Brighton Beach For Meshugenahs | Eating With Ziggy

Brighton Beach For Meshugenahs | Eating With Ziggy

My stomach is filled by just reading this entertaining piece.  Who am I to question Ziggy? 

(Excerpt)
Post Sandy Brighton Beach is not only alive and well but kicking some serious foodie tuches these days.  Tuches (pronounced Tooches with a jewish Chhh), if you are scoring at home (or if you are alone) means rear-end in Yiddish.  Its one of a few Yiddish words you need to know when visiting predominantly Russian speaking Brighton Beach.  E.G.  “$3 for this Mondalech?  You can kiss my Tuches”.  Anyway, there’s all sorts of deliciousness waiting your way in good ol’ BB.  And as you will see here only a portion of it is actually Russian.

KalinkaOne can actually argue (me included) that the best food in Brighton Beach is not really Russian at all.  An argument I wouldn’t make with the Dominoes players on the boardwalk or on Ocean Parkway.  But if you must, here’s another word you need to know:  “Gavno”.  As in “Their Strogonoff looked like my Yozhik’s Gavno!”.  In addition to Russian, you can get some tasty Georgian, Turkish, Uzbek, and even Mexican food in Brighton.  BTW, to demonstrate how predominantly Russian this neighborhood is, just hang around in any grocery store and hear Mexican workers argue converse with Russian Babushkas in Russian.  It can be quite hysterical when you witness it for the first time.  Babushka asks a question in Russian, you think OMG this is too funny, but when the answer is in perfect Russian you feel like the joke is on you.

Yes, one can survive without knowing the language here I suppose.  Well not for too long at least.  Dont be surprised if someone approaches you in a restaurant or a store speaking to you in Russian.  But no worries, Ziggy is here to help.  First step to enhance your experience, do it Ruskie style:  Empty a bottle of water, fill it with vodka, and put inside your jacket/bag.  It will be handy later on.  So lets go for a ride, shall we…

WATCH: the 2013 NYC Marathon, in Time-Lapse Slo-Mo

WATCH: the 2013 NYC Marathon, in Time-Lapse Slo-Mo

Click the link above to get to the video.

Only a few trees remain.

Sometimes trees without any leaves are more pleasing to the eye as they stand alone against the sky.  These are the only remaining trees at the gateway to the beach that are still standing after Sandy and the city took the others down.

Opening before opening

Taking advantage of an opening rather than wait for opening day.

Once when fence goes down, the others will follow...sort of the "broken windows syndrome."

Not too many walkers or riders when its 30 degrees.

NYT, Others Cover 'So-Called Knockout Game' As 'A Spreading Menace or a Myth'

NYT, Others Cover 'So-Called Knockout Game' As 'A Spreading Menace or a Myth' | NewsBusters

(Excerpt)
In a November 22 item published in its November 23 print edition on Page A19, Cara Buckley at the New York Times, below a picture of a Guardian Angels member posting a warning in Brooklyn, cited "police officials in several cities" claiming that it "amounted to little more than an urban myth," and noted that Gotham officials were questioning "whether in fact it existed."

Building the Coney Island Boardwalk 1920

Building the Coney Island Boardwalk 1920

Ocean Parkway Bike Path 1896...complete with bike accident.

Ocean Parkway Bike Path 1896

Biking accident 1896
I guess one follows the other

Superstorm Sandy: Then and Now (EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS) - weather.com

Superstorm Sandy: Then and Now (EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS) - weather.com

Click above for slide show.

The collection above features images taken by photojournalists Natan Dvir, Natalie Keyssar, Amy Medina and Liz Roll. These photographers captured the scene during or in the immediate aftermath of Sandy, and as the anniversary approached, Weather.com asked them to revisit those same spots. In some cases, the photos show the progress made has been remarkable. In others, the landscapes are still scarred by the storm.

Greenfield to Residents: Which Dangerous Intersections Need Pedestrian Countdown Signals?

