• Tweets hit 5 million! [CNET]

• Only a little over a hundred days till show time and the Oscars still doesn't have a host. Which one of these crazy themes would you tune in to watch? [Gawker]

• Looks like Mickey Mouse isn't the only Magic Mouse. Check out the newest iMac feature. [Apple]

• As if Anna Sui isn't exciting enough, see who is designing for Target next! [InStyle]

• Looks like our Latin neighbors will soon be legally lighting up. Will we be following suit? [Huffington]

• Brooklyn natives to boycott sequel to Phantom of the Opera. Uh-oh, what did Andrew Lloyd Webber say? [Gothamist]

• Yankees management gives back to the fans with a free trip to the stadium. [NYPost]

Dust off the grill and dig up your cutoffs, it's time for one final salute to the summer that never quite was. If you hedged your bets on the weather and are staying in the city this weekend don't feel left out of the endless summer action. Below are our picks of the city’s top events. And, as always, you can find the full details, as well as more events, on our Calendar Page.

Electric Zoo
When: Sun, September 6, 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Where: Randall's Island Park
Why: Keep your island hop going and trance out to best techno outside of Ibiza [Details] More»

[Nathan's champ Joey Chestnut and contender Takeru Kobayashi pose with the food that made them household names. Photos by Getty. Additional photos courtesy of DEADSPIN] Roger Federer wasn't the only person breaking records this weekend. On Saturday, good 'ol Joey Chestnut kept the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating belt on American soil by inhaling a record 68 hot dogs in only 10 minutes! More»

[Getty Images]

Go HERE for photos and TAG YOURSELF and YOUR FRIENDS!

This year's "King Neptune," Mr. Harvey Keitel, reigned over Saturday's Coney Island Mermaid Parade, the largest art parade in the nation. Celebrating sand, sea, salt air and summer; rain poured on the event but didn't dampen spirits of the eccentrically costumed. Participants marched to the much anticipated Mermaid Parade Ball, which concludes the colorful (in more ways than one) day's events. More»

• Still think the swine flu was just media hype? - first NYer dies, more schools closed (and why are so many of the affected schools in Queens?) [NYT]

• The Beatrice Inn's neighbors REALLY don't want to see it come back, and have added to the vandalism that has plagued the spot since its forced closure last month [Eater] More»

GO HERE for more photos by LINDA ROSENDAHL and TAG YOURSELF and YOUR FRIENDS!

The future of Coney Island might be up in the air, but residents of this eccentric community won't give up without a fight, or at least a party. Last Thursday, Coney Island USA held its 5th annual CIUSA Spring Fundraising Gala at M:2 Ultra Lounge, and boy did the freaks come out for a good cause. More story and photos below... More»

• Grill your hot dogs has a whole new meaning [CajunBoy]
• Christmas wish list...a do or don't? [NicotineQueen]
• Cute squirrel couple!! [BeehiveHairdresser]
• New Years is time for your best friend [SelfAbsorbed]
• Buy some Coney Island for Christmas [GowanusLounge]

[At Nathan's in Coney Island]

Astroland Park's last days may have been this weekend, but Nathan's Hotdogs 'aint going anywhere.  Apparently no one else got the memo because the lines were SWARMING outside the weiner booth on Coney Island.  So the "Best $2k" is missing its "k" today, but these dogs were more than worth their weight in gold, and that's something more than that bottle of vodka at Pink Elephant can claim.

[Adventures In Astroland]

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[Photo via Flickr]

• Why should the tourists be the only ones getting double-decker views? [NYT]
• Wait one minute on mourning Astroland! (couldn't they have done this last week?) [NYDN]
• The Beacon Theater will be better than ever! [NYT]
• More downtown museum news - the New Museum expands [NYSun]
• Another Rafi (not Nadal) also faces a disappointing September [NYMag]

Yesterday, I remembered how great it was to be a kid again.  I twirled, and whirled around Astropark, overlooked the dirty vendor man that served me my hotdog, fries, and extra-buttered corn on the cob, and finished off the day with an Ice Cream Cone on the boardwalk.  While in Coney Island, I saw a considerable amount of fashionistas that were doing their part to help commemorate Astroland park....

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Go HERE for more photos of my adventure.

Yesterday was the last day that Astroland, the amusement park home of Coney Island's infamous Cyclone, opened it's doors.  I figured it was a good time to visit this part of NYC's history that I had seen referred to in so many movies of my youth (BIG)....unfortunately, so did everyone else.  The place was PACKED!  The line at Nathan's Hot Dog Stand was so long that, after 20 minutes of waiting, when I heard those infamous wieners weren't going anywhere in the renovations, I opted for a normal dog from one of the other vendors.  I did, however wait in line for a front seat on the Cyclone, there are obviously some things in life you just will have to wait in line to do, no matter how bad you need to pee.

[48 Hours Left To Visit Astroland]