October 31, 2011
I’ve heard rumors and read stories that the death of Ruby’s bar on the boardwalk of Coney Island may not come true after all. The business that was going in there pulled out at the last minute. Karma, is that you calling? I can’t find concrete evidence one way or the other, so the best way is to just go out and see what they have to say.
The sun sets on the boardwalk at Coney Island.
Here's Paul's Daughter's food stand, they were one of the businesses that was going to be forced out.
But with the businesses pulling out, maybe they'll be here next year. I sure hope so.
And here we are, Ruby's Bar, let's go check out closing night of the season.
A decent crowd has assembled on this cold night.
There's three familiar faces at the bar...
It's the Duncester, Lindsay and Shawn. Time to let the party begin!
The tables are filled with people having their last drinks of the season.
Historical photos of Coney Island through the years hang on the wall behind the bar.
A long shot of the wooden bar at Ruby's.
And here's Mike behind the bar. I asked him if Ruby's was going to be open next year and he told me that all he could say was that they're in negotiations. Well, that sounds promising!
I asked him if the new TV on the wall was part of the negotiations and he just laughed and said, "Maybe." Hey, if it takes a TV in Ruby's to stay in business, that's fine by me, I just won't look at it.
Here's a couple starting Halloween celebrations a night early.
A song is chosen for the jukebox...
And a couple gets up and dances to it. Hopefully this won't be the last dance at Ruby's bar.
Harpo!
Cheers!
This woman told me she just moved here from the West Coast and hopes to see another season at Ruby's.
Leonardo was selling beads in the crowd.
So I bought a strand for good luck and posed with Leonardo and Lindsay.
Melody confirmed that Ruby's is in negotiations to stay on the boardwalk and asked everyone to keep their fingers crossed. I told her I'd keep my eyes crossed as well!
Shawn flashes a peace-out in front of a Warrior.
Vintage Coney Island books sit side by side with the booze behind the bar.
The boardwalk signs have been brought in for the season.
The bar is starting to clear out.
The chairs are stacked on the tables...
And I take one last obligatory bathroom mirror shot for the road.
Hopefully we'll see you next season, Ruby's! Goodnight everybody and see you tomorrow after dark. and One More Folded Sunset.
Further reading: Amusing The Zillion, Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York, The Gog Log and One More Folded Sunset.
(Surprise link...click on it...I dare you!)
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Bonus Photos From Shawn!
Shawn sent me some photos he shot from last night. Wonderful shots, Shawn, thanks!
26 Comments
Reader Comments (26)
Man, I am SO rooting for Ruby's and I love the shot of Shawn and the Warrior's guy. The Warriors is part of my permanent film collection, and I've always wondered how much of an impact that film had on Coney Island over the years....oooooh Waaaaariorrrss...(click, click, click) come ouuuut to PLAAAAAY-YAAAA......
Had a great time with you guys!!! Did your rosary burst into flames yet? Fingers crossed that we have at least one more season of those boardwalk businesses. Cheers to Mike!! He's such a great bartender!! Glad to have spent the last night of the season with you guys, hope to be there for the opening of next season! Warriors, come out to plaaaaaaaay!!
Great photos!
I really hope Ruby's and the other businesses return - they're the heart and soul of Coney Island.
Marty .... you should have watched that Steelers vs. Patriots game on that TV .... it was a good contest ! .... of course, if I owned Ruby's, there would be about 50 tv's in there !
@Jaws: I'm rooting for them too, we'll see next spring!
@Lindsay: Ha ha ha! Nope the rosary hasn't caught fire yet, I should take it to work though, don't want my apartment burning up while I'm gone! Great seeing you last night and here's hoping for another season!
@Goggla: Thanks! I think just Ruby's and Paul's Daughter have a chance from what I've read. We'll see.
@GENE: Ha ha ha! I knew you'd appreciate that TV! I pray you never get ownership of Ruby's!
Very inspiring to see that woman you ran into,,moved from the West Coast back to Brooklyn. A true New Yorker there, huh? Too many "salad heads" out west, I should know, lol. @GENE: I saw that Steelers game and loved every minute of it.
@MAD .... if I win the Powerball this week -- I'm buying Ruby's.
@AL ..... it was a wonderful game -- along with the Eagles whooping up on the Cowgirls !
