You didn’t think that New Year’s Day 2009 would pass uneventfully in Coney Island? Of course, there’s the Polar Bear Club swim at 1PM. But word came down late yesterday afternoon that Ruby’s Bar & Grill (though covered with a FOR LEASE sign by Thor Equities) will be open for its Polar Bear Party from 10AM-5PM. (It’ll help award off the cold.) Also, Save Coney Island is having a protest in front of the boardwalk gate to Astroland at Noon. They’re urging people to bring signs, photos, drawings, letters, poems and flowers to add to the “shrine” at Astroland. They also want people to create signs and post them here or download images from here and print them to bring along. In a press release, Coney historian Charles Denson says:

“It is tragic that the City’s flawed redevelopment plan allowed predatory developer Thor Equities to take over and darken Coney Island. The only way Coney Island will be saved for future generations is if the Bloomberg administration modifies its unrealistic rezoning plan and preserves the existing amusement zoning in its entirety. It is hard to believe that a shopping mall developer from Bensonhurst has brought the Bloomberg administration to its knees.”

All in all, it is NOT going to be a dull day. We have also learned through one of our many Coney sources that Thor is beginning to negotiate leases with boardwalk businesses. We are told the the “Grill House is set” and the Rubys will negotiate next week. Alarmingly, one of the businesses that is allegedly not being offered a lease is Lola Staar (does this ring any bells circa 2006?). As our source put it, “I think personally going to the press so often has backfired on her.” We’re not entirely certain we’d count out the intrepid Ms. Carlin just yet, however.