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The following is an article from the book Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Plunges Into History Again.
The place that gave Mr. and Mrs. Joe Schmoe the crazy idea that happiness was just a few subway stops away.
Between about 1880 and World War II, Coney Island was the largest amusement park in the United States. But back in 1609, when Dutch explorer Henry Hudson became the first European to arrive on the premises, he found nothing more than barren sand dunes and very unfriendly Native Americans. After his petty officer was killed in a skirmish, Hudson moved on to a much calmer and peaceful island later known as Manhattan.
At some point the island (which is five miles long and up to a mile wide) was named Konijn Eiland, which is Dutch for “Rabbit Island.” Konijn became “Coney,” possibly during the days of Lady Deborah Moody, a London widow in her mid-50s, who brought a group of religious dissenters to the island during a lull in the Indian Wars. It was rough going -the local Native Americans still weren’t all that friendly- but the plucky group stayed on.
EASY ACCESS
Coney Island remained an island until 1829, when it was connected to mainland Long Island by Shell Road, a road made of -you guessed it- shells. It’s been a peninsula ever since. But linguistically, it’s still an island: one is said to be “on” Coney Island, not “in” it.
Hotel Brighton
HOLIDAY INN
Five years after Shell Road was built, a large hotel, Coney Island House, opened for business in hopes of drawing a summer crowd to the seaside. The hotel’s success encouraged builders of even more elegant hotels. What started as a genteel resort recommended by doctors (sea bathing was considered to be healthy and invigorating), quickly became a hot spot with the upper classes. Before long, hotels along the seashores welcomed such distinguished guests as P.T. Barnum, Daniel Webster, and Washington Irving. Visitors lingered on the the hotels’ long porches, ate their meals in posh dining rooms, and took dips in the Atlantic.
BATHING SUITS AND OTHER PURSUITS
more …
Dan Abramson drew a map of the United States of America as seen by New Yorker over at Funny or Die. As far as I can tell based on my interactions with New Yorkers, it’s entirely accurate.
I love New York and New Yorkers. I found them to be amongst the nicest and most helpful people in the country. Their reputation of being rude and brusque is wholly undeserved (they are, however, direct).
But there’s one thing that I find very funny about New Yorkers (or those that blog anyhow): they think that everyone they like must live in New York because it’s inconceivable to live anywhere else.
Last night, the New York state legislature voted to legalize same sex marriage. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law just before midnight. Celebrations began immediately.
Less than an hour after the New York legislature passed a marriage equality bill 33 to 29 during a late session on Friday, Twitter started filling up with messages about how the Empire State Building had “gone rainbow.” “OK, pictures of rainbow Empire State Building are getting me misty,” screenwriter Diablo Cody wrote. “A rainbow shines on the Empire State and the Empire State building tonight!,” another tweet read. And another: “Empire state building goes rainbow. Go us!”
Less than an hour? The Atlantic explains how the display was executed so fast. Link -via @Bad Astronomer
John Belitsky and pal Dan Wuebben wanted to do something "magical" so the pair hopped on a taxi cab in New York … and ordered a cross-country trip to Los Angeles:
The 2,448-mile trip took six days and included a stop in Las Vegas where the friends won $2,000. [...]
On 22 April, after their winning streak in Las Vegas, he tweeted: "Woke up Alam to a shower of $100 bills at sunrise."
Link | John’s documenting the trip on his Twitter page
This odd but appealing animated documentary was produced by Diego Maccione and Adam Gill for Al Jazeera. A rat narrates the history of New York hot dogs. Link -via Buzzfeed
“All the Buildings in New York” is the name of a blog where James Gulliver Hancock, an illustrator originally from Australia and currently based in Brooklyn, New York, will post creations from his ongoing project to draw all the buildings in his hometown.
Link – via kottke.org
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I am just back from New York, where I had a very unromantic Valentine’s Day. You see, your happiness is more important to me than romance and flowers. So instead of staying home with my sweetie and kids I braved New York in February. I was sent there to search for the greatest and newest toys for the NeatoShop. Oh, and did I find them.
Now I am not going to tell you about all the great things that will be coming to the NeatoShop this year. I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprises that we have in store for you. Instead I will share a few pics that I snapped with my phone and camera.
The first thing I did when I got to the hotel was take this picture. This is the drawing my daughter drew for me before I left. It’s a picture of my family. It includes my husband and 3 kids. My daughter drew this so I wouldn’t forget them while I was gone. I carried the photo around with me in my pocket.
Are you getting a clear picture of how much Mommy guilt I endured this trip? Apparently, however, it was needless guilt since my more than capable husband took the 3 monkeys to an amusement park while I was gone. The kids had a blast and didn’t even really miss me.
