Coney Island is a peninsula, formerly an island, in southernmost Brooklyn, New York City, USA, with a beach on the Atlantic Ocean. A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. The City of New York The eponymous neighborhood is a community of 60,000 people in the western part of the peninsula, with Seagate to its west; Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach to its east; and Gravesend to the north. A neighbourhood or neighborhood (see spelling differences) is a geographically localised Community within a larger City, Town or Sea Gate is a private gated community that was built at the far western end of Coney Island at the southern tip of the New York City borough of BrightonCOOPsJPG|thumb|Newly built luxury condos on Brighton Beach]]BrightonSchool1438 Manhattan Beach is a residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Gravesend (pronounced "GRAVES end" not "grave SEND" is a neighborhood in the south-central section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn
The area was a major resort and site of amusement parks that reached its peak in the early 20th century. A resort is a place used for Relaxation or Recreation, attracting visitors for Holidays or Vacations Resorts are places towns or sometimes Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group It declined in popularity after World War II and endured years of neglect. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In recent years, the area has been revitalized by the opening of KeySpan Park, home to the successful Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team. KeySpan Park is a Minor league baseball Stadium in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York City, USA. The Brooklyn Cyclones are a minor league Baseball team in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League, affiliated with the New York Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North
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Geography
Coney Island is the westernmost of the barrier islands of Long Island, about four miles long and one-half mile wide. A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water, Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, USA, its western shores directly across from Manhattan, from which the island stretches It used to be an island, separated from the main part of Brooklyn by Coney Island Creek, part of which was little more than tidal flats. Coney Island Creek encompasses two Sea Inlets in Brooklyn, New York City, one separating Coney Island from the neighborhoods of Mudflats (also tidal flats, tide flats, etc are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers There were plans into the 20th century to dredge and straighten the creek as a ship canal, but they were abandoned and the center of the creek was filled in for construction of the Belt Parkway before World War II. A ship canal is a Canal especially constructed to carry Ocean -going Ships as opposed to Barges Ship canals can be enlarged barge canals The Belt Parkway, also known as the Belt System or Circumferential Parkway, is a series of Limited-access highways that form a complete circle around the World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The western and eastern ends are now peninsulas.
History
The name
Native American inhabitants, the Lenape, called the island Narrioch (land without shadows), because, as is true of other south shore Long Island beaches, its compass orientation keeps the beach area in sunlight all day. Dreamland was an ambitious Amusement park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City from 1904 to 1911 Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The shannon (later named Delaware Indians by Europeans were in the 17th century organized bands of Native American peoples with shared cultural and linguistic Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, USA, its western shores directly across from Manhattan, from which the island stretches A compass, magnetic compass or mariner's compass is a navigational instrument for determining direction relative to the earth's Magnetic poles It consists
The Dutch name for the island was Conyne Eylandt,[1] or Konijn Eiland (Rabbit Island) using modern Dutch spelling. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname This name is found on the New Netherland map of 1639 by Johannes Vingboon. New Netherland (Dutch Nieuw-Nederland, Latin Novum Belgium or Nova Belgica) 1614–1674 is the name of the former Dutch territory on the eastern coast (New York State and New York City were originally a Dutch colony and settlement, named Nieuw Nederlandt and Nieuw Amsterdam. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The City of New York New Netherland (Dutch Nieuw-Nederland, Latin Novum Belgium or Nova Belgica) 1614–1674 is the name of the former Dutch territory on the eastern coast New Amsterdam (Nieuw Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that later became New York City. ) As with other Long Island barrier islands, Coney Island was virtually overrun with rabbits, and rabbit hunting was common until the resorts were developed and most open space eliminated. It is generally accepted by scholars[2][3] that Coney Island is an English adaptation of the Dutch name, Konijn Eiland. Coney is also an obsolete and dialectical English word for rabbit. Rabbits are small Mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world Coney came into the English language through Old French (Conil), which derives from the Latin word for rabbit, cuniculus. The English name "Conney Isle" was used on maps as early as 1690,[4] and by 1733 the modern spelling "Coney Island" was used. [5] The John Eddy map of 1811 also uses the modern "Coney Island" spelling. [6]
Even though the history of Coney Island's name and its Anglicization can be traced through historical maps spanning the 17th century to the present,[7] and all the names translate to "Rabbit Island" in modern English, there are still those who contend that the name derives from other sources. Some say that early English settlers named it Coney Island after its cone-like hills. Others claim that an Irish captain named Peter O'Connor had, in the 1700s, named Coney Island after an island (Inishmulclohy) in County Sligo, Ireland. County Sligo ( is a county in the province of Connacht in the west of Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Yet another purported origin is from the name of the Indian tribe (the Konoh tribe) who supposedly once inhabited it. A further claim is that the island is named after Henry Hudson's "right-hand-man" John Coleman, supposed to have been slain by Indians. Henry Hudson' (1570 &ndash 1611 was an English Sea explorer and Navigator in the early 17th century [8]
The resort
Coney Island became a resort after the Civil War as excursion railroads and the Coney Island & Brooklyn Railroad streetcar line reached the area in the 1860s. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. The Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad was originally a Horsecar line in Kings County New York (now the borough of Brooklyn in New York A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train Events and trends Technology The First Transcontinental Railroad in the USA was completed in 1869 With the rail lines, steamship lines and access to the beach came major hotels and public and private beaches, followed by horse racing, amusement parks, and less reputable entertainments such as Three-card Monte, other gambling entrepreneurs, and prostitution. A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis This article is about the sport For other uses see Horserace (drinking game or Horse race (politics. Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group Three-card Monte, also known as the Three-card marney, Three-card trick, Three-card shuffle, Triplets, Follow the lady, An entrepreneur is a person who has possession over a company enterprise, or Venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money.
When the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company electrified the steam railroads and connected Brooklyn to Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge at the beginning of the 20th century, Coney Island turned rapidly from a resort to an accessible location for day-trippers seeking to escape the summer heat in New York City's tenements. The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT was a Public transit Holding company formed in 1896 to acquire and consolidate lines in Brooklyn and Queens Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York The Brooklyn Bridge, one of the oldest Suspension bridges in the United States, stretches 5989 feet (1825 m over the East River connecting the
Charles I. D. Looff, a Danish woodcarver, built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. Charles I D Looff was a master builder of hand-carved Carousels and amusement rides in America It was installed at Vandeveer's bath-house complex at West 6th Street and Surf Avenue. The complex was later called Balmer's Pavilion. The carousel consisted of hand-carved horses and animals standing two abreast. Two musicians, a drummer and a flute player, provided the music. A metal ring-arm hung on a pole outside the ride, feeding small, iron rings for eager riders to grab. A tent-top protected the riders from the weather. The fare was five cents.
Nathan's Famous original hot dog stand opened on Coney Island in 1916 and quickly became a landmark. Nathan's Famous ( is a company that operates a chain of US -based Fast food Restaurants specializing in Hot dogs The original Nathan's restaurant A hot dog is a type of fully-cooked cured and/or smoked moist Sausage of soft even texture and flavor An annual hot dog eating contest has been held there on July 4 since its opening, but has only attracted broad attention and international television coverage during the last decade. The Nathan's International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual Competitive eating competition held at Nathan's Famous Corporation 's original and best-known Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples
In 1915 the Sea Beach Line was upgraded to a subway line, followed by the other former excursion roads, and the opening of the New West End Terminal in 1919 ushered in Coney Island's busiest era. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The BMT Sea Beach Line is a Rapid transit line of the BMT division of the New York City Subway, connecting the BMT Fourth Avenue Line subway A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common [9]
After World War II, contraction began seriously from a series of pressures. Air conditioning in movie theaters and then in homes, along with the advent of automobiles, which provided access to the less crowded and more appealing Long Island state parks, especially Jones Beach, lessened the attractions of Coney's beaches. The term air conditioning refers to the cooling and dehumidification of indoor air for Thermal comfort. Cinemaaustraliajpg|thumb|A movie theater in Australia ]]A movie theater, movie theatre, picture theatre or cinema is a venue Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, USA, its western shores directly across from Manhattan, from which the island stretches Jones Beach State Park (colloquially "Jones Beach" is a State park of the U Luna Park closed in 1946 after a series of fires and the street gang problems of the 1950s spilled over into Coney Island. Luna Park was an Amusement park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City from 1903 to 1944 Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Gangsters redirects here For the computer game see Gangsters (video game.
The presence of threatening youths did not impact the beachgoing so much as it discouraged visitors to the rides and concessions - the staples of the Coney Island economy. A major blow was struck in 1964 when Steeplechase Park, the last of the major parks, closed. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Steeplechase Park was an Amusement park in the Coney Island area of Brooklyn, New York from 1897 to 1964
The builder and New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses actively opposed the "tawdry" entertainment at Coney and discouraged the building of new amusements. Robert Moses ( December 18 1888 – July 29 1981) was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Housing projects, for low and moderate incomes, were built in what had been amusement areas, and the aquarium project, where Dreamland once stood, reduced the available area for more traditional amusements. Dreamland was an ambitious Amusement park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City from 1904 to 1911
In Coney Island's lowest years there was some incremental improvement in relatively small areas, notably the preservation and later the expansion of what had been the rides area at the back of the Feltman's property as Astroland. Astroland was a amusement park in Coney Island first opened in 1962. The general improvement in New York City's infrastructure, commercial prospects and image after the 1970s fiscal crisis under the mayoral administration of Edward I. Koch helped Coney Island, and many improvements were made under the mayoralty of Rudolph Giuliani, continuing with his successor, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, helped by the Wall Street booms of the 1980s and 1990s, which brought considerable money to the City through financial industry taxes. Edward Irving Koch (born December 12, 1924;) was a United States Congressman from 1969 to 1977 and the Mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989 KBE Per, "Postnominal letters should be included when they are issued by a country or organization the subject has been closely associated with Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman and the Mayor of New York City. Wall Street is a street in lower Manhattan, New York City, United States.