The Yeshiva World Greenfield to Residents: Which Dangerous Intersections Need Pedestrian Countdown Signals? « » Frum Jewish News

Councilman David G. Greenfield is inviting all community members to suggest locations where the next round of pedestrian countdown signals should be installed at dangerous intersections around Boro Park, Midwood and Bensonhurst. The city previously installed countdown clocks at Councilman Greenfield’s request to improve pedestrian safety at busy intersections throughout the district, including along Ocean Parkway and Fort Hamilton Parkway. Additional countdown signals will now be installed by the Department of Transportation (DOT) after residents voted for them earlier this year as part of the participatory budgeting initiative. With that in mind, Councilman Greenfield is now asking residents to suggest intersections where they would like the new round of countdown signals installed to make crossing easier and safer for everyone, especially children, seniors and the disabled.

“Now that the public has voted to install more countdown clocks, I want to hear from the residents who walk around our neighborhoods and know exactly which streets and intersections are most in need of safety upgrades. The whole idea of participatory budgeting is to let residents make decisions about what their community most needs. That’s why I am inviting everyone to contact me with the locations they would like to see these important and life-saving pedestrian countdown signals installed,” said Councilman Greenfield.

Immediately after taking office in 2010, Councilman Greenfield began working with the DOT on a plan to install pedestrian countdown signals at some of the area’s most dangerous intersections, including all of the major Ocean Parkway crossings in the district. The signals feature an LED countdown of the number of seconds a pedestrian has to cross the street and help improve safety by informing the pedestrian when the light will change and by helping pedestrians avoid getting stuck on narrow medians mid-crossing in the middle of traffic.

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday & Cyber Monday Sale

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday & Cyber Monday Sale! | Coney Island USA

Holiday shop online, or come to our Pop Up Gift Shop at 1208 Surf Avenue, this Small Business Saturday from 12pm - 5pm! Your purchases help with our ongoing recovery and day to day operating costs.

These items on sale now through Cyber Monday (12/2).

2013 Mermaid Parade T-Shirt Women's, was $25 now $20

2013 Mermaid Parade T-Shirt Men's, was $25 now $20

2013 Mermaid Parade Hot Dog Tote, was $15, now $12

Freak Show Tote Bag, was $8, now $6.40

Click here for more great deals!

- See more at: http://www.coneyisland.com/news/black-friday-small-business-saturday-cyber-monday-sale#sthash.F3mQpxhG.dpuf

Thunderbolt Roller Coaster Model on Display

rClick here for more information on the Thunderbolt preview

Duane, the man behind rcdb.com, testing the patent pending Thunderbolt seat.

Careers at Coney Island YMCA

Careers at Coney Island YMCA | Coney Island YMCA

(Click hyperlink above for more information)

Work with us! We seek people who are interested in people and want to make a difference. The YMCA is more than a job; it's a career! With more than 150 years of experience, the YMCA knows that its mission is achieved one person at a time — carried out in the hearts and hands of each caring and skillful staff member.
We are now hiring for the following positions at Coney Island YMCA:
Swim Lessons Instructor
Lifeguard
Ballet Instructor
Art Instructor
Tae Kwon Do Instructor
Child Watch Aide
Personal Fitness Coach
Group Exercise Instructors
Sports Instructors
Gym Monitor
Floor Trainer
Member Service Representative
Administrative Assistant
Property Manager
Maintenance Mechanic
Porter

Boody Girl Scout Troop Delivers Food To Coney Island's Needy » Bensonhurst's News Blog

Bensonhurst Bean » Blog Archive Boody Girl Scout Troop Delivers Food To Coney Island's Needy » Bensonhurst's News Blog

The little ladies at David A. Boody Junior High School (I.S. 228 at 228 Avenue S) Girl Scout Troop 2717 sought to bring full stomachs and broad smiles to the faces of families in need this Thanksgiving. So, with the help of the PTA, they organized a food drive, collecting hundreds of cans and boxes of food to distribute.

The girls made their own posters and set up collection points in the school, encouraging fellow pupils to keep the less fortunate in mind this holiday.

The PTA then packed the food and the troop into cars and delivered them to Salt and Sea Mission in Coney Island (1530 Mermaid Avenue), a homeless shelter that’s been in dire straits since Superstorm Sandy.

Way to go Girl Scouts! You’ve earned those delicious, delicious cookies this Thanksgiving.

