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Video: Yesterday's Psychotic Polar Bear Swim at Coney Island
By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 27, 2010
Modified Dec 27, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 27, 2010
Modified Dec 27, 2010
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Ruby's Bar and Grill and seven other Coney Island businesses are fighting their evictions in court, but the Post reports that their lawyers are also quietly working to arrange a settlement whereby their clients would slag off in exchange for some hush money. "The tenants are holding the boardwalk hostage in order to get a big payout and then walk away," one city official tells the tabloid. Exactly—it's just like how in Die Hard, the sinister Bruce Willis held all those people hostage at Nakatomi Plaza, thus preventing the noble Alan Rickman from saving them.
Stupid metaphors aside, it would certainly be disheartening if Ruby's sold out and reopened somewhere off the boardwalk. Two sources tell the Post that each of the Coney Island Eight is seeking an average of at least $250,000 each. There's speculation that their strategy is to the delay the evictions so long that Zamperla won't have time to demolish the establisments and build a big restaurant and sports bar. But Zamperla sources say the amusement giant would rather have shuttered storefronts on the boardwalk than bring them back.
In the meantime, Ruby's will be hosting the annual Polar Bear Club New Year's Day swim after-party again this year. For a taste of what's in store, check out these lunatics swimming in the snow yesterday:
[Via Amusing the Zillion]
Tagged
coney island boardwalk
coney island eight
coney island polar bear club
ruby's
ruby's bar and grill
zamperla
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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