Coney Island

Coney Island is old a island become peninsula and located at the extreme south of Brooklyn (town of New York). It has a famous beach giving on the Atlantic Ocean. The baptized area Coney Island represents a community of 60.000 people living the western part of the peninsula, and includes/understands Sea Gate in the west, Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach in the east. In north, Gravesend is. The site was in the past a major tourist complex and sheltered several amusement parks. Reaching the top of its popularity at the beginning of the 20th century, and amorçant its decline after the Second world war, the site was revitalized by the Russian immigrants and the opening of KeySpan Park, ground where famous Cyclones of Brooklyn play which evolve/move in Minor League of baseball.

An amusement park always exists on the island and acts especially as museum of the horse-gears in addition to that of the circus and the recreation parks.

The island

Geologically, Coney Island is the point more in the west of Long Island, and makes approximately 6,5 km length for a little less than one km broad. It was in the past an island, separated from Brooklyn by Coney Island Creek. One wanted during XXe century to dig this brook to make a channel for the ships of it, but these plans were given up and brook centers it was filled during the construction of Belt Parkway before the Second world war. The ends is and western island are peninsulas today.

History

The name

Several assumptions tried to explain the origin of the name of Coney Island, but that generally accepted wants that coney , is an English word old for hare . The island was called Coney Island since the years 1640, the name appearing on old charts of the New Amsterdam. The autochtones of the area called the island “Narrioch” (Ground without shades), because, like other beaches of southern banks Island Length, its position compared to the sun keeps the sunny beach all the day during. And like other islands of the archipelago Island Length, Coney Island grouillait of hares, and drives out it with hares was extremely popular until the tourist complexes develop, eliminating open spaces.

The station

After the civil war, Coney Island became a place of walk served by the railroad and the tram. As of the years 1860 and 1870, large hotels, private and public beaches were created. Amusement parks, horse-races were followed by the opening of gambling dens and the development of the prostitution.

As soon as the railway was electrified and connected to Manhattan via the Pont of Brooklyn by Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company at the beginning of the 20th century, Coney Island was transformed quickly into destination for holiday makers eager to escape in summer from heat from the apartments from New York.

The first carousel of Coney Island was installed in 1876 by a wood-carver Danish named Charles I.D. Loof. It was located on the 6th Western street and Surf Avenue in the complex of public baths Vandeveer which will become later the Balmer house. This horse-gear consisted of horses and animals of wood, carved with the hand and laid out side by side. There was also small fits with body or could sit down those which did not want to go up on the horses. All that was lit by lanterns with the kerosene (Thomas Edison will present its 1st bulb later only three years in 1879). A flutist and a drum brought the musical accompaniment; a capital protected the horse-gear from the bad weather and the tariff was fixed at five hundreds.

The hut of hot-dogs Nathan' S Famous was opened in Coney Island in 1916 and quickly became famous. Since, one organizes there each year the contest of the big eater of hot-dogs.

In 1919 the rail link was connected to the subway and the opening of the terminus New West End Terminal for all the underground lines inserted Coney Island in one prosperous era.

After the Second world war, the decline amorça. The generalization of the air conditioning with the cinema then in the apartments and the advent of the car benefitted with national parks from Island Length as Jones Beach with depend on Coney Island. Luna Park closed its doors in 1946 following several fires and the insecurity due to the gangs of the streets settled in the years 1950 in Coney Island. Although there no were real dangers, the aspect threatening of certain young people and their violent behavior dissuaded the parents to lead their children to it.

The presence of this disturbing youth assigned less the frequentation of the beaches than that of the horse-gears and attractions, lungs economic of Coney Island. In 1964 the closing of Steeplechase Park, the last of large the amusement park carried a fatal blow to him.

Robert Moses, the creator and person in charge of the amusement parks of New York was opposed to the creation of banal attractions and discouraged the new achievements. Projects of constuction of residences for hearths to weak and average incomes were launched on grounds formerly dedicated to attractions.

During these black years, there be however some successes. In particular Astroland which developed on the old site of the horse-gears. The improvement of the infrastructures of New York City and the prospects commercial after the crisis for years 1970 were beneficial in Coney Island under the administration of the mayor Edward I. Koch then under that of Rudolph Giuliani and that of the current mayor. The boom of Wall Street in decades 80 and 90 also contributed to this rectification.

Whereas in the 1964 all amusement parks except Steeplechase their doors had closed for a long time, Astroland like some horse-gears and attractions were success.

Attractions

During the time going of 1880 with the 2nd world war, Coney Island concentrated the greatest number of attractions of all United States, draining several million visitors each year. Luna Park, Dreamland and Steeplechase Park was most flourishing, but there were others well of them. Disneyland in California was soon to outclass them.

On this territory, one found many different attractions, “skeeball” (kind of play of bowling), between-leaves (gallery of monsters), plays of address and shooting. Here most famous:

" The Wonder Wheel" (large wheel) (1920), enormous and equipped with stationary and mobile nacelles.

" The Cyclone" (large eight) (1927), built of wood and which wanted to be best time.

the jump in parachute . It was presented for the first time to the fair-expo of New York in 1939. The customer was hoisted with an about sixty meters height then decendait to ground, his parachute suspended at the end of a cable. This horse-gear was dismounted thereafter then, was cleaned, restored and repaints, one wondered about his destiny: to return to its vocation first of horse-gear or to set it up a such structure symbolic system.

the car-plugs . In fact miniature vehicles equipped with a rubber avoid-shock on all their circumference and evolve/move on a metal track. A mast laid out with the back and in permanent contact with an electrified netting located in height brings energy necessary to the motorization. The goal of the play is to follow large curves and to run up against the other vehicles, especially if you are a male teenager and that the other cars are driven by possible rivals or better, by young people and pretty young ladies.

The island included/understood also a great number of Carousels and even gave its name to the one of the styles of American carousels.

Innovations: The aquarium of New York was installed in 1957 on the site of Dreamland and the stage of KeySpan on the old site of Steeplechase park.

Since the beginning of the Eighties, Coney Island accommodates the seat of a non-profit making company: Coney Island the USA, of which the goal is “to preserve the popular American culture”. Coney Island the USA presents the last gallery of monsters of the United States. It also organizes each year the Parade of the Sirens (Mermaid Parade), the festival of film of Coney Island and point of disjunction also the museum of Coney Island. Coney Island mainly knows since the beginning of the third millennium a rebirth due at this organization. Many are them New Yorkean to discover or redécouvrir this splendid site in sea front to range of subway of Manhattan.

Sun bathe and baths

Coney Island was a seaside resort of the years one thousand and nine hundred and thirty with an amusement park very attended by the " classify moyenne".

The beach of Coney Island presents an unquestionable attraction. It extends from Coney Island Avenue to the 37e street Is and is divided into several “bays” delimited by rock piers. Over the entire length of the beach extends the Riegelmann walk which is known to be longest in the world and which was popularized in 1964 by the song “Under the Boardwalk”. The “club-of-bear-polar-swimmers” (Whodunnit Bear Swing Club) organizes his annual demonstration in the middle of the winter. With the program: bathe in ice-cold water of the ocean!

Communities

The districts of Coney Island are, of is in west: Sea Spoils, Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach and Oriental Beach.

The district Sea Gate is one of the districts most popular of New York. The streets are there the properties of the inhabitants and not of the city.

The principal subway station is Stillwell Avenue

See too

Coney Island Museum
Newyork-escape Photograph gallery
air Visit from “Coney Island” in Photographs
an article devoted to with attractions of Coney Island, site ParkOtheK

Simple: Coney Island

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