Coney Island Favorites Get The Boot

In addition to the wonderfully disturbing Shoot the Freak (the demise of which I tweeted about yesterday), 8 other longtime establishments have lost their Coney Island Boardwalk leases. According to The New York Times, the beautifully retro food stand Paul's Daughter (pictured above) is out. Founded 41 years ago, many of you might remember it as the former home of the Astroland rocket, which lived on top until the amusement park closed in 2008. Also gone is one of NYC's diviest dive bars: Ruby's. It was truly skanky, but I had a couple of beers there once, and I loved its old-school boardwalk vibe.

The freak takes a break.

Paul's Daughter in 2007.