While all of the neighborhood's original amusement parks have long since closed down — Steeplechase being the last in 1964 — one, Astroland, since revived. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Astroland was a amusement park in Coney Island first opened in 1962. Astroland gradually expanded and there are now also several organized amusement areas along with a number of independent rides and concessions.
Current development
Astroland owner Carol Hill Albert, whose family had owned the park since 1962, sold the site to developer Thor Equities in November 2006 for $30 million. Thor proposed a $1. 5 billion renovation and expansion of the Coney Island amusement area to include hotels, shopping, movies, an indoor water park and the city's first new roller coaster since the Cyclone. The developers hope to start construction in 2008 and complete the project by 2011. However, recent deals allowed Astroland to operate for one more year; the park's opening day is set for March 16, 2008. Astroland was a amusement park in Coney Island first opened in 1962. Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common [10] The Aquarium is also being renovated. [11]
The Coney Island amusements
Between about 1880 and World War II, Coney Island was the largest amusement area in the United States, attracting several million visitors per year. Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including At its height it contained three competing major amusement parks, Luna Park, Dreamland, and Steeplechase Park, as well as many independent amusements. Luna Park was an Amusement park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City from 1903 to 1944 Dreamland was an ambitious Amusement park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City from 1904 to 1911 Steeplechase Park was an Amusement park in the Coney Island area of Brooklyn, New York from 1897 to 1964
Today the major parks are Astroland, Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park (a successful family owned park with over 20 rides located directly on the Boardwalk), 12th Street Amusements, and Kiddie Park. Astroland was a amusement park in Coney Island first opened in 1962. Also, the Eldorado arcade has its own indoor bumper car ride. The Zipper and Spider on 12th Street were closed permanently on September 4, 2007 and dismantling begun, after their owner lost his lease. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. They are to be reassembled at an amusement park in Honduras. Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. [12]
Astroland, will close, officially, at the end of the 2008 season.
Another Coney Island attraction is "Shoot the Freak," in which patrons shoot paintballs at a live human target.
Rides
Today, the amusement area contains various rides, games such as skeeball, ball tossing, and a sideshow; games of shooting and throwing and tossing skills. Skee ball (also spelled skeeball, ski-ball or skee-ball; sometimes called skee roll) is a common Game found in arcades In America a sideshow is an extra secondary production associated with a circus, carnival fair or other such attraction
The rides and other amusements at Coney Island are owned and managed by several different companies, and operate independently of each other. It is not possible to purchase season tickets to the attractions in the area. A season ticket is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time
Three of the rides at Coney Island are protected as designated NYC landmarks and recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.
- Wonder Wheel. Built in 1918 and opened in 1920, this steel ferris wheel has both stationary cars and rocking cars that slide along a track. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar A Ferris wheel (also known as an observation wheel or big wheel) is a Nonbuilding structure consisting of an upright wheel with passenger gondolas attached It holds 144 riders, stands 150 feet tall, and weighs over 2,000 tons. At night the Wonder Wheel's steel frame is outlined and illuminated by neon tubes. It is part of Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. [13]
- The Cyclone roller coaster, built in 1927, is one of the nation's oldest wooden coasters still in operation. The Coney Island Cyclone, better known as simply the Cyclone, is a well known Roller coaster in Coney Island. The roller coaster is a popular Amusement ride developed for Amusement parks and modern Theme parks LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A favorite of some coaster aficionados, the Cyclone includes an 85-foot, 60 degree drop. It is owned by the City, and operated by Astroland, under a franchise agreement. Astroland was a amusement park in Coney Island first opened in 1962. It is located across the street from Astroland.
- The Parachute Jump, originally the Life Savers Parachute Jump at the 1939 New York World's Fair, was the first ride of its kind. The Parachute Jump is a defunct Amusement ride in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, whose iconic open-frame Steel structure remains Life Savers is an American brand of ring-shaped mints and artificially fruit-flavored hard candy. The 1939-40 New York World's Fair, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (also the location of the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair) was one of the largest Patrons were hoisted 190 feet in the air before being allowed to drop using guy-wired parachutes. Although the ride has been closed since 1968, it remains a Coney Island landmark and is sometimes referred to as "Brooklyn's Eiffel Tower. Originally a landmark literally meant a Geographic Feature used by explorers and The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel /tuʀ ɛfɛl/ is an Iron Tower built " Between 2002 and 2004, the Jump was completely dismantled, cleaned, painted and restored, but remains inactive. After an official lighting ceremony in July 2006, the Parachute Jump was slated to be lit year round using different color motifs to represent the seasons. However, this idea was scrapped when New York City started conserving electricity in the summer months. It has not been lit regularly since.
Other notable attractions include:
- The B&B Carousell (that was how the frame's builder, William F. Mangels, spelled it). William F Mangels ( 1866 - 1958) amusement manufacturer and inventor worked at Coney Island and was a major player in the development of American Amusement In addition to its unusual spelling, it is Coney Island's last traditional carousel, now surrounded by furniture stores, near the old entrance to Luna Park. A carousel ( carrousel in French) is an Amusement ride consisting of a rotating platform with seats for passengers Furniture is the Mass noun for the movable objects which may support the human body (seating furniture and beds, provide storage or hold objects on horizontal Luna Park was an Amusement park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City from 1903 to 1944 The carousel is an especially fast one, with a traditional roll-operated band organ. A fairground organ (or band organ (US is a Pipe organ designed for use in a commercial public fairground setting to provide loud music to accompany fairground When the long-term operator died unexpectedly, the carousel was put up for auction, and it was feared the ride would leave Coney Island or, worse, that it would be broken up for sale to collectors, being one of the last intact traditional carousels in the U. "Auctioneer" redirects here For the DC Comics supervillain see Auctioneer (comics. S. still in private hands. In an act of brinksmanship with the owners, the City of New York bought the B&B Carousell a few days before the auction. The City of New York It has been dismantled and will operate in Coney Island; the specific location is still to be determined. All the other carousels on Coney Island are kiddie park-style.
- Bumper cars. Bumper car is the generic name for a type of Flat ride consisting of several small electric cars which draw power from the floor and/or ceiling and which are turned off by the There are three separate bumper car rides in Coney Island, located in Astroland, Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, and Eldorado's Arcade on Surf Avenue.
- Haunted houses. A haunted attraction or dark attraction is a venue which simulates the experience of visiting a structure or outside space that is inhabited by what appear to be Three traditional dark ride haunted houses operate at Coney Island: Dante's Inferno (Astroland), Spook-a-Rama (Deno's) and the Ghost Hole (independent). A dark ride or darkride is an indoor Amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially-lit scenes that typically contain Animation Dante's Inferno is a Dark ride created by Anton Schwarzkopf currently located at Astroland on Coney Island. Astroland was a amusement park in Coney Island first opened in 1962. The Spook-a-Rama is a Dark ride from the Pretzel Amusement Ride Company located at Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park on Coney Island and run The Ghost Hole, formerly known as the Hell Hole is a horror -themed Dark ride on Coney Island operated by 12th Street Amusements a division of
Rides of the past
- Thunderbolt, a roller coaster across the street from Steeplechase Park that was constructed in 1925. Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The ride closed in 1983. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) It was torn down by the city "to protect public safety" in 2000 during the construction of nearby Keyspan Park.
- Tornado, a roller coaster constructed in 1926. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It suffered a series of small fires which made the structure unstable and was torn down in 1977.
Other parks and venues
Coney Island is also the location of the New York Aquarium, which opened in 1957 on the former site of the Dreamland amusement park. The New York Aquarium first opened on December 10, 1896, at Castle Garden in Battery Park, making it the oldest continually operating Dreamland was an ambitious Amusement park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City from 1904 to 1911 In 2001, KeySpan Park opened on the former site of Steeplechase Park to host the Brooklyn Cyclones minor-league baseball team. KeySpan Park is a Minor league baseball Stadium in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York City, USA. Steeplechase Park was an Amusement park in the Coney Island area of Brooklyn, New York from 1897 to 1964 The Brooklyn Cyclones are a minor league Baseball team in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League, affiliated with the New York
In August 2006 Coney Island hosted a major national volleyball tournament sponsored by the Association of Volleyball Professionals. The tournament, usually held on the West Coast, was televised live on NBC. The league built a 4,000-seat stadium and 12 outer couts next to the Boardwalk for the event. Its promotional partner is Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment.
