For six months, there were no hot dogs to be had on Coney Island.

When Hurricane Sandy forced the original Nathan’s Famous to shut down for repairs, it was the first time in nearly a century that the birthplace of the frankfurter-in-a-bun had closed. But it may have been just the push the Surf Avenue mainstay needed to re-imagine itself and gear up for another hundred years of business.

When Nathan’s opened its doors quietly on Tuesday ahead of a bigger grand re-opening on Thursday, hot dogs were still the staple of the menu. But the establishment has added a raw bar and expanded its beverage options to include wine and a bigger beer selection.

Customers who want more than the usual hot dog and crinkle-cut fries can get a dozen oysters for $17.50, according to the Daily News.

NY1 reports that the restaurant’s management also took the opportunity to build in precautions against future storms, moving all the utilities from down in the basement to above the flood line.

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When Hurricane Sandy tore through Coney Island six months ago, it devastated local businesses and poured seawater through the famed New York Aquarium. The sea lions weathered the storm just fine, but the mermaids were badly hit.

Yep. It was looking pretty bad for the mermaids for a while there.

But thanks to a Kickstarter campaign, they appear to be making a comeback just in time for their annual extravaganza of flesh and fins. In just five days, organizers have raised nearly half of the $100,000 they estimate they will need in order to hold the 2013 Coney Island Mermaid Parade.

“The Mermaid Parade isn’t just mine,” Dick Zigun said in a video posted on the campaign’s Kickstarter page. “I made it up, but it’s yours too.”

Zigun is the self-professed “unofficial mayor of Coney Island” whose nonprofit Coney Island USA also runs the local museum and freak show. He founded the Mermaid Parade thirty years ago and leads the procession every year dressed in an antique black bathing suit, banging a drum with heavily tattooed arms.

“Let’s face it, we’ve had some hard times,” he said. “Six months ago where I’m standing was up to here in floodwater. Our headquarters was totally destroyed. We’re still recovering hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and it’s just beyond us. We can’t pull it all off this year.”

Hence the fundraising effort. In the same zany spirit that entices almost a million people to the famous parade every year, people who donate $40 get to take home a tote bag, a set of seashell pasties (unisex!) and a (literal) freak flag.

The money raised will go toward portable toilets, permits, security, insurance and other sundry expenses.

If the organizers meet their goal, the parade is set for June 22.

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The ultimate way to help out two Brooklyn neighborhoods hit hard by Sandy in one night. Red Hook Winery has put together this benefit to help the good folks at Coney Island USA that keep the spirit of old Brooklyn going at the boroughs’ southernmost point.

Pier 41 – 325 A, 175 – 204 Van Dyke Street, Brooklyn

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Cops are looking for a man who tried to rape a 13-year-old girl in Coney Island.

According to cops, on April 30 around 3:30 p.m, the girl was walking into her building’s elevator when she encountered the suspect, who also took the elevator down to the basement.

Then, he threatened her with a pair of scissors, forced her out of the elevator and tried to rape her, cops said.

The suspect, described as a white man in his 30s, was last seen in all-black clothing.

Anyone with information should call 800-577-TIPS.

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Police announced Sunday that a Brooklyn man has been charged with murder in connection with a shooting Friday.

According to police, shortly before 4 p.m. on Friday, cops responded to a 911 call reporting four people shot in a West 33rd Street building in Coney Island.

Cops found the victims, including Angel Rivera, 28, who died after he was shot in the head. The other three included a man, 24, shot in the head and taken to the hospital in critical condition, a 40-year-old man with a graze wound and a 62-year-old woman shot in the stomach.

Cops say Joseph Brown, 28, entered the apartment and shot all four victims. They are still investigating his motive.

Cops arrested Brown on Saturday and charged him with murder and attempted murder.

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Coney Island’s Luna Park opened Sunday for the first time since Hurricane Sandy. While local leaders and longtime fans of the park celebrated the traditional opening that comes one week before Easter every year, some local residents who are still struggling to recover from the storm came out to protest.

The opening arrived on schedule, even though devastation from the storm almost delayed the event, the New York Times reported. The storm had damaged rides and flooded electrical equipment. Most restaurants still remain closed, but Sunday’s celebration and opening of the rides signaled a return to normalcy for some New Yorkers.

Sunday’s excitement also highlighted how much more work needs to be done in the area following the storm’s damage. About a dozen nearby residents came out to the park to protest. They held signs that read “Coney Island is not back” and “People live here,” the Times reported.

A number of local businesses as well as major institutions like libraries, hospitals and police stations remain closed in the area.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz said he understands the residents’ concerns and that it is important to keep the focus on them.

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Six months after superstorm Sandy wrecked havoc on the city’s waterfronts, officials insist all beaches will be ready by Memorial Day, but some New Yorkers aren’t sure.

Firefighter Bradach Walsh, a regular surfer out at the Rockaways, said that July 4th “sounds way more realistic… if at all this summer.”

Walsh was speaking specifically of the concession area of the Rockaways, where all that remains of the boardwalk in many places are concrete pillars.

And according to Parks Enforcement Patrol union leader Joe Puleo, Staten Island beaches are a mess: a PEP officer recently ended up with a nail through his foot while on patrol at Midland Beach.

There is so much sharp detritus on the beach that their vehicles are frequently getting flat tires, a Midland Beach PEP officer reported.

The officer expressed doubts that the beaches could be ready in time.

“A lot of people are questioning it,” the officer said. “There’s a lot of construction going on, that’s for sure.”

The Parks Department insisted the beaches will be ready for swimmers on Saturday, May 25, but allowed that things won’t be back to normal right away, warning to expect “multiple service changes at each beach.”

“Some services that may have been in place before the storm are not going to be ready by beach opening because they were so heavily damaged,” Parks Department spokesperson Tara Kiernan said. “Some comfort stations had to be demolished and we’re looking at putting modulars in their place.”

After Hurricane Irene, there was a 93 percent increase in closing and advisory days for New York state beaches, according to reports from the Natural Resources Defense Council.

2011 saw 1,841 closing and advisory days, up from 956 in 2010.

The NRDC report said storm water runoff was the cause of contamination about 88 percent of the time in 2011.

Coney Island’s Luna Park, scheduled to open a week before Easter every year, was up and running this weekend, despite the amusement park needing its entire electrical system replaced.

Rockaway Beach Surf Club continues to fight for recovery

Concerned that donations and outreach have waned as time has passed, the Rockaway Beach Surf Club has partnered with Pop Up Yoga NYC on a monthlong series of non-profit yoga classes — all proceeds have gone to purchasing supplies and tools for beach re-building efforts.

The partnership wraps up with a party at Modca Cafe at 103 N. 3rd Street in Williamsburg on Wednesday. After a 7:30 p.m. yoga class, the afterparty will kick off around 8:30 p.m., and the winners of raffle prizes donated by local vendors will be announced at 9:30 p.m.

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One homeowner stated that his tax bill will increase by $200 since the city claims his property value has gone up by nearly $80,000.

But residents say they are shocked because it is obvious that property values have fallen, and many homes are still far from being repaired.

Councilman Michael Nelson of Brooklyn called the increases “heartless” and believes the city must address the situation.

Property owners in other areas who also saw extensive damage from the storm, including Coney Island, Staten Island and the Rockaways, told the Post that they have also received tax hikes.

Homeowners have until March 15 to appeal to the city Tax Commission.

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