This is a picture I took when I got to the Toy Fair. If you look closely you can see that one of the Ugly guys is holding the picture of my family. This was no easy task since he could barely bend his arm. Thanks Ugly guys you are awesome!
These are pictures of a really awesome toy that it coming to the NeatoShop this Spring.
That’s all your getting out of me. Frankly, I think I have told you too much. If you really want to know what amazing things I found on this trip you are going to have to check in on the NeatoShop. We suggest you visit us often and frequently.
Comments Off It’s a river of people! Over 40,000 runners participated in the New York City Marathon last weekend. Thanks to time-lapse videography, you can watch most of them get started. -via Buzzfeed
If you’re a night owl, then this is the club for you: a group that meets to work/socialize/hang out for starting at 10 PM at night:
That is what led Amber Lambke and Allan Grinshtein to start a group called the New York Nightowls, a sort of study hall for entrepreneurs, freelancers and software developers who gather at 10 every Tuesday night and stay as late as 4 a.m.
“The goal is to come, get inspired, meet new people and get work done,” said Ms. Lambke, a creative consultant. “It’s six hours of uninterrupted, productive time where you’re surrounded by other creative people doing awesome things.”
Although the New York group has been meeting only since April, the concept is catching on. Others have organized similar weekly gatherings in nearly a dozen cities, including San Francisco, Boston, Stockholm and Melbourne, Australia.
Link | The New York Nightowls website
If you see this woman, do not approach. Do not try to apprehend her yourself. She should be considered armed and dangerous. Instead, you should call … Batman?
Police in Queens, New York is looking for a robber with the purr-fect disguise:
According to the source, the lithe 5-foot-6, 115 pound thief, described in a wanted poster as possibly Middle Eastern, strode into the store at around 1:30 p.m. She prowled for about 45 minutes before donning her disguise and pouncing on a sales clerk.
"Give me the money. I have a gun," read a note Cat Woman passed to the worker, according to the source.
John Doyle and Lachlan Cartwright of the NY Post investigate: Link
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On December 16, 1960, two commercial airliners collided in mid-air over Staten Island. One plane crashed into Staten Island; the other, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with much of the wreckage landing at the intersection of Sterling Place and Seventh Avenue. Ten brownstones, a church, a funeral home, a deli, and a Chinese laundry all caught fire or were destroyed.?
10 year old Stephen Baltz, was rescued by bystanders and rushed to the New York Methodist Hospital. Scouting New York recounts the story of the crash and shows the plaque in the hospital chapel honoring the 135 victims. Stephen was carrying 65 cents in his pocket when the plane hit the ground. This pocket change is embedded in the plaque, a sad reminder of the little boy who dropped from the sky that day.
Link – Via Metafilter
Bonhams auction house in New York is held a unique auction on Thursday. On the block? Authentic dinosaur fossils and other artifacts from the ice age.
Among the things sold were skeletons, teeth, skulls, plants, and petrified trees. Most of the items were expected to go to museums, but private collectors also attended the auction.
Up for grabs are a Woolly Rhinoceros skeleton, a Tyrannosaurus Rex tooth — and a stegodon skull. But don’t be tempted to go for the impulse buy — these items don’t come cheap, with experts warning a buyer could expect to pay anything up to and even over $200,000.
From the Upcoming 
ueue, submitted by nmiller.
The Flatiron building was one of the first skyscrapers in New York, and its iconic shape, an extremely narrow triangle, is recognized throughout the world as a unique and interesting building.
The New York Times has an indepth profile of the building this week, and points out that though the exterior is awesome, the interior can be quirky, as much space is taken up by the elevators, furniture is hard to fit, and one floor is accessible only via another floor!
Nonetheless, the Flatiron building is an important part of New York and provides tourists with great pictures, locals with a reference point, and occupants with a special form of comfort.
Because of its footprint and location, the Flatiron has problems and perks that other buildings do not. The swirling winds generated by its shape are said to have inspired the phrase “23 skidoo” — what police officers would say as they dispersed the men who gathered outside to linger and watch for women’s skirts to blow up as they passed.
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by nmiller.
Artist Erik Guzman has just installed a very cool art concept in New York City’s World Financial Plaza. The installation is a concoction of “moving gears and flashing lights” that is constantly changing based on weather data. As the weather changes, the art responds, changing in its own interpretive way, creating neat designs and patterns.
But how? This weather data is received via radio waves, which then get turned into visual representations of spring breezes, winter winds, and we’re guessing that lovely NYC summer humidity (warm garbage smell not included).
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by 
Eddie Feibusch sells zippers at his New York store ZipperStop. He’s been in business since 1941. There were once a lot of zipper shops in the garment district, but gradually they relocated overseas, leaving ZipperStop as one of the few remaining specialty shop where you can get a zipper in any size for any purpose.
