Another Capricious Season Begins at Coney Island

The late Ruby Jacobs' notable boardwalk watering hole is back in business after an embattled 2008. A year ago, the floor in the men's room collapsed beneath one patron's feet, sending him plummeting into the dank basement. The Coney Island institution was closed for weeks. This year, Ruby's operator Michael Sarrel successfully negotiated a new lease with landlord and developer Joseph Sitt's Thor Equities. Fiesty neighboring t-shirt merchant Dianna Carlin was not so lucky.

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What's a day at the beach without a frosty pina colada in a big brightly colored plastic container? Here, tattooed patrons crowd the boardwalk's popular thatched-hut beverage kiosk.

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On the site of the former Astroland, landlord Joe Sitt has installed a number of new attractions, including freaky exhibits of a 200-pound python and two-headed cow. Here, curious kids line up to see a giant rat.

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Coney has long attracted its share of curious characters. Here, a man strolling the boardwalk with his pet canaries and snake tried to drum up contributions. A sign on his backpack read: "Need donations for pet food."

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Another curious concessionaire along the boardwalk was hawking tango lessons. In this instance, we were unsure who was teaching whom.

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Shirtless dudes are a common sight along the boardwalk and beach. Often, though, the guys aren't so toned. Who needs Equinox when the jungle gym is unoccupied?

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