The beach
Coney Island still maintains a broad sandy beach from West 37th Street at Seagate through the Coney Island and Brighton Beach to the beginning of the community of Manhattan Beach, a distance of approximately two-and-a-half miles (~4. Sand is a naturally occurring Granular material composed of finely divided rock and Mineral particles BrightonCOOPsJPG|thumb|Newly built luxury condos on Brighton Beach]]BrightonSchool1438 0 km). The beach is continuous and is served for its entire length by the broad Riegelmann boardwalk. Edward J Riegelmann (c1870–1941 was an American Democrat politician from Brooklyn, Kings County New York, USA. For the record label see Boardwalk Records. for the former Las Vegas hotel see Boardwalk Hotel and Casino. A number of amusements are directly accessible from the land side of the boardwalk, as is the New York Aquarium and a variety of food shops and arcades. The New York Aquarium first opened on December 10, 1896, at Castle Garden in Battery Park, making it the oldest continually operating
The beach is groomed and replenished on a regular basis by the city. The position of the beach and lack of significant obstructions means virtually the entire beach is in sunlight all day. The beach is open to all without restriction and there is no charge for use. The beach area is divided into "bays", areas of beach delineated by rock jetties, which moderate erosion and the force of ocean waves. In Geology, rock is a naturally occurring aggregate of Minerals and/or Mineraloids The Earth's outer solid layer the ‘ Lithosphere Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind A wave is a disturbance that propagates through Space and Time, usually with transference of Energy.
The Coney Island Polar Bear Club[14] is a group of people who swim at Coney Island throughout the winter months, most notably on New Year's Day when additional participants join them to swim in the frigid waters. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing organization in the United States
The communities
The neighborhoods on Coney Island, running eastward are Sea Gate (a private community), Coney Island proper, Brighton Beach, and Manhattan Beach. Sea Gate is a private gated community that was built at the far western end of Coney Island at the southern tip of the New York City borough of BrightonCOOPsJPG|thumb|Newly built luxury condos on Brighton Beach]]BrightonSchool1438 Manhattan Beach is a residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.
Sea Gate is one of a handful of neighborhoods in New York City where the streets are owned by the residents and not the city; it and the Breezy Point Cooperative are the only city neighborhoods cordoned off by a fence and gate houses. The City of New York
Its main subway station is called Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue and is reached by the New York City Subway trains of the D F N Q. A metro station is a railway station for a Rapid transit system often known by names such as "metro" "underground" and "subway" Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue (also known as Coney Island Terminal) is a major Rapid transit station in Coney Island, Brooklyn The New York City Subway is a Rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency The D Sixth Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The F Sixth Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The N Broadway Express is a service of the New York City Subway. The Q Broadway Express is a service of the New York City Subway. The three main avenues in the Coney Island community, are (north to south) Neptune Avenue (which crosses to the mainland to become Emmons Avenue), Mermaid Avenue, and Surf Avenue (which becomes Ocean Parkway and then runs north towards Brooklyn's Prospect Park). Prospect Park is a 585 acre (24 km² public Park in the New York City borough of Brooklyn located between Park Slope,
The cross streets in the Coney Island neighborhood proper are numbered with "West" prepended to their numbers, running from West 1st Street to West 37th Street at the border of Sea Gate.
The majority of Coney Island's population resides in approximately thirty 18- to 24-story towers, mostly comprised of various forms of public housing. In between the towers are many blocks that were filled with burned out and vacant buildings. Since the 1990s there has been steady revitalization of the area. Many townhouses were built on empty lots, popular franchises have set up shop, and Keyspan Park was built to serve as the home for the Cyclones, a minor league baseball team in the New York Mets' farm system. KeySpan Park is a Minor league baseball Stadium in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York City, USA. "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. Once home to many Jewish residents, most of those living on Coney Island today are African American, Italian American, or Hispanic. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically
Education
Coney Island is served by the New York City Department of Education. The New York City Department of Education ( NYCDOE) is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system
The Coney Island neighborhood is zoned to PS 90 (K-5) and IS 303 Herbert S. Eisenberg (6-8). PS/IS 288 The Shirley Tanyhill School (Pre-K-8), PS 329 (K-5), PS 188 The Michael E. Berdy School (K-5), PS 100 (K-5), and Mark Twain (6-8) are all schools located in the heart of Coney Island. There are no zoned high schools.
Nearby high schools include:
- Rachel Carson's School of Coastal Studies
- John Dewey High School
- Leon Goldstein High School for Sciences
- William E. John Dewey High School is a public school in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, founded and based The Leon M Goldstein High School for the Sciences Brooklyn (LMGHS formerly Kingsborough High School for the Sciences, is a four year Secondary school high school Grady Vocational High School
- Abraham Lincoln High School
- The High School Of Sports Management
Mermaid Parade
The Mermaid Parade, which takes place on Surf Avenue and the boardwalk, featuring floats and various acts, has been produced annually by Coney Island U. S. A. — a non-profit arts organization which is dedicated to preserving the dignity of American Popular Culture. The group, which was established in 1979, also produces the Coney Island Film Festival, Burlesque At The Beach, and Creepshow at the Freakshow (an interactive Halloween-themed event), and houses the Coney Island Museum. Halloween, or Hallowe’en, is a Holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. Coney Island USA is a 501(c(3 Non-profit arts organization founded by Dick Zigun to preserve the performance arts of the American Sideshow
Development efforts and controversy
Development on Coney Island has always been controversial. When the first structures began to be built around the 1840s, there was an outcry to prevent any development on the island and preserve it as a natural park. Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their environmental cultural or similar value Starting in the early 1900s, the City of New York made efforts to condemn all buildings and piers built south of Surf Avenue. It was an effort to reclaim the beach which by then had almost completely been built over with bath houses, clam bars, amusements, and other structures. The local amusement community opposed the city. Eventually a settlement was reached where the beach did not begin until 1000 feet south of Surf Avenue, the territory marked by a city-owned boardwalk, while the city would demolish any structures that had been built over public streets to reclaim beach access. In 1949, Robert Moses moved the boardwalk back from the beach several yards, demolishing many structures including the city's municipal bath house. Robert Moses ( December 18 1888 – July 29 1981) was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long He would later demolish several blocks' worth of amusements to clear land for both the New York Aquarium and the Abe Stark ice skating rink. The New York Aquarium first opened on December 10, 1896, at Castle Garden in Battery Park, making it the oldest continually operating Abe Stark ( September 16 1893 - July 1972 was a Jewish-American businessman and politician Critics complained that Moses took three times more land than each structure needed, surrounding each with vacant lots that were of no use to the city.
Since the 1920s, all property north of the boardwalk and south of Surf Avenue was zoned for amusement and recreational use only, with some large lots of property north of Surf also zoned for amusements only. In 1944, Luna Park was damaged by fire, and sold to a company who announced they were going to tear down what was left of Luna Park and build apartments. Robert Moses had the land rezoned for residential use with the proviso that the apartment complex include low-income housing. In 1953, Robert Moses had the entire island rezoned for residential use only and announced plans to demolish the amusements to make room for public housing. After many public complaints, the Estimate Board reinstated the area between West 22 Streets and The Cyclone as amusement only and threw in 100 feet of property north of Surf Av. between these streets. It has since then been protected for amusement use only, which has led to many public land battles.
In 1964, Coney Island's last remaining large theme park, Steeplechase Park, closed. Steeplechase Park was an Amusement park in the Coney Island area of Brooklyn, New York from 1897 to 1964 The rides were auctioned off, and the property was sold to developer Fred Trump (father of Donald Trump. Frederick Christ "Fred" Trump ( October 11, 1905 &ndash June 25, 1999) was the father of the prolific real estate/entertainment magnate Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American Business magnate, Socialite, Television personality, and ) Trump, convinced that the amusement area would die off once the large theme parks were gone, wanted to build luxury apartments on the old Steeplechase property. Instead, he spent ten years battling in court to get the property rezoned. At the lowest point in the battle, Trump organized a funeral for amusement parks in Coney Island. His Steeplechase property included a historic large pavilion that housed most of the park's rides but was now empty. The press was invited to the funeral where bikini-clad girls first handed out hot dogs, then handed out stones which Fred invited all to cast through the stained-glass windows of the pavilion. Then, pronouncing the amusement park dead, he had the pavilion bulldozed. After a decade of court battles, Trump exhausted all his legal options and the property was still zoned only for amusements. He eventually leased the property to Norman Kaufman, who ran a small collection of fairground amusements on a corner of the site calling his amusement park "Steeplechase Park". Leasing is a process by which a firm can obtain the use of a certain fixed assets for which it must pay a series of contractual periodic tax deductable payments
But between the loss of both Luna Park and the original Steeplechase Park, as well as a disastrous urban-renewal plan that took place in the surrounding neighborhood where middle class homes were replaced with housing projects, fewer people were willing to visit Coney Island. With attendance dropping, many amusement owners simply abandoned their properties. In the late 1970s, the city came up with a plan to revitalize Coney Island by bringing in gambling casinos, just as had been done in Atlantic City. However, the city's plans backfired when the prospect of selling property to rich casino owners created a land boom where property was bought up and the rides cleared in preparation of reselling to developers. As it turned out, gambling was never legalized for Coney, and, instead of casinos being built, the area ended up with vacant lots. In addition, the city purchased Steeplechase Park in 1979 from Fred Trump and proceeded to evict Norman Kaufman's amusements. By this time, Kaufman had expanded his park and had plans to eventually rebuild the historic Steeplechase Park. He had even bought back the original Steeplechase horse ride with plans to install it the following season. But the city decided they did not want to wait decades for Steeplechase park to be rebuilt and believed they could attract a developer to build a large combination theme park and casino on the site. Instead, that property remained vacant for another five years.