So when a recalcitrant zipper threatened to be, or not to be, Queen Gertrude’s undoing in a Metropolitan Opera production of “Hamlet” last month, the Met dispatched a costumer, Michael Zacker, to Mr. Feibusch for a new zipper for Jennifer Larmore’s gown. “He really has great products,” Mr. Zacker said.
Retail, they go from 50 cents for a nylon dress zipper to $100 for a No. 10 brass zipper, 350 inches long, to wrap your hot-air balloon.
How great are zippers? Don’t even get Mr. Feibusch started. They are watertight for deep-sea divers, airtight for NASA. “Nothing replaces a zipper,” he said. Buttons? He made a face. “A button is unpleasant,” he said.
Link -via Jason Kottke
(image credit: Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times)
A new movie opening up this week, Kick Ass, tells the story of average citizens becoming superheroes. The New York Post has a story on New York citizens who have been real life super heroes for many years!
“We are just people who really care and try to go out and make a difference,” says Chris Pollak, 25, whose alter ego, “Dark Guardian,” strikes fear in the hearts of drug peddlers in Washington Square Park. “The idea is to be this drastic example of making change in your community.”
The Staten Islander has been patrolling city streets for the last seven years, frequently putting himself in harm’s way. A drug dealer flashed a gun at Pollak once, and he has almost come to blows with thugs.
“My fiancée is very supportive, but she gets worried if I’m doing anything that involves danger,” Dark Guardian said. “When I met my fiancée, I told her I liked to do this thing where I go out and help the homeless and patrol the streets. I didn’t get into the whole costume thing — I waited until a little bit into the relationship.”
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Geekazoid.
What would New York City look like if it were made out of LEGO bricks?
Christoph Niemann of Abstract City Blog was inspired to create a series of miniature New York vignettes when playing with his son’s LEGO toys during the cold and dark winter days in Berlin. He posted his creations, and they were so popular that he got a book deal out of it!
Take a look at a few of Christoph’s clever and minimalistic creations over at our wide-format blog, Neatorama Spotlight, and win yourself a copy of the book: Link
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New York City has big plans for Coney Island. The Brooklyn neighborhood will soon have new thrill rides and other amusements designed to bring back the glory years when Coney Island was known as “the People’s Playground” after years of decline.
Luna Park at Coney Island will open on Memorial Day weekend with 19 rides. Among them will be the Air Race, which sends riders swinging and soaring around a control tower. It will be the ride’s global debut.
Also promised are games, live entertainment, and concessions including Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand, which opened in 1916, pioneering America’s concept of fast food.
By the summer of 2011, Scream Zone at Coney Island will offer two roller coasters, go-carts and a human slingshot launching people more than 200 feet into the air.
Other plans include shopping centers, restaurants, movie theaters, hotels, and 5,000 new housing units for the area. Link -via Fark
(image credit: AP/NYC Economic Development Corp.)
Jeff Kisseloff interviewed grocer Harry Dubin about an article written about him in 1947, but then found something much more interesting about Dubin.
I picked up the album and opened it, and my eyes nearly jumped out of my head. Inside were some 30 color photographs taken in and around the city in the 1940s. I had never seen such vibrant photos of the city in those years. In fact, I had never seen any color photos of the city in those years, yet here they were. It was such an interesting collection. Each of the pictures depicted a man in uniform intently doing his job, whether it was a street sweeper, gas station attendant or hansom cab driver. When I looked at them twice, I realized something, all of them were Harry!
Needless to say, while our subsequent interview was wonderful, the album left me speechless in delight. These were the most evocative photographs of old New York I had ever seen. Harry explained that all of them were taken by his son Ronald, who was then a teenager, after Harry managed to convince each worker to change clothes with him in an alley and let Harry do his job for a few minutes so the picture could be taken.
You might want to check back with The Kisseloff Collection as more pictures are added. Link -via Metafilter
Wow! Not only did our pal mental_floss just open their very first retail shop, they’re also holding the first ever mental_floss Trivia Show. If you happen to be in New York this Sunday, here’s the scoop:
Attention: Nerds, Knowledge Junkies, and most importantly, people who like to leave their house to drink and win stuff! The mental_floss Trivia Show is coming to a bar near you (if you live near Brooklyn), and you’re pretty much guaranteed to win something. In fact, our tagline is “[Almost] No one leaves empty-handed!” and we promise to [almost] live up to that.
But what exactly is The mental_floss Trivia Show? Well, it’s part bar quiz, part game show, and part lots of really bad jokes! We promise it’ll be a blast. So, go ahead and mark your calendar. We can’t wait to see you there.
