Coney Island after Sandy: See who's back for the 2013 season

Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of Coney Island, including the homes of many residents, while favorite haunts were forced to close for repairs. But various attractions and rides are set to welcome visitors back for the traditional opening of the pleasure strip on Palm Sunday (Mar 24), and more are not far behind. We checked in on five hard-hit places to see how they're faring, when they're reopening and what you can still do to help.

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Coney Island History Project
The damage: Severe flooding brought an influx of mud and, later, mold, which led to the loss of artifacts such as vintage photos and antique cameras, merchandise including T-shirts and books, and the pricey electronic equipment used for oral-history interviews.
The cleanup: A sizable recovery effort—that included treating and restoring almost-ruined photos and ripping out the walls of the recording studio to replace the electrical wiring and insulation—was aided by volunteers, including an opera set designer who traveled from Washington Heights to help with repainting. There were plenty of donations as well, including display cases courtesy of the owners of Deno's Wonder Wheel.
Where are they now? The project's gallery space will partially reopen on Palm Sunday, with exhibits about the storm itself and a nearby creek that was the cause of most of the flooding, plus a preview of the coming season. "The opening is symbolic, to show the resiliency of Coney Island in the face of fires and storms and urban renewal," says executive director Charles Denson. "It just snaps back." In a way, Denson adds, Sandy created one more chapter in the neighborhood's history for the project to record. The project's antique cameras are now "twice as historic," Denson notes, since they've been through the storm, and he has already spearheaded an effort to take down storm survival stories from neighbors, and encourages others to share their experiences via their website (coneyislandhistory.org) or in person at the society.
How you can help: Volunteers are still needed for some of the legwork—including photo and mural restoration, and painting floors—before the History Project opens for good for the season on Memorial Day weekend. One more way to help: "Come visit," Denson implores. "There's an impression that Coney Island is destroyed and the boardwalk is gone. It's good if the word gets out that everything will be open and did recover."

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Coney Island USA
The damage: The nonprofit was hit hard by Sandy. It had to postpone annual events Noisefest and the Congress for Curious Peoples until the fall because of the damages, which totaled $405,000. The ground-floor areas, which contained a theater, backstage sections, a bar, a gift shop and an ice-cream parlor in the recently purchased building next door, were completely wiped out, plus they lost their pickup truck, according to executive artistic director Dick Zigun.
The cleanup: What proved heartwarming, though, were the hordes that turned out to help. "Armies of people showed up, not just for us but all over Coney Island for weeks, and a lot of what we did was accomplished with volunteer labor," Zigun says. "We really felt the love, with people dropping off donations—a synagogue in Pennsylvania sending a tractor-trailer truck full of supplies, [which was] pretty amazing, and the Red Cross trucks feeding us."
Where are they now? The landmarked 96-year-old main building won't be all fixed up till Memorial Day, but Zigun has plans to install a vintage shooting game that dates back to the 1940s in the storefront of the erstwhile ice-cream parlor.
How you can help: Coney Island USA accepts donations at coneyisland.com, which also contains an Amazon wish list; items range from $20 work gloves to $500 for sound equipment. Or interested folks can volunteer based on their skill set—carpenters are especially needed over the next few months; check the site for updated info.

Totonno's
The damage: It's been a rough few years for the 89-year-old family-run pizzeria. In 2009, an ember from the pizza oven sparked a fire, and it took 11 months to repair that damage. Less then two years after it reopened, Sandy brought four feet of water into the restaurant, ruining everything except a few salvageable pieces of antique furniture, some photographs and the new brick oven.
The cleanup: The generosity of strangers in the hospitality industry—which included checks from a restaurant in Chicago, another in San Francisco and a third from one in Soho—shocked and touched the owners. Mold removal and refurnishing has taken five months. "We tried to get everything put back the way it was," says Louise Ciminieri, who co-owns Totonno's with her brother and sister. "Only the paint and floor colors are different now."
Where are they now? The pizzeria aims to start selling slices on Palm Sunday, too, but there's still last-minute work to complete (call 718-372-8606 before you set out for updates). Ciminieri and her siblings hope to have a ribbon-cutting later in the spring. For her part, Ciminieri just wants to stop turning potential customers away at the door. "They keep on coming—they're coming from all over the country, and it's very sad," she says. "It's not just for the money. I want people to have the pizza."

New York Aquarium
The damage: The tidal surge flooded the entire 14-acre complex; most of the maintenance systems failed, from heating and air-conditioning to electricity and the equipment that keeps the aquatic environments of the animals in equilibrium. Luckily, only a few fish and invertebrates fell victim.
The cleanup: As soon it was safe to return, staff members and veterinarians rushed back to care for the animals. Floor water was pumped out of basements and areas with crucial machinery were targeted first. Generator power was restored by November 3, and thanks to round-the-clock work, it wasn't necessary to relocate any animals.
Where are they now? After a recovery estimated to cost a mind-boggling $65 million, the Wildlife Conservation Society–run aquarium is planning to reopen in late spring, with some of its exhibits, outdoor spaces and a revamped sea-lion demonstration. After all of the sections are back in business, the planned expansion of Ocean Wonders: Sharks! will resume.
How you can help: Visit nyaquarium.com/sandy to find out how to thank the aquarium staff via social media for saving the animals.

Nathan's Famous
The damage: Sandy left the one-square-block original location swamped under almost six feet of water, and rendered most areas of the restaurant useless, damaging the cooking and refrigeration equipment, the electrical system and some walls. President and chief operating officer Wayne Norbitz described the scene that confronted him the day after the storm: "I saw something that was quite surrealistic," he recalls, "I saw this huge ice machine—it could be 12 feet high by eight feet. I saw it floating in the middle of the store. It was just an incredible situation." 
The cleanup: Recovery work has been slow for the iconic shop, that's been open for business at its Surf Avenue location since 1916 and didn't close for a single day until the hurricane hit, according to Norbitz. It's trying to re-create the look of the old locale with a few cosmetic changes, such as an altered color scheme and revised menu boards.
Where are they now? Norbitz estimates that the badly damaged location will open its doors before Memorial Day in May with great fanfare—or at least a huge party. In the meantime, those heading out to Coney Island for opening weekend can visit the location on the Coney Island boardwalk (W 12th St at Boardwalk West), which sustained damage only to its basement. On March 23, the boardwalk concession hosts the local preliminary round of the hot-dog–eating contest, deciding which speedy wolfers will go on to the main event later this summer. The big July 4 competition is on, Norbitz adds, as otherwise "a thousand people would hunt me down" to get their spectating fix.
How you can help: By scarfing down a Joey Chestnut–worthy amount of dogs.

Coney Island in photographs