Coney Island

Beach Shop at Coney Island. Photo by Johanna Mattsson

             As a result of the declining popularity of Coney Island’s amusement park, the Mayor and the city of New York formed the Coney Island Development Corporation and introduced the Coney Island Revitalization Plan. The expansion and addition of “Luna Park” led to the creation of “247 jobs for the local community” and welcomed 450,000 visitors in the park’s 2010 opening season.¹. After recovering from a temporary decline in popularity, Coney Island transformed into the current home of over 50 rides and attractions, all managed by individual firms. It welcomes tourists and New Yorkers to enjoy its amusement park rides, lifeguarded beaches, and arcade games from early Spring to the end of October ². Most popular among the rides are the Cyclone Roller Coaster that first opened in 1927 and the four rides that were recently added to the “Scream Zone” section of the park. Critics feared that the newer rides would overshadow traditional ones, such as the Wonder Wheel or the Cyclone, however, they remain active in the park. New York Times critic Neil Genzlinger suggests that although the park has changed a great deal, it still has the same “urban, laid back feel” that it did in the past ³. The changes the park has gone through can be tracked by visiting the park’s historical museum, open to visitors for just one dollar. Three miles of beach line the park that visitors have convenient access to by use of the boardwalk. Also accessible from the boardwalk are Nathan’s Hot Dog food venue, a painted mural depicting the history of the island, and benches with a superb view of the coastline.
Although it now costs more than five cents to ride the subway to Coney Island, and the fare for the new amusement park rides is significantly higher than in the past, the park still offers many cost-friendly forms of entertainment. In the summer season, visitors can enjoy free “seaside concerts”, fireworks, and movie screenings on the beach. Visitors can also watch the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball team play frequent games throughout the summer.
            Following improvement efforts of the Coney Island Revitalization Plan in 2010, Mayor Bloomberg said, “everyone knows that Coney Island is back and better than ever.” ⁴ Efforts to revitalize the park included spending $6.6 million on the “Luna Park” and  “Scream Zone” sections of the park as well as improving conditions of the boardwalk. These improvements, among others, led to great success in summer 2011 when 640,000 people visited the park. In addition to providing the city with a popular summer destination, park developments have been beneficial to the city’s economy. In February 2012, Bloomberg “announced the launch of the City’s recruitment efforts to fill over 450 jobs in Coney Island this summer”⁵ . According to Council Member Recchia,  “this is only the beginning. Next year, we’re bringing more rides, jobs, affordable housing and infrastructure improvements to the people who work, live and play in Coney Island” ⁶.   

Hot Dog Eating Contest Billboard. Photo by Johanna Mattsson

Wonder Wheel. Photo by Johanna Mattsson

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