In the mid '80s, businessman Horace Bullard approached the city to allow him to rebuild Steeplechase Park. He had already bought several acres of property just East of the Steeplechase Park site including the property with a large coaster called The Thunderbolt as well as property west of Abe Stark rink. His plans called for the combination of his property as well as the Steeplechase property and the unused property on the Abe Stark site as one massive multimillion-dollar theme park based on the original. The city agreed, and in 1986 the state legislature approved the project. However, several bureaucrats held up the project for another two years while the NYC Planning Commission compiled an environmental impact report. In 1987, state senator Thomas Bartosiewics attempted to block Bullard from building on the Steeplechase site. Bartosiewics was part of a group called The Brooklyn Sports Foundation who had promised another theme park developer, Sportsplex, the right to build on the site. Construction was held up for another four years as Bullard and Sportsplex fought over the site.
In 1994, Rudy Giuliani took office as mayor of New York and officially killed the deal with Bullard. KBE Per, "Postnominal letters should be included when they are issued by a country or organization the subject has been closely associated with The Mayor of New York City is the head of the executive branch of the Government of New York City. Giuliani claimed he wanted to build Sportsplex, provided it include a stadium for a minor-league team owned by the Mets. But when Giuliani ordered the stadium to be built first, Sportsplex accused the city of planning to build a parking lot on the property earmarked for the Sportsplex construction. Even though Giuliani publicly denied this and promised Sportsplex could begin construction the moment the stadium was finished, as soon as the stadium was completed, Giuliani killed the Sportsplex deal and had the parking lot built. The Mets decided the minor league team would be called The Brooklyn Cyclones and sold the naming rights to the stadium to Keyspan Energy. KeySpan Corporation, now part of National Grid USA, was the fifth largest distributor of Natural gas in the United States. Executives from Keyspan complained that the stadium's line of view from the rest of Coney Island amusement area was blocked by the now derelict Thunderbolt coaster and considered not going through with the deal. Bullard, now no longer rebuilding Steeplechase Park, had wanted to restore the coaster as part of a scaled-down amusement park. The following month, Giuliani ordered an early-morning raid on the Thunderbolt, claiming that the coaster was in immediate danger of collapse and ordering it bulldozed. The structure that was supposed to be near collapse took many days to be torn down. No connection between the Mets organization and the demolition has ever been proven, but many accuse Giuliani of tearing it down at the Mets' request.
In 2003, Mayor Michael Bloomberg took an interest in revitalizing Coney Island as a possible site for the 2012 Olympics. Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman and the Mayor of New York City. Nine cities submitting bids to host the 2012 Summer Olympics were recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC A plan was developed by the Astella Development Corporation. When the city lost the bid for the Olympics, revitalization plans were rolled over to The Coney Island Development Corporation (CIDC) who came up with a strategic plan for restoring the resort. Many amusement owners worried about one of the report's goals to develop the area as a year-round destination as their businesses are only seasonal, and the implication that they could be forced out if they did not meet the CIDC's year-round goal. The CIDC also suggested that property north of Surf Avenue and west of Abe Stark should be rezoned for other uses including residential to lure developers into the area. Shortly before the CIDC's plans were publicly released, a development company, Thor Equities, purchased all of Bullard's western property, worth $2. 2 million, for $16 million. Now owning property that was earmarked for rezoning to residential, they flipped the property to Taconic for a $72 million profit. Thor then went about using much of the $72 million to purchase property well over market value lining Stillwell Avenue and offered to buy out every piece of property inside the traditional amusement area. Quickly, rumors started that Thor was interested in building a retail mall in the heart of the amusement area. In September 2005, Thor's founder, Joe Sitt, went public with his new plans, which he claimed was going to be a large Bellagio-style hotel resort surrounded by rides and amusements. He also claimed that the interior of the resort would have an indoor mall that would allow local amusement owners to relocate their rides and operate them indoors year round and made promises that he had no intention of driving out any local amusement owners and wanted them all to be part of his new resort. Sitt released renderings of a hotel that would take up the entire amusement area from the Aquarium to beyond Keyspan Park and would most likely need to involve the demolition of The Wonder Wheel, Cyclone, and Nathan's original hot dog stand, as well as the new Keyspan Park. KeySpan Park is a Minor league baseball Stadium in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York City, USA. At the same time, the borough of Brooklyn was involved with two other major development projects: the Atlantic Yards project, which involved eminent domain; and the Brooklyn Bridge Park project, which involved the demolition of a building with landmark status. Eminent domain ( United States) compulsory purchase ( United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland) resumption/compulsory acquisition Brooklyn Bridge Park is an 85 acre park currently under construction on the Brooklyn waterfront in the vicinity of the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges Many feared that the city had already backed Thor's plans and that the entire amusement district would be demolished to make way for the new multimillion dollar resort.
But things changed in June of 2006 when an architectural design firm working for Thor called Eek released detailed renderings of Thor's planned resort area that now showed luxury high rise condo towers in place of the hotel with retail on the ground floor. Since the area has both zoning restrictions only allowing amusements and no buildings taller than 260 feet. Thor initially denied any inclusion of condo towers in their plans and Eek quickly removed the renderings from their site. But not before blogs everywhere published copies of the renderings. Thor quickly released renderings of rides they proposed for their resort including a steel coaster that would run above the boardwalk, a two tiered carousel, and a fountain at the foot of Stillwell Av. that would project images of whales and mermaids. Thor then admitted that condos would be part of their resort but claimed that the resort was not economically feasible without the addition of condos. At a public meeting Thor representatives continued to downplay the condos by claiming that they only wanted to build hundreds of condo units, not thousands. However, while Thor initially said they only wanted to build 575 condos the number crept up to 975. Late in 2006 Thor announced that they had just purchased Coney Island's last remaining amusement park, Astroland, and would be closing it after the 2007 season. Immediately plans were announced to build a Nickelodeon themed hotel on the site. Then in January 2007 Thor released renderings for a new amusement park to be built on the Astroland site called Coney Island Park. [15]
Critics pointed out that even though Thor claimed their project would expand the amusement area, they had already evicted several acres of amusements from the property they bought, and planned to evict the rest of the amusements on the property after the 2007 season, as well as closing Astroland. The amusement park proposed for the Astroland site would also have to share space with a hotel, and it has not yet been worked out how large the hotel's footprint would be. Meanwhile, the rest of the resort would consist of condos built on top of retail. Critics also argue that any amusements that Thor promised would likely only be built if the proposed condos result in substantial profits. They also point out that once Thor has built the condos they will not be legally required to build any amusements at all. Other critics point out that bringing residential into the amusement area would create a conflict between the residents and the remaining amusements and arcades, due to the disparity between what residential occupants generally consider an ideal environment of a quiet neighborhood, and the reality of amusement parks, which are far from that ideal. Since building condos in the area would require rezoning it as residential, condo owners might possibly have legal recourse to have any amusements abutting their homes closed as public nuisances, although this is debatable as owners would likely be deemed to have acquiesced to accept the noise before purchasing their units.
Meanwhile, the city brought up their own concerns about Thor's plans based on their history with the developers. In 2001 Thor purchased the Albee Square Mall for $25 million claiming they wanted to revitalize it. They said they wanted to give it a Vegas style makeover and bring in more name brand retail while maintaining the original vendors who occupied the mall. All that was required was for the city to rezone the property to permit the building of an office tower above the mall. Thor claimed they would need to build the tower to finance the expansion of the mall. However, soon after Thor was successful in having the land rezoned, it was announced that Thor had sold the property for $125 million to Arcadia Reality Trust. Arcadia soon after announced plans to demolish the mall and build the tower only with a possible box store on the ground level. Aside from Albee Square, Thor has a long track record of flipping property for a profit and no track record of ever actually building any major project they have proposed in the past. Flipping is a term used primarily in the United States to describe practice of buying an asset and quickly reselling (or "flipping" it for profit City officials question Thor's motives for wanting the zoning changes inside the amusement zone and fear that once Thor gets those changes, they will flip the property to the highest bidder who will have no obligation to build any amusements. They also point out that Thor had owned many acres of property earmarked for rezoning in Coney but instead sold it for a profit. They are also upset with Thor's hardball negotiation tactics where in the fall of 2006 they bulldozed the amusements on the property they owned even though construction, if allowed, would not begin for another three years and they could have still leased that property for amusements until then. They have also publicly threatened that they are prepared to leave their property idle for up to ten years, if necessary, until a city council is elected which is sympathetic to their plans. This would result in most of Coney Island becoming vacant lots surrounded by plywood fences. Since the city had already invested millions in the area both on the minor league stadium and a new subway terminal, turning it into a ghost town would bring a substantial loss to their investments. Then in the winter of 2007 just to show the city that Thor meant business, they began to evict businesses from the buildings they now owned along the boardwalk. But when one of the business owners went to the press with a statement that Thor was requiring their tenants to sign a confidentiality clause that lasted three years and which prevented them from publicly commenting on Thor redeveloping the area, Thor quickly reinstated their leases.
