Coney or the gritty, salt-of-the-earth Coney, this is the place to show your love.

I was inspired to create this site by the Save Coney Island party this last weekend, put together by Miss Lola Staar, whom I had the great pleasure of meeting a couple of months ago. She was amazed by my Coney Island Lighthouse history and I was amazed to finally meet her after hearing about her for so long.

The reason I went with the "Love" theme is because there is a lack of love when it comes to talking about Coney Island nowadays. Too many people are focused on the negative, and although it's only natural to keep both the good AND the bad in perspective, I want to focus on all the many, many reasons we all love Coney.

My first reason is that without Coney Island, I never would have been born. My Father and my Mother met in Coney Island, at Surf Lanes (which later became a movie theater). My Mother was working there alongside my Grandmother (Nana) who was the lunch counter lady, and my Dad went there to go bowling with his own Father. When my Dad went to go buy some beer for my Grandfather, my Mom teased him about not being old enough to drink. And with that typical Coney Island flirting, boy meets girl, and here I am.

So long live Coney! And long love Coney, too.