Coney Island Sports Foundation Inc. - Who We Help

Coney Island Sports Foundation Inc. - Who We Help

In addition we would continue to support and provide funds to the students at Our Lady of Grace Parochial School and Prospect Park Youth Track Club.

Our Foundation will continue providing financial support to several worthy local community special event programs and Scholarship Racessuch as The Sgt. Doreen Scrimenti Run, The P.O. Christopher Hoban Run and Kenneth Dolan Memorial 5k Run. We are proud sponsors of the Prospect Park Youth Track Club. 

Hurricane Sandy Relief

Due to the unprecedented damage of the 2012 Hurricane to the local area, the CISF has made $7,000 in immediate donations with more to follow towards groups aiding Coney Island and the Rockaways in recovery efforts.

Natural Resources Protective Agency demands city build sand dunes along Coney Island, Brighton Beach shorefront to prevent damage

Natural Resources Protective Agency demands city build sand dunes along Coney Island, Brighton Beach shorefront to prevent damage

Believe that the name of the group is the Natural Resources Protection Association.  It is not a government agency.

Art of the Day: Mural Celebrates Coney Island After Sandy

Art of the Day: Mural Celebrates Coney Island After Sandy

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons through th...

Friends of Ocean Parkway: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons through th...: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,  - Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons through the decades - NY Daily News

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons through the decades

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 1931 - Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons through the decades - NY Daily News

City Council Looks at Lower Speed Limits

City Council Looks at Lower Speed Limits - NYTimes.com
Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, said on Tuesday that she hoped to pass a bill in the coming weeks lowering the current speed limit of 30 miles per hour on many New York streets.

“We are actively working on that bill,” she told reporters, referring to legislation sponsored by Councilman David G. Greenfield of Brooklyn, adding, “Our goal is to pass it before the end of the year.”

Mr. Greenfield’s bill had called for 20 m.p.h. limits “on all streets fewer than 60 feet wide in areas zoned for residential purposes.”

But later on Tuesday, Mr. Greenfield said in an interview that an adjusted version of the bill — lowering the speed limit to 25 m.p.h. on “one-way streets that do not have more than one lane of traffic” — was being considered instead.

The change was necessary, he said, because of a state law requiring any street in the city, except those in school zones, to have further adjustments made if speeds went below 25 m.p.h.

“At this point, with what we can do, this is the best bill that we can get,” he said.

No Knock-Out in Ditmas Park. Mugger Wins By Split Decision.

Post by Friends of Ocean Parkway.

Sheepshead Bites » Blog Archive Morning Mug: A Road Honoring Necks? Not Quite. » Sheepshead Bay News Blog

Sheepshead Bites » Blog Archive Morning Mug: A Road Honoring Necks? Not Quite. » Sheepshead Bay News Blog
by Erica Sherman
I always thought “Neck Road” was a funny name. Forgotten New York’s Kevin Walsh gives us the lowdown on Neck Road’s reason for being, well… Neck Road.

Though street signs always note its proper name, Gravesend Neck Road, street signs and neighborhood residents have always called it by the much shorter Neck Road. It’s a farm road that predates the local street grid  by perhaps a couple of centuries and today runs from Van Sicklen Street in Gravesend (not to be confused with Van Siclen Avenue, without the k, in East New York) east and northeast to Avenue U and Nostrand Avenue. It used to extend further into “Gravesend Neck” which was then a peninsula, hence the “neck” in what is now the Marine Park area.

Photo by Allan Shweky

NYC's Bike Share Stuck At Its Current Size

NYC's Bike Share Stuck At Its Current Size - WNYC

Citi Bike will not be growing any time soon. Six months after the launch of the popular bike sharing program, the New York City Department of Transportation isn't saying when a promised expansion into parts of Brooklyn and Queens will happen. 

• JOIN THE DISCUSSION [5]

Citi Bike began in late May with 6,000 bikes and 332 docking stations. That was less than planned: Storm Sandy damaged 1,000 bikes and 88 stations that have yet to be placed in service. They've been missing from several neighborhoods stretching from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn to Long Island City, Queens -- represented by the gray dots on this map.

With winter approaching, the DOT is still not saying when residents can expect to see the blue bikes on their streets. And this week, DOT staff told Queens Community Board 1 that bike share won't reach Astoria and Jackson Heights for another 18 to 24 months.