Summer of 2007
By the spring of 2007 Thor Equities had bulldozed all the acreage they owned lining Stillwell Avenue. The amusement businesses lining the avenue had been evicted a few months earlier. Since even if Thor got the zoning changes they wanted construction would still be a couple of years away and since what was being bulldozed was basically a few interior fences and three go-kart tracks (the amusements themselves being auctioned off and moved months earlier). Many felt that this was just a show of force by Joe Sitt that he could do anything he wanted with his property. Once the bulldozers were finished large plywood fences began to line Thor's property turning Stillwell into a foreboding alleyway. On March 30 a protest was held on city hall steps demanding that Coney Island should not be rezoned to allow condos. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. The protest was organized by Dianna Carlin, owner of the Lola Staar boutique being evicted from the boardwalk as another show of force by Thor. A week before the protest Thor agreed to give Carlin a lease for 2007, but she still went through with the protest. Thor was beginning to get attention in the press. A few days later on April 2 Astroland opened for what was believed would be the parks final season and all the news outlets were there. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of
Looking to turn around the bad publicity Thor Equities announced on May 26 that they would be using their West Stillwell lot for a giant inflatable water slide called the Hippo and would be bringing the Cole Brothers Circus to their East Stillwell lot for the last week of July followed by free movies to be shown on the lot every Monday night for the remainder of the summer. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place On June 26 Joe Sitt held a town hall meeting at United Community Baptist Church to further mend relations between Thor Equities and the community. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. In a presentation Sitt revealed several new renderings of amusements he claimed he wanted to bring to his resort and announced he was going to drop the condo component. However, he announced another hotel tower to replace the condo tower and in addition wanted $100 million in subsidies from the city. In addition he was still keeping the time-share component which would still mean the amusement area would have to be rezoned to allow residential use. Critics picked up on the fact that even though Sitt said he no longer wanted to build condos in the amusement area he was still asking for zoning that would allow him to do so and he was still going to use most of his property for residential and hotel buildings. They also noticed something during an off script comment he made during the Q & A portion of the meeting:
“You go to Manhattan and you got the fancy restaurants, you got the fancy theaters, you got the fancy bookstores. This is our chance to have quality of life. ”
and another quote made later in an interview with NY1 News:
“It’s about having enclosed rides, it’s about having book stores, it’s about having restaurants, it’s about having clubs, it’s about having theaters and it's about having indoor amusement,”
The book store comments were picked up on as proof that Sitt knew nothing about amusement parks and was more interested in rezoning the property to allow residential and retail use. While publicly Thor seemed to be trying to mend fences with the city and Coney Island community behind the scenes they were in a bidding war with the city on more prime Coney Island real estate. The land was Jones Walk which ran from Surf Avenue to the boardwalk and included a third of Wonder Wheel Park. Thor's outbid the city by offering $11 million and now owned the property beneath half of Wonder Wheel park as well as the property beneath the games along Jones Walk. Thor already owned the building at the foot of Jones Walk on Surf Avenue and had previously promised the city they would sell it to the non-profit organization Coney Island U. S. A. A price had been agreed on and the papers had been drawn up and all that was need was Joe Sitt's signature on the papers which he held up for months. However, once the Jones Walk land sell was complete Thor Equities redacted the deal with the non-profit group and announced new plans to tear down all the buildings in the amusement area they owned. Coney Island U. S. A. had been trying to preserve the historic buildings in the neighborhood. But this new move by Thor Equities would once again backfire. Coney Island U. S. A. founder and community spokesman Dick Zigun had been silent about Thor Equities tactics and had even publicly defended Sitt in the press on a few occasions. But now after Sitt had reneged on the building deal Zigun went public accusing Joe Sitt of being a liar and giving several personal accounts of dishonest practices he witnessed himself.
On July 30th, the day the Circus opened at Coney, the city leaked to the papers that they were in talks with the European amusement park Tivoli to take over development at Coney Island. If the city got their own developer then they would have grounds for taking land from Thor Equities using eminent domain. A week later Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff made an offer to Thor Equities to swap the bulk of their property in the amusement area for city owned property further up the beach. Thor would be given permission to build condos on the new site while amusements would be allowed to remain in the historic amusement area. Sitt has so far turned down the city's offer. Simultaneously a high ranking city official made a statement to the press that the city was not going for Sitt's plan and their resort was "dead in the water". He brought up the main reasons that they did not want to reduce the amusement area, they did not want to bring residents into the amusement zone, and they had little faith in Joe Sitt who had no track record on actually building any projects he had proposed in the past while Thor Equities did have a track record for flipping property to other developers once they got the necessary zoning.
Conflict aside, Coney Island had its most successful summer since the 1940s as millions turned out for what could have been the amusement area's last year. Following the 2006 season the city brokered a deal with Joe Sitt to lease the property back to Astroland to allow them to operate the park in 2008 and perhaps beyond. The owners of Astroland were still interested in staying in Coney Island provided there was some other property they could buy or lease and city officials felt that since Thor would not be able to begin construction for a couple of years that there would be no point in keeping the Astroland site vacant. But just before Astroland was offered a 2008 lease Sitt put on a condition that the city had to rezone the amusement area for residential use first. When the city refused negotiations broke off, but later that summer Sitt offered to lease the site back to Astroland for $3 million for 2008 which would be more than the park could afford. This prompted petitions for Thor to lease Astroland the property and on the final Sunday of the season another protest was held at Astroland demanding Thor allow the park to remain open. The same day amusements along 12th street that were told they would not be offered a 2008 lease were packed up and moved to an amusement park in South America. This left only half a block between the boardwalk and Bowery that would be able to operate rides in 2009 depending on if the owners did not give in and sell to Sitt.
As of October 2007, Thor Equities has publicly announced that they have offered all the businesses along the boardwalk a 2008 lease and have suggested they are willing to offer Astroland a reasonable lease. No leases have officially been signed yet and still no word of a deal has been struck with Astroland.
Coney Island in popular culture
In slang
- "Coney Island Whitefish" is a slang term for used condoms. A condom is a device most commonly used during Sexual intercourse.
- "Coney Island" is a slang term used for a style of chili hot dog topped with a dry meaty chili, then mustard and sweet onions, common in Michigan. Restaurants that serve these are commonly called "Coney Island Restaurants". An example[16] would be "Gillie's Coney Island Restaurants" in Flint, Michigan, National Coney Island of Roseville, Michigan, or Kerby's Koney Island, with locations throughout southeastern Michigan. A Coney Island is a type of Greek restaurant popular in the Northeastern United States, particularly in Detroit Michigan, as well as the name for the Chili The most iconic Coney Island restaurant in Michigan is Lafayette Coney Island in downtown Detroit.
In literature
- Hubert Selby Jr. Hubert Selby Jr ( July 23, 1928 – April 26, 2004) was a 20th century American writer 's "Requiem for a Dream" is set in the faded glory of Coney Island. Requiem for a Dream is an Academy Award -nominated 2000 Film adaptation of the 1978 novel of the same name.
- "A Coney Island of the Mind" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti is a classic collection of poems from the Beat era. Lawrence Ferlinghetti (born Lawrence Ferling on March 24, 1919) is an American Poet and painter, and the co-founder of The title was inspired from Henry Miller's work who was born in Coney Island and described it as a place of having fun.
- The Warriors by Sol Yurick is the 1965 novel that the 1979 movie with the same name (see above) was based upon. Sol Yurick (1925 &ndash) is an American Novelist He was born to a Working class family of politically active Jewish immigrants Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) The novel itself is loosely based upon Anabasis by Xenophon. This article is about the Xenophon (Ancient Greek, Modern Greek "Ξενοφών" "Ξενοφώντας" ca
- Samantha at Coney Island by "Josiah Allen's Wife" (Marietta Holley), 1911, was a popular young-adult novel in the early 20th century. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year
- Coney Island features prominently in Joseph Heller's novel, Closing Time. Joseph Heller (May 1 1923 – December 12 1999 was an American Satirical novelist Short story writer and playwright
- Coney Island Wonder Stories, edited by Robert J. Howe and John Ordover, 2005, contains science fiction and fantasy stories set in Coney Island throughout its history, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Steven Popkes, Maureen McHugh, Mike Resnick, J. Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Kristine Kathryn Rusch (born June 1960 is an American writer She writes under various pseudonyms in multiple genres including Science fiction, fantasy Steven Popkes is a Science fiction writer living in the Boston area known primarily for his highly-regarded short fiction Maureen F McHugh (born 1959 is a Science fiction and Fantasy writer Michael "Mike" Diamond Resnick (born Chicago, March 5, 1942) better known by his published name Mike Resnick, is a popular and prolific R. Dunn, Kij Johnson, Paul Levinson, and other writers. Kij Johnson (born January 1960 in Iowa) is an American Writer of Fantasy. Paul Levinson (born 1947 is an American Author and Professor of Communications and Media studies at Fordham University
- In It's Like This, Cat, Dave and Cat go to Coney Island in a chapter. It's Like This Cat is a novel written by Emily Cheney Neville that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American Children's literature
- In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby invites Nick to go to Coney Island after his meeting with Jordan Baker. The Great Gatsby is a Novel by the American author F Scott Fitzgerald.
