Coney Island's Booming

Coney Island may not have made it into the the big New York Times piece on Brooklyn this morning but its resurgence was the subject of a Crain’s article over the weekend in which the business paper wonders if the South Brooklyn entertainment mecca, long on a downslide, is now poised to go the way of Times Square.

The gritty seaside strip has bounced back from the brink of desolation, and its boosters believe the best is yet to come. The honky-tonk boardwalk has shed most of its mangier haunts while preserving a few cherished venues, like Ruby’s Bar & Grill. Revamped roller coasters and new rides have lured record crowds to once-empty lots. Even seedy Surf Avenue has undergone a transformation—swapping rows of discount furniture stores for a biker bar and a Grimaldi’s Pizzeria—that is again making Coney Island a destination.

Notably absent from the article is any mention of folks who are already nostalgic for “the good old days,” an inevitable sentiment whenever change comes.
Brooklyn: A tipping point for Coney Island [Crain’s]
Photo by inturne