Hey, sorry to have missed you at Ruby's. Early on I saw someone at the bar who looked a little like you but he was not! From your photos, it seems you were getting there just as I was leaving because one of the very last pix that I took was of Paul's when the lights went on. Here's hoping theyre both able to negotiate a fair lease and we meet there again (or for the first time) next season
@Al: That woman was really cool, hope to see her next season!
@GENE: Ha ha ha! I'll go in with blinders if that happens!
@Tricia: Sorry to have missed you! It sounds real promising that there might be a season next year, hope to see you out there!
Ironic elements: Marty hates football. I too watched that sucktaculair game. Marty rarely goes to Brooklyn, when he does it's all the way out to Coney Island, which is no longer an island, but is on Long Island. Well maybe it's not that ironic. Um, ironically iron isn't ironic at all; it's an element.
Oh, yay! I am happy to hear that they're in negotiations - and Ruby's may not have to close their doors forever.
@csp: (Bad pun alert!) Yes, my life is one big irony board. (Oof!)
@Meleah: I'm hoping they get a multi-year lease out of this!
@MAD: Don't quit your day job.
@csp: Ha ha ha! I'm not quitting it, but it may be quitting me, more on that in the months to come!
Another year of Rubys will she stay or will she go tease. Stay, stay for god's sake! Hope the negotiations work out. Love it at Rubys. I'm usually shy about dancing, but Mrs. Spike can always get me out there to cut a well worn rug. I hope Cha-Cha's can stick around too -- they hold a Rockabilly festival every Labor Day weekend which is always awesome. Great post Marty, wish I had been in town or I would have gone out for the season finale too!
Great post, Marty & cool pics by Shawn! Sorry I missed you guys - we left around five - but good to run into Goggla & Ed. It was a nice crowd, & the light in the afternoon was beautiful.. Sounds somewhat hopeful for next year, IF the lease isn't too impossible. Let's hope it works out.
@Spike: Thanks! Sadly Cha-Cha's is history. They're auctioning stuff off tomorrow. You can read about it here at Amusing the Zillion: Auction Sale at Cha Cha's.
@onemorefoldedsunset: Thanks and thanks again to Shawn for sending in those great shots! Sorry to have missed you, but there was hope in the air last night. Maybe a miracle will happen after all!
nothing i can say except to echo thanks to shawn for the bonus shots...MAD has to get a quality camera and then learn how to use it (just kiddin')...looked like a great time one way or another...
Why do otherwise sane, competent, strong men, men who can wrestle bears or raid corporations, shrink away in horror at the thought of washing a dish or changing a diaper?
~Frank Pittman
rr
@rr: Ha ha ha! Someday I'll get a new camera, but not anytime soon! Nice quote!
Great post Daddio.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of Ruby's in 2012
(unless those pesky Mayans were on to something).
Great shots by Shawn!
Ruby's.
"CAN YOU DIG IT?"
I can.
In the words of Cyrus...
"Can you count, suckers? I say, the future is ours... if you can count!
Now, look what we have here before us. We got the Saracens sitting next to the Jones Street Boys. We've got the Moonrunners right by the Van Cortlandt Rangers. Nobody is wasting nobody. That... is a miracle. And miracles is the way things ought to be.
You're standing right now with nine delegates from 100 gangs. And there's over a hundred more. That's 20,000 hardcore members. Forty-thousand, counting affiliates, and twenty-thousand more, not organized, but ready to fight: 60,000 soldiers! Now, there ain't but 20,000 police in the whole town. Can you dig it? "
And miracles is the way things ought to be.
Let Ruby's be another miracle.
Great pictures! The sunset one especially. Hopefully they come back but that was a nice post if it becomes the last!
Great shots Shawn. Nice trip Marty. Been a while since I have been out there.
@"Boris:" I can dig it, Daddio! I'm waiting for that miracle to happen next year!
@Britta: Thanks, hopefully it won't be the last of Ruby's!
@Melanie: Thanks, you'll have to come out next year and hopefully Ruby's will still be there.
What a nice crowd for the last night of the season. I'll keep my fingers and eyes crossed for Ruby's as well. TO RUBY'S!
P.S. Great photos, Shawn!
@Biff: TO RUBY'S AND TO A NEW SEASON NEXT YEAR!