- In "Coney" by Amram Duchovny, a tale about 1930s Coney Island as told from the perspective of a 15-year-old Jewish boy as he relates his interactions with his family, the group of freaks from Coney's sideshow, the midget who owns the bike shop on the boardwalk, the wheelchair crime boss with arson on his mind, and many other colorful characters from this historic Brooklyn landmark.
- Poem "Coney Island" by Jose Martí in 1881
- Coney Island is often mentioned in O.Henry's stories. O Henry is the Pen name of American Writer William Sydney Porter ( September 11, 1862 – June 5
- In " Twelve" by Nick McDonell, a novel about a group of rich kids in Manhattan who pass their time taking drugs and partying, the protagonist, White Mike, visits Coney Island. Nick McDonell (born in Manhattan on February 18, 1984 as Robert Nicholas McDonell is an American Writer. The amusement area is described very negatively (shabby, run-down, deserted, no kids, but hookers and drug dealers)
- In "Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century" by John F. Kasson, the author "examines the historical context in which Coney Island made its reputation as an amusement park and shows how America's changing social and economic conditions formed the basis of a new mass culture. "
- In Kevin Baker's book Dreamland, much of the drama and pivotal moments take place in the vicinity of Coney Island and its amusemement parks.
- "The Last Shot" by Darcy Frey follows a group of high school basketball players from Coney Island. Darcy Frey is an American writer from New York. Best known for his 1994 book The Last Shot City Streets Basketball Dreams, Frey has published articles
In film and on stage
In chronological order
- You can see many of the long-lost rides of Coney Island's earlier years in action in the movie "IT!" made in 1927 and starring Clara Bow, which features a trip to the park and a tour of the historic rides.
- In the 1928 silent film Speedy, Harold Lloyd spends a day at Coney Island with his girlfriend. Speedy is a 1928 Silent film that was one of the films to be nominated for the short-lived Academy Award for Best Director of a Comedy. Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr ( April 20, 1893 &ndash March 8, 1971) was an American Film actor and producer
- In the critically acclaimed 1953 independent film Little Fugitive, a small boy runs away to Coney Island after thinking he has killed his brother. Little Fugitive ( 1953) is film written and directed by Raymond Abrashkin (under the pseudonym "Ray Ashley" Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin
- A Coney Island amusement park is the setting of the Rhedosaurus' last stand in the 1953 sci-fi film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. The Beast from 20000 Fathoms is a 1953 Science fiction film directed by Eugène Lourié and stars Paul Christian, Paula Raymond
- In the 1973 Peter Bogdanovich film Paper Moon, Moses Prey (played by Ryan O'Neal) tells Addie (played by Tatum O'Neal) to "Eat your Coney Island and drink your Nehi". Peter Bogdanovich ( Serbian Cyrillic: Петар Богдановић Latin: Petar Bogdanović (born July 30, 1939, is an American Ryan O'Neal (born Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal; April 20 1941 is an Academy Award - and Golden Globe -nominated American Actor Tatum Beatrice O'Neal (born November 5, 1963 in Los Angeles California) is an Academy Award -winning American actress best Nehi (pronounced, like "knee high" is a flavored Soft drink originated in America
- Perhaps the most famous fictional residents of Coney Island come from Walter Hill's 1979 cult film The Warriors. Walter Hill may refer to Walter Hill (director (born 1942 American film director Walter Barnard Hill (1851&ndash1905 chancellor A cult film is a Film that has acquired a highly devoted but relatively small group of fans. The Warriors is a 1979 cult classic action / thriller film directed by Walter Hill and based on the 1965 novel Based on Sol Yurick's novel, the film charts the progress of a street gang called "The Warriors" as they travel from their Coney Island turf up to a meeting in the Bronx, get framed for killing a powerful gang leader, and then have to fight their way back to Coney Island with gang members and police chasing them. Sol Yurick (1925 &ndash) is an American Novelist He was born to a Working class family of politically active Jewish immigrants
- We see the lead character in Woody Allen's 1977 semi-autobiographical film classic Annie Hall, Alvy Singer, living in Coney Island as a child in a house that was under the Thunderbolt rollercoaster that shook wildly every time the coaster made its rounds. Annie Hall is a 1977 Romantic comedy film directed by Woody Allen from a script he co-wrote with Marshall Brickman. Alvy's father ran the bumper cars' concession. Bumper car is the generic name for a type of Flat ride consisting of several small electric cars which draw power from the floor and/or ceiling and which are turned off by the
- In the 1982 critically acclaimed Sophie's Choice, Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol's characters spend 'Dress-Up Sunday' at Coney Island. Sophie's Choice is a 1982 American film that tells the story of a beautiful Polish immigrant Sophie and her tempestuous lover who share a boarding Prior to leaving, Streep's character Sophie Zawistowski delivers with unparalleled enthusiasm, "Coney Island - Oh Boy!"
- Neil Simon's 1983 Brighton Beach Memoirs play (also a 1986 movie) also depicts growing up in the Coney Island area, and features scenes with the Coney Island rollercoaster in the background. Marvin Neil Simon (born July 4, 1927 in The Bronx, New York City) is an American Playwright and Screenwriter Brighton Beach Memoirs is a play by Neil Simon. Set in Brooklyn New York 's Brighton Beach in 1937 the semi- Autobiographical
- The 1986 erotic classic 9 1/2 Weeks has Mickey Rourke (John) and Kim Basinger (Elizabeth) spending a fun, romantic day on the Coney Island Boardwalk. 9½ Weeks is a 1986 erotic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger.
- Coney Island figures prominently in the 1989 film version of Isaac Bashevis Singer's novel Enemies, a Love Story, directed by Paul Mazursky. Isaac Bashevis Singer (יצחק באַשעװיס זינגער (November 21 1902 (see notes below – July 24 1991 was a Nobel Prize -winning Polish -born Enemies a Love Story is a 1989 film directed by Paul Mazursky, based on the novel Enemies a Love Story ( Sonim di Geshichte Paul Mazursky (born April 25, 1930) is an American Film director, Screenplay writer and Actor.
- The 1998 Spike Lee film He Got Game, a fictional story about the struggles of a top high school basketball player, was set in Coney Island. Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20 1957 is an Emmy Award -winning and Academy Award -nominated American Film director, He Got Game is a 1998 sports - drama Film written and directed by Spike Lee, and starring Denzel Washington and
- In the 1991 movie Bugsy, while in prison, Benjamin Siegel (played by Warren Beatty tells his girlfriend Virginia Hill (played by Annette Bening) he whishes they were on "Coney Island eating a couple of fucking hot dogs". Bugsy is a 1991 film which tells the story of mobster Bugsy Siegel. Warren Beatty (born Henry Warren Beaty; March 30 1937 is an American Academy Award - and Golden Globe -winning Actor, producer
- In the 2001 Steven Spielberg movie A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, David the boy robot and Teddy the mechanized bear travel to the flooded ruins of Coney Island in a submersible (Coney Island, as well as the entire Manhattan area, is now at the bottom of the ocean because of global warming). Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Steven Allan Spielberg, KBE (Hon (born December 18 1946 is an American Film director, Screenwriter and producer. Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the Just when David finds a sculpture of the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio and starts praying to it to turn him into a real boy, the Wonder Wheel collapses on top of them, trapping them for the next two thousand years. Pinocchio (piˈnɔkːjo in Italian is a fictional character that first appeared in 1883, in The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, and
- In the movie Death to Smoochy, a 2002 dark comedy film starring Robin Williams, Edward Norton, and Catherine Keener, the main character is discovered playing at a Coney Island methadone clinic. Death to Smoochy is a 2002 Dark comedy film starring Robin Williams, Edward Norton, and Catherine Keener. Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21 1951 or 1952 is an American television stage and film actor and Comedian who has won an Academy Award for his performance Catherine Ann Keener (born March 23, 1959) is a two time Academy Award and Emmy -nominated American Actress. Methadone ( Dolophine Amidone Methadose Physeptone Heptadon and many others is a synthetic Opioid, used medically as an Analgesic, Antitussive
- In Uptown Girls (2003), Coney Island was featured as the childhood runaway home of Molly Gunn (Brittany Murphy). Uptown Girls is a 2003 Drama directed by Boaz Yakin and adapted from the story by Allison Jacobs into screenplay by Julia Dahl Mo Ogrodnik Brittany Anne Murphy (born Brittany Bertolotti on November 10, 1977) is an American actress and Recording artist. It was also the place where she took Ray Schleine (Dakota Fanning), to go on the spinning tea cups to get away from all the problems in life. Dakota Fanning (born February 23 1994 is an American teen Actress.
