I made my first pilgrimage to Coney Island in a few years recently. Believe it or not I hadn’t had a hotdog since early 2022. Though I don’t intend to return to franks as a staple, I broke my fast with a couple of dogs and some fries at Nathan’s. While I was there, I sat in the outdoors seating area, now the only available seating since indoors had been eliminated, at least in mid-November.
The seating area is in a walkway called Schweickerts Walk, one of a dwindling number of named “walks” between Surf Avenue and the boardwalk. My spelling is correct — I remember a previous enamel sign with the right spelling, and an internet search will tell you why; at least I suspect as much.
A P.H. Schweickert operated a beer bottling company in Coney Island from 1891-1897:
From 1876 to 1884 this bottling company was located at 367 Pearl St. in Brooklyn and operated by Phillip Schweickert. In 1891, Schweickert’s Son, Phillip Schweickert Jr. opened his own bottling company on Coney Island. Schweickert Jr’s looked to operate until 1897.
Though the bottling company was located at Van Sicklen Station/ Neptune Ave. W. 6th St., I’d say it’s quite likely the Schweickerts owned property along Surf Avenue west of Stillwell, where Nathan’s has been located since 1916.
A look at Schweickerts Walk in 1940. The building on the right survived into the 2000s and was razed to allow space for Nathan’s outdoor seating, which is strictly no frills with concrete circular tables and seats.
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12/18/24
8 comments
I attended my first riot right across the street from there,May Day of ’66.
Hey,the natives were restless.
Chris: Will you be protesting at the monster Mangione’s trials or have you matured?
If Nathan’s has eliminated indoor seating the explanation must be that, especially after Labor Day, the management can’t risk vagrants monopolizing the seating & frightening the customers. away. But wait, there’s more:
https://nypost.com/2024/12/19/opinion/perversion-of-compassion-are-dooming-nyc-rep-ritchie-torres/
There is a nationwide trend of fast food restaurants phasing out their dining rooms and going to a drive thru/carryout model.
Coney Island is kind of unique from an infrastructure standpoint. It’s where the orderly Flatbush/Gravesend street grid plan takes a “mild acid trip”, likely due to Coney Island’s development as a resort. The original plan as laid out by Kings County officials in 1869-1874 continued the “East-West” numbered streets right to the beach, intersected by Canal, Neptune, Mermaid and Sea Breeze Avenues with Surf Avenue bringing up the shoreline for the length of the island.
Developers and Gravesend Township officials had different ideas (as well as Brooklyn and NYC officials after unification), and it shows, particularly in Sea Gate, Brighton Beach and the “main” part of Coney Island between Ocean Parkway and Stillwell Avenue, where numbered streets would strike odd angles, and a warren of lanes and walks evolved. Even in the more “orderly” blocks between Stillwell and Sea Gate, West 18th, West 26th, and West 34th Streets are strangely skipped.
Ph. Schweickert later became Schweickert & Baas, and then just Baas Beverages. After Prohibition, Baas sold mineral water, Ginger Ale, and soda pop.
I was at Nathan’s in the winter, a couple of years ago and we ate indoors. When did they shut down the indoor seating?
In that alley was Julius the Corn King remember sitting on a beer keg and eating hot corn in one hand and hot dog in the other. It’s a shame what Superstorm Sandy did to that area