District Manager Lucille Hartmann attended the meeting. She said the DOT's presentation aroused no great passion. "Nobody said, 'I don't want these,'" she recalled. "And nobody said, 'Oh goody, goody, goody.'"

Curtis Sliwa Patroling Flatbush After Knockout Assault On Ave L Ocean Pkwy

Curtis Sliwa Patroling Flatbush After Knockout Assault On Ave L Ocean Pkwy

Coming Friday: Free reprint of the Daily News edition from Nov. 23, 1963 Kennedy Assassinated

Coming Friday: Free reprint of the Daily News edition from Nov. 23, 1963   - NY Daily News

2/3 of City Streets are Near Schools, Subject to Lower Speed Limits

2/3 of City Streets are Near Schools, Subject to Lower Speed Limits - WNYC

So what do you think if the speed limit on Ocean Parkway was 20 mph?  I already know what the bike lobbyists think...what about everyone else?

Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Manhattan Beach and Sea Gate Conceptual Plan | New York Storm Recovery Resources Center

Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Manhattan Beach and Sea Gate Conceptual Plan | New York Storm Recovery Resources Center

$130.3M Powerball jackpot won at Brighton Beach bakery

$130.3M Powerball jackpot won at Brighton Beach bakery | New York Post

A lottery player who regularly buys tickets at a Brighton Beach bakery is rolling in the dough after winning Saturday’s $130.3 million Powerball jackpot, The Post has learned.
The sole winning ticket was sold at Rocco’s Bakery and Deli, where the manager said Monday that he was overjoyed after a state lottery official called with the news.
“I’m doing cartwheels in the store. I was thinking about the money and getting some orders wrong,” said Salah Al-Sulaimani, 33.
“The publicity is going to bring in a lot of business, a lot of people here. We’ll probably need another lottery machine.”
Al-Sulaimani — whose store gets a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket — wouldn’t identify the lucky customer.
But sources familiar with the sale said it was a woman who’s a “regular” player and who plunked down about $50 on “quick pick” tickets for the Saturday drawing.
The New York State Gaming Commission said the holder of the “life-changing ticket” hadn’t yet come forward.
If taken in a lump sum, the prize will be worth $73.4 million, or $45.7 million after taxes to a New York City resident, commission spokeswoman Carolyn Hapeman said.
If taken as an annuity, the $130.3 million would be spread out over 30 annual payments, with the amount increasing 4 percent a year, Hapeman said.

Update on Monday about proposed Brooklyn Bridge Park marina, roller skating rink

Update on Monday about proposed Brooklyn Bridge Park marina, roller skating rink | Brooklyn Daily Eagle

(Excerpt)

RFP responses due November 18

By Mary Frost

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Responses to Brooklyn Bridge Park’s requests for proposals (RFP) for a marina and a roller skating concession are due on Monday, November 18.

David McCarty, a project manager with the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, will be giving an informal public presentation about the proposals on Monday evening at Community Board 2’s Parks and Recreation Committee.

The marina’s RFP calls for the long-term lease, development, and operation of a 186-slips facility adjacent to Pier 5. Developers had to submit plans that are “on par with the investment made on the part of the public sector,” according to the RFP.

Young historians see through eyes of Holocaust

Young historians see through eyes of Holocaust - NY Daily News

By Lindsey Riback
Midwood High School
Honorable Mention, Features

With snow covering the ground, on March 26, Midwood’s 27 students walked the same paths as did the prisoners of Dachau concentration camp in Germany, over 70 years ago.

“There was snow on the ground and it was really cold, but to imagine that the prisoners had to suffer through this cold for years with barely any clothing made it even more realistic,” said Miriam Avrutin ‘14.

The gates of the camp are inscribed with the words “Arbeit macht frei” meaning work sets you free, a contradiction because once the prisoners entered the camp they were merely a number, unwillingly handing over their freedom.

“I felt very fortunate that we got to leave,” said Lindsey Pero ‘13.

Upon entering the gates, Mr. Lawrence Kolotkin, group leader, advised his group that before they take a picture they should see themselves from the perspective of those who had died.

“What would they think of the picture that you have taken,” he asked.