- Coney Island is a location in Darren Aronofsky's first two films, Pi and Requiem for a Dream, specifically Brighton Beach for the latter. Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American Film director, Screenwriter IMPORTANT NOTICE Please note that Wikipedia is not a database to store the millions of digits of π please refrain from adding those to Wikipedia as it could cause technical problems Requiem for a Dream is an Academy Award -nominated 2000 Film adaptation of the 1978 novel of the same name. BrightonCOOPsJPG|thumb|Newly built luxury condos on Brighton Beach]]BrightonSchool1438 Darren Aronofsky grew up in neighboring Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
- Coney Island will be portrayed in the film Last Days of Coney Island, directed by Ralph Bakshi. Last Days of Coney Island was a project written by and being produced directed and animated by filmmaker Ralph Bakshi, about a NYPD Detective Ralph Bakshi (born October 29 1938 is an American director of animated and occasionally live-action films
- Coney Island has a reputation both locally and nationally for producing outstanding basketball players. A number of accomplished basketball players hail from Coney Island, including Stephon Marbury, currently playing for the New York Knicks and Sebastian Telfair of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Stephon Xavier Marbury (born February 20, 1977 in Brooklyn, New York) nicknamed Starbury, is an American professional Sebastian Telfair (born June 9 1985 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American professional Basketball player for the NBA The Minnesota Timberwolves are a professional Basketball team based in Minneapolis Minnesota, United States. Telfair was one of the top high-school players in the country and one of the last to make the jump directly to the NBA. His life in Coney Island is the subject of the documentary film Through the Fire. Telfair and Marbury happen to be cousins.
- In Two Weeks Notice Sandra Bullock's character meets Hugh Grant's character in her attempts to save the Coney Island Community Center from demolition. Two Weeks Notice is a 2002 Romantic comedy film starring Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant from Warner Bros Sandra Annette Bullock (born July 26 1964 is a Screen Actors Guild Award-winning and two-time Golden Globe Award-nominated American - German Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960 is a British Actor and Film producer. The building portrayed in the film as the community center is the former Childs Restaurant on the boardwalk. It was built by architects Dennison and Hirons in 1923, and still exists today. The building is unoccupied and sometimes defaced by graffiti, but was designated as a New York City landmark in 2003. The City of New York
- In Cloverfield, Rob takes Beth to Coney Island for the first time, a month before the monster attack. Cloverfield is a 2008 monster / Horror film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J A mysterious object is seen falling from the sky and into the ocean. In the last scene before the credits, Beth remarks that she "had a good day".
On TV
- A character in the HBO special Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground rides The Cyclone while waiting for his date, only to be beaten up in the Coney Island subway station by her actual boyfriend afterwards. The Coney Island Cyclone, better known as simply the Cyclone, is a well known Roller coaster in Coney Island.
- Jerry and a naked subway rider (Ernie Sabella) take a trip to Coney Island in an episode of Seinfeld. Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld (born on April 29 1954 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American comedian actor and writer Ernie Sabella (born September 19, 1949) is an American actor Biography and career Born in Westchester New York, Sabella graduated Seinfeld is an American Situation comedy, or sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5 1989 to May 14 1998 lasting nine seasons
- In Futurama, Fry is shown in a flashback to have attended "Coney Island College", which was little more than an attraction on the midway. Futurama is an Emmy Award -winning animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening, and developed by Groening and A midway at a Fair (commonly an American fair such as a county or state fair is the location where Amusement rides Entertainment and Fast Remembering his college days, Fry declares, "Good Old Coney Island College - Go Whitefish!"
- In The Simpsons, a song titled "Goodbye, My Coney Island Baby" is one of the songs performed by Homer when he was a member of the barber-shop quartet The Be Sharps. " Homer's Barbershop Quartet " is the first episode of The Simpsons ' fifth season. Roscoe Lee Browne (playing a prison escape specialist) sings the same song in a first-season episode of Barney Miller. Roscoe Lee Browne ( May 2 1925 &ndash April 11 2007) was an American Actor and director, known for his Barney Miller is a comedy Television series set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village that ran from
- Coney Island is often shown in episodes of Spider-Man: The Animated Series as a famous New York landmark and as a background for some scenes, like the first of kiss of a main character. Spider-Man (also known as Spider-Man The Animated Series) is an American Animated television series featuring the
- In the Super Mario World cartoon episode "Mama Luigi", King Koopa is said to, in Mario's words, "[have] the Princess locked up in his Coney Island Disco Palace," which has the appearance of a neon-covered fortress. The Super Mario Bros Super Show! The Adventures of Super Mario Bros The following are episode lists for the three ''Super Mario'' cartoons produced by DiC Entertainment. Bowser, also known as King Koopa, is a Video game character and the main antagonist of Nintendo 's ''Mario'' series. is a Fictional character created by game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. This article is about the princess from the Mario series For the video game starring her see Super Princess Peach. The Mario series is a series of highly popular and acclaimed Platform games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and in most of the
- On Ugly Betty, Coney Island is the place the Meade family went to on birthdays when Daniel and Alex were young. Ugly Betty is an American television Comedy-drama series starring America Ferrera in the title role along with Eric Mabius
- In a King of Queens episode Doug and Carrie revisit Coney Island to relive memories. The King of Queens is an Emmy -nominated American Sitcom that ran for nine seasons from 1998 to 2007
- In an episode of the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series Leonardo finds his brother Raphael hiding out at the Astroland Theme Park after escaping from an attack on their lair orchestrated by Karai. Raphael Sanzio, usually known by his first name alone (in Italian Raffaello) (April 6 or March 28 1483 – April 6 1520 was an Italian painter and Karai (辛い is a fictional character in several incarnations of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise where she is always the highest ranking member of the Foot
- In the Disney animated series Gargoyles episode "The Reckoning" Coney Island is the setting where Thailog and Demona reveal the clones of the Manhattan clan. Gargoyles is an American Animated television series created by Greg Weisman. Thailog is a character from the Disney Superhero Animated series Gargoyles. Demona is a Fictional character in the Animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Marina Sirtis. This article includes a list of characters from the animated series Gargoyles. A burning Cyclone Roller Coaster is the place of Thailog and Demona's final battle where they both presumably perish after it collapses.
- In What I Like About You Vince takes Holly, Gary, and Tina to Coney Island before the amusement park opened. Holly skipped her Columbia interview to go to Coney Island.
- George and Louise Jefferson on the show The Jeffersons were supposed to have gotten engaged on the boardwalk in Coney Island.
- On General Hospital, Sonny mentions taking Kate Howard to Coney Island when they were young. General Hospital (commonly abbreviated GH) is an American Soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network during the
- On the British show QI, the Elephant Hotel that used to be on Coney Island was featured in one of the questions in Series E, Episode 6. In traditional Chinese culture, qi (zh [[wikt氣 氣]] Pinyin qì, Wade-Giles ch'i Jyutping
- In "The Collect Call of Cathulhu", an episode from The Real Ghostbusters, a cult resurrects Cthulhu at Coney Island. This article is about the animated spin-off of the 1984 film Ghostbusters. Cthulhu is a giant fictional creature one of the Great Old Ones in H
- In "Reaction", an episode from The Spectacular Spider-Man (TV series), Spider-Man fights Doctor Octopus at Coney Island. The Spectacular Spider-Man (entitled The Spectacular Spider-Man Spider-Man is a Fictional character appearing in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. Doctor Octopus is a Fictional character that appears in Comic books published by Marvel Comics.
- The TV Sitcom Soap referred to the Island in a season 3 episode when Jodie Dallas, played by Billy Crystal moved back into his parents house and to celebrate, his mother suggested they go out to Coney Island and ride The Cyclone and enjoy some frozen custard. SOAP (see below for name and origins is a protocol for exchanging XML -based messages over Computer networks normally using William Edward "Billy" Crystal (born March 14, 1948) is an American Golden Globe Award -nominated and Emmy Award -winning The Coney Island Cyclone, better known as simply the Cyclone, is a well known Roller coaster in Coney Island.
In music
- Australian modern classical composer Don Banks (1923 - 1980) composed a short orchestral work called "Coney Island" around 1960 to 1961, which gives a vivid musical picture of the amusement park. Donald Oscar Banks (25 October 1923 - 5 September 1980 was an Australian composer of concert jazz and commercial music It was included on an L. P. record, "Musical Merry-go-round", released in 1961, with music by various composers inspired by the circus and fairground world, played by the Sinfonia of London, conducted by Douglas Gamley and Robert Irving. The Sinfonia of London is an Orchestra based in London founded by Muir Mathieson, the director of music for Rank Films in 1955 for the recording Douglas Gamley ( 24 September 1924, Melbourne - 5 February 1998) was an Australian film composer who worked on British and American Robert Augustine Irving (born August 28, 1913, Winchester, England died September 13, 1991, Winchester England was a British
- American singer-songwriter Lou Reed's 1976 album is entitled Coney Island Baby and features the track "Coney Island Baby". Lewis Allan Reed (born March 2 1942 is an American rock Singer-songwriter and Guitarist. Coney Island Baby is an Album by Lou Reed, released in 1976 It is also the title of a song on that album
- American rock band Aerosmith has a song called "Bone to Bone (Coney Island Whitefish Boy)" from their 1979 album Night in the Ruts. Aerosmith is an American Hard rock band sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston " and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band" Night in the Ruts is the sixth studio Album by American Hard rock band Aerosmith.
