Armin Rosen reports on the weirdest place in New York's w eirdest event: yesterday's Mermaid Parade in Coney Island.

Many a bare breast was on display at the 25th (and perhaps last) edition of the Mermaid Parade, Coney Island's annual, nautically-themed celebration of the campy, t opless and strange. Indeed, Sodom by the Sea earned its permissive nickname yesterday, as legions of mostly-naked revelers in often-dazzling homemade mermaid costumes caroused their way down Surf Avenue, much to the delight of the thousands of sun and alcohol-drunk onlookers taking in one of New York's more idiosyncratic summer traditions. Since this is a family Bwog, we're obligated to say that there was more to the parade than artfully decorated mermaid mammary. Which is true, we suppose--after all, the parade is proof that when freaks and eccentrics, as well as normals of a freakish, eccentric bent have enough time on their hands the results can be spectacular. So here's our best of the parade--photos and such after the jump.