Shortly after arriving at the entrance of the concentration camp, the students filed into the auditorium where they viewed a short documentary on the Nazi regime and the individual camp itself.

“It was very disturbing to see how the people were treated back then,” said Dominique Semple ‘15, “to see how they were dehumanized.”

Archive Coney Island Hospital Included In List Of Most Affordable NY Hospitals » Sheepshead Bay News Blog

Sheepshead Bites » Blog Archive Coney Island Hospital Included In List Of Most Affordable NY Hospitals » Sheepshead Bay News Blog (Excerpt) Coney Island Hospital (2601 Ocean Parkway) made it to the top 10 list of most affordable hospitals in New York State, and is ranked number one in the five boroughs. According to a report by Nerd Wallet, Coney Island Hospital ranked 8th overall when it comes to affordability statewide, providing affordable treatment for a slew of procedures, including hip and knee replacement.

New Thunderbolt roller coaster to open at Coney Island summer 2014

SEE IT: New Thunderbolt roller coaster to open at Coney Island summer 2014  - Daily News
"We are on schedule," said Zamperla Chief Executive Officer Valerio Ferrari.
The ride will be a sleeker and faster version of the old Thunderbolt on the same spot. That ride was made famous in Woody Allen's 1977 film "Annie Hall." But it was demolished in 2000 in middle of the night to make space for the Mets' minor league Brooklyn Cyclones.

New Thunderbolt roller coaster to open at Coney Island summer 2014

SEE IT: New Thunderbolt roller coaster to open at Coney Island summer 2014  - Daily News
"We are on schedule," said Zamperla Chief Executive Officer Valerio Ferrari.
The ride will be a sleeker and faster version of the old Thunderbolt on the same spot. That ride was made famous in Woody Allen's 1977 film "Annie Hall." But it was demolished in 2000 in middle of the night to make space for the Mets' minor league Brooklyn Cyclones.

Protecting Brighton

The multi-level outdoor garage of the luxury condo located on Ocean Parkway and the Boardwalk was inundated with tons of sand during the storm surge destroying many cars.  Today workers are fortifying the lower level to keep both water and sand out.

Lessons Learned from Superstorm Sandy

Superstorn Sandy and Utility Preparedness | The Energy Collective
(Excerpt)
On the one year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, it’s important to look back and reflect on the lessons learned about disaster recovery. On Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record made landfall along the heavily populated Jersey Shore causing massive damage and devastation. Approximately 240,000 natural gas customers were impacted as the 15-foot storm surge ravaged systems across four states.

Breezy Point-one year later.

In New York Casino Vote, a Dance With Temptation

In New York Casino Vote, a Dance With Temptation - NYTimes.com
(Excerpt)

The ostensible attraction of the amendment is its promise to relieve budget woes without new taxes. In proponents’ eyes, state income from gambling is a form of voluntary tax payment. But modern casino revenue comes mostly from slot machines, and the relationship between them and some of their patrons is voluntary in only the most superficial sense. “Addiction by Design” (Princeton University Press, 2012), Natasha Dow Schüll’s gripping account of slot machine gambling in Las Vegas, looks into the technical wizardry underlying modern slots and their effects on players. According to slot designers and casino managers surveyed in the book, the mission of these machines is simple: to separate patrons from their money in the most ruthlessly efficient — yet psychologically agreeable — ways possible.

The machines create an experience so compelling that some people stop playing only when they’ve exhausted every available resource. Ms. Schüll, a cultural anthropologist on the M.I.T. faculty, interviews a slots player who sees the machines as so immersive that winning becomes a distraction, something that matters only because it lets her play a little longer. “It’s like being in the eye of a storm,” the woman says, later adding, “You aren’t really there — you’re with the machine and that’s all you’re with.

Subway platforms are ‘grim and dreary’: study

Subway platforms are ‘grim and dreary’: study | New York Post
(Excerpt)
The Straphangers Campaign rider-advocacy group released a report Wednesday that looked at conditions on 862 subway station platforms over the summer.
Surveyors scouted for overflowing garbage cans on platforms, rats, graffiti, peeling paint and missing tiles, among other conditions.
They found that 82 percent of underground platforms had significant water damage and 74 percent needed a fresh paint job, according to the report.