Date: Sunday December 6, 2009.
Doors open at 7 p.m.
Location: Galapagos Art Space
16 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY
PS: There’s alcohol at the bar, so the event is 21 and up. (Better you find out here than at the door!).
Mangesh of mental_floss assures me that "there’s going to be lots of free trivia, and lots of free prizes." With a tagline of "(Almost) No one leaves empty-handed," I’m sure he’s right! Link – Thanks Mangesh!
ESC from New York – $9.95 | More Funny T-Shirts
Neatorama designer Chris "Snake" Murphy came up with this excellent design "ESC from New York." Ah, this certainly brings back memories. From the Neatorama Shop: Link
Meb Keflezighi won the New York City Marathon on Sunday. He is the first American to win the title since 1982! But around 42,000 runners took part in the marathon, some wearing elaborate costumes. Buzzfeed collected photographs of the most outrageous marathon costumes for your viewing pleasure. Link
(image credit: Flickr user monicamüller)
While the horseshoe crab orgy is just a fun and cute animal affair, the turtles from Jamaica Bay are a different story. A group of 78 swinging diamondback terrapins held up one of the most busy runways at JFK on Wednesday. It took authorities half an hour to get the turtles off the runway.
He said that the turtles were perhaps attracted to the sand along one side of the runway, which juts into the water. “They tend to look for sand while they are mating,” he said. “Presumably, all these turtles were feeling amorous.” It is unclear whether the turtles pair off, or if the numbers indicated it was a group activity, he said.
Some of the delays lasted up to an hour and a half -but hey, at least the turtles got their sexy on, which is a much better excuse for a delayed flight than most of the ones we hear.
Link Via Consumerist
Inspired by a similar idea in Atlanta early last year, a writer left two disposable cameras on park benches in Brooklyn and Manhattan. With just a note telling people to take any photo they like and her hope that someone wouldn’t run away with the cameras she left them for the day.
On returning she found the cameras exactly as she’s left them, with no exposures left. The developed photographs are an interesting slice of city life across one day.
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Jake.
“Designed for the Hudson Yard area of Manhattan, Eric Vergne’s Dystopian Farm aims to provide New York with a sustainable food source while creating a dynamic social space that integrates producers with consumers. Based upon the ‘material logic of plant mechanics’, the biomorphic skyscraper is modeled after the plant cells of ferns and provides space for farms, residential areas, and markets. These organic structures will harness systems such as airoponic watering, nutrient technology and controlled lighting and CO2 levels to meet the food demands of future populations.”
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by whitespace.
The latest from improv everywhere. Agent Lathan spent all morning during the rush standing next to a subway escalator giving out high fives, more than 2000 in total
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Jake.
Christoph Niemann shows us how you only need a few LEGO pieces to make a whimsical yet brilliant homage to New York City:
During the cold and dark Berlin winter days, Christoph Niemann spends a lot of time with his boys in their room. And as he looks at the toys scattered on the floor, his mind inevitably wanders back to New York. I LEGO N.Y.
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by JKirchartz.
You can check out previous years’ pantless rides and other great pranks on ImprovEverywhere’s YouTube channel.
[YouTube]
Meet Sal Giangrande, the self-styled "Couch Doctor" of New York. Sal has a pretty unique business niche: he saws and re-assembles couches for people who couldn’t fit their old couch into their new apartments but don’t want to give up either one:
‘I can’t watch," said Andrew Clarke, shutting his eyes.
"You shouldn’t," the doctor said calmly.
The doctor’s assistant pulled out an electric saw. He started slicing. The ground was already strewn with staples that had been yanked out. After one, two, three . . . seven incisions, Clarke’s $4,000, perfectly worn-in, brown leather couch lay in pieces with the 88-inch-long back surgically separated from the arms and bottom. Clarke’s cherished couch looked like a dissected moose.
"Gosh," he mumbled, his eyes wide, "whatever it takes."
Sal Giangrande calls himself the New York Couch Doctor, but in fact he’s New York’s Doctor Whatever It Takes for desperate people like Clarke, who couldn’t shimmy his old couch into his new apartment and wasn’t willing to give up either one.
The young real estate executive was moving from one apartment to another in the same brick building in the heart of west Greenwich Village. The new place was bigger and had a spectacular view of the Hudson River but was situated in the middle of a narrow hallway.
"The movers tried several times, several angles, but they couldn’t get the couch around the turn from the hallway into the new place," Clarke said. He was ready to dump it when his doorman told him about the Couch Doctor — aka Sal Giangrande.
Geraldine Baum of the Los Angeles Times has more on this fascinating story about New Yorkers and their sofabsessions: Link
(Photo: Carolyn Cole/LA Times)
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