- American rock band Joan Jett & the Blackhearts has a song called "Coney Island Whitefish" from their 1982 album Album. Joan Jett (born September 22 1958, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania) is an American rock Guitarist, Singer Album is the third Studio album by Joan Jett and the second to feature her backing band The Blackhearts.
- American rock band Velvet Underground has a song called "Coney Island Steeplechase" on the 1986 album Another View. This article is about the band For their self-titled album see The Velvet Underground (album; for the book see The Velvet Underground (book Another View is an outtakes Compilation album by The Velvet Underground.
- American rock band Mercury Rev references Coney Island in the song "Coney Island Cyclone", from their 1991 album Yerself Is Steam. Mercury Rev is an American Rock music group, formed in the mid 1980s in Buffalo New York. Yerself Is Steam is the debut album by Mercury Rev, released in 1991
- American synth-pop band The Magnetic Fields references Coney Island in "Strange Powers" from 1994's Holiday''. The Magnetic Fields is a band led by New York City singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt. Holiday is the third full album from The Magnetic Fields. The album was originally released in 1994 on Feel Good All Over.
- American alternative rap / alternative rock group Fun Lovin' Criminals has a song called "Coney Island Girl" on their 1996 album Come Find Yourself. The Fun Lovin' Criminals (often referred to by their initials FLC) are an American Alternative rap / Alternative rock group from New York City Come Find Yourself is the first album released by the band Fun Lovin' Criminals, it was released on February 20 1996.
- American rock band Death Cab for Cutie have a song called "Coney Island" from their 2001 album, The Photo Album. Death Cab for Cutie is an American Indie rock band formed in Bellingham, The Photo Album is the third Album from indie band Death Cab for Cutie.
- American singer-songwriter Tom Waits has a song called "Coney Island Baby," on his 2002 album Blood Money. Thomas Alan Waits (born 7 December 1949) is an American Singer-songwriter, Composer, and Actor. He also references Coney Island in his songs "Table Top Joe" from the 2002 album Alice and "Take It With Me" from the 1999 album Mule Variations. Alice is an album by Tom Waits, released in 2002 on Epitaph Records (under the Anti sub-label Mule Variations is an album by Tom Waits, released 1999 on the ANTI- sub-label of Epitaph Records.
- Van Morrisson has a Coney Island song. George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born 31 August 1945 is a Grammy Award -winning Northern Irish Singer, " Coney Island " is a spoken-word song written by Northern Irish Singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1989 album Avalon
- New York singer/songwriter and banjo contortionist, Curtis Eller has a song "Coney Island Blue" on his 2004 album "Taking Up Serpents Again"
- Brooklyn, New York indie rock band, The Honey Brothers (which features Adrian Grenier on percussion) have a track titled "Coney Island Baby (I Am Yours)" which is available for download at their MySpace URL. Adrian Grenier (born July 10, 1976) is an American Actor, Musician and director. MySpace is a popular social networking Website offering an interactive user-submitted network of friends personal profiles blogs groups photos music and
- American Detroit, Michigan native rapper Bizarre's 2007 album release is titled "Blue Cheese 'n' Coney Island" referring to the style of chili dog. Rufus "Nignag" Johnson (born in Detroit Michigan) better known as Bizarre, is an American recording artist best known for his work with Detroit Blue Cheese & Coney Island is the second studio album by rapper Bizarre, distributed by Koch Records and released on October 23, 2007
- American band Beat Circus' 2008 album entitled Dreamland, references the turn-of-the-century Coney Island theme park Dreamland in several of its songs including Coney Island Creepshow and Hell Gate, and includes historical images and postcards of early Coney Island donated by the Coney Island Museum. Beat Circus is a band formed in Boston Massachusetts in 2002. Dreamland is the second studio album by American band Beat Circus.
- The Franz Ferdinand song Eleanor Put Your Boots Back On features lyrics about a girl in New York, and includes the lines '"But if you run you can run to the Coney Island roller coaster / Ride to the highest points / And leap across the filthy water'".
- The Godspeed You Black Emperor! song "Sleep" features Murray Ostril reminiscing over the glory days of Coney Island. Godspeed You! Black Emperor (formerly punctuated Godspeed You Black Emperor!; also referred to as GY!BE is an avant-garde Canadian Post-rock
Video games
- In Grand Theft Auto IV, the neighborhood of "Firefly Island" is based on Coney Island. A theme park based on Coney Island can be found with rides named "Screamer" (which is directly based on The Cyclone), the Liberty Eye ferris wheel (based on Wonder Wheel), and "The Corpse Ride" (based on Dante's Inferno). The Coney Island Cyclone, better known as simply the Cyclone, is a well known Roller coaster in Coney Island. Dante's Inferno is a Dark ride created by Anton Schwarzkopf currently located at Astroland on Coney Island.
- Coney island is also the first (and last) place The Mexican and TK met, in Driver: Parallel Lines.
- In 2005, The Warriors movie was also adapted as a video game for the Playstation 2 and Xbox home entertainment systems and on Play Station Portable system. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The Xbox is a sixth-generation Video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. The PlayStation Portable (officially abbreviated PSP) is a Handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Both the movie and the video game open with an iconic nighttime shot of Deno's Wonder Wheel.
- Coney Island appears as a Resistance-controlled area in the Sierra game Manhunter: New York. Manhunter New York is a Post-apocalyptic Adventure game designed by Barry Murry, Dave Murry and Dee Dee Murry of Interestingly enough, the version of Coney Island depicted in the game is based on Dreamland, an amusement park that operated in Coney Island until its destruction by fire in 1911. Dreamland was an ambitious Amusement park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City from 1904 to 1911
- In Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, a theme park situated in Coney Island is repeatedly visited. Max Payne 2 The Fall of Max Payne is a Third-person shooter developed by Finnish Remedy Entertainment and produced by 3D Realms The theme park is also the home of Mona Sax, one of the main characters.
See also
Notes
- ^ Joan Vinckeboons (Johannes Vingboon), "Manatvs gelegen op de Noot Riuier", 1639. Coney Island is served by four lines of the New York City Subway, as well as numerous buses and Ocean Parkway, Belt Parkway and their associated bike Coney Island is labelled "Conyne Eylandt". Image of Vinckeboons map at Library of Congress.
- ^ Library of Congress New Netherland Website Lists Conyne Eylandt as Dutch name for Coney Island.
- ^ "De Nieu Nederlandse Marcurius", Volume 16, No. 1: February 2000. This is the newsletter of the New Netherland Project. Cites New Netherland map labeling "Conyne Eylandt" in 1639 Johannes Vingboon map.
- ^ Robert Morden, "A Map of ye English Empire in the Continent of America", 1690. Robert Morden (c1650-1703 was a British bookseller publisher and maker of maps and globes Coney Island is labelled "Conney Isle". Image of Morden map at SUNY Stony Brook.
- ^ Henry Popple, "A Map of the British Empire in America", Sheet 12, 1733. Coney Island is labelled "Coney Island". Image of Popple Map can be found at David Rumsey Map Collection
- ^ John H. Eddy, "Map Of The Country Thirty Miles Round the City of New York", 1811. Coney Island is labeled "Coney I. " Image of Eddy Map can be found at David Rumsey Map Collection.
- ^ Refer to maps given above.
- ^ Coney Island Gets a Name
- ^ Matus, Paul. The New BMT Coney Island Terminal. The Third Rail Online. Retrieved on 2007-08-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708)
- ^ See Bloomberg News, November 29, 2006. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
- ^ "Plans Coming Together For Coney Island Amusement Park Expansion", NY1, November 14, 2006
- ^ Calder, Rich (2007-09-05) "Ride Over for Coney Classics" New York Post, New York. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
- ^ See Deno's Wonder Wheel
- ^ Welcome to Coney Island Polar Bear Club
- ^ [1] 1. 5 Billion Development Plan For Coney Island Publication: The New York Sun Date: 11/13/2006
- ^ Gillie's Coney Island"About us"
Further reading
- Rem Koolhaas, Delirious New York: A retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan (Academy Editions, London, 1978; republished, The Monacelli Press, 1994 — a large part of the book focuses on Coney Island amusement parks)
- John F. Remment Lucas Koolhaas, 'rɛm 'kɔːlhas (born) is a Dutch Architect, architectural theorist, Urbanist and "Professor in Practice of Architecture Kasson, Amusing The Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century (Hill and Wang, New York, 1978; Distributed in Canada by Douglas and McIntyre Ltd. )
External links
- Coney Island, USA Home Page
- Coney Island History Project
- Coney Island History Web Site
- Coney Island Film Festival
- Coney Island Lighthouse
- 2004 Mermaid Parade at Forgotten New York
- Coney Island Museum
- NYC Insider's Guide to Coney Island
- 1911 Britannica article
- 1964-65 New York World's Fair Carousel that originated at Coney Island
- Coney Island & homelessness
- Astella development Corporation redevelopment plan
- Coney Island Development Corporation strategic plan
- Bland as Sand: Developers Stalk Coney Island, The Indypendent
- Gritty and Trashy… That’s Why I Love It, The Indypendent
- Childs Restaurant information
- NYC Landmark designation report on Childs Restaurant building (pdf)
- Kinetic Carnival - The Coney Island Blog
Map
- Coney Island is at coordinates Coordinates:
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