The New Coney Island: Theme Park of a Theme Park

Much ado over at Coney Island. Yesterday, we learned that the city may buy developer Joe Sitt's ten acres at the site, and now the Municipal Art Society has released images of the expert crowd-sourced re-imagining of the 25-acre area (these came from the Architect's Newspaper). Here's a description of Imagine Coney, per Curbed:

The concept calls for Coney Island to become the main stage for New York City, providing a platform for small and large performances and events in coordination with its role as an amusement destination. The concept, which would include a variety of indoor and outdoor facilities, can be implemented immediately (Summer 2009) and would take advantage of the parcels of undeveloped land in Coney Island, much of which is now vacant or operating as street-level parking.

Gone, you'll see, is the grit (save for those Geisha girls with pasties), replaced by what looks like a combination of a perpetual Mermaid Parade and some Gehry/Foster+Partners types of buildings; are starchitects headed for Coney, too? Proposals include a hall of holograms; a cable car ride floating "through the clouds;” a vaudeville/circus along the shore; or a kind of real space internet cyber city, among many other ideas. It all seems a little meta: a theme park version of a theme park. What do you think?
Fanciful Visions for Coney Island’s Future [NY Times]
New Vision for Coney [NY Post]
Meet Coney Island V. 4.0: The 'Imagine Coney' Edition [Curbed]

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if it looked like it does in that first pic i'd be there EVERY day

-rob

Posted by: PitbullNYC at November 18, 2008 9:18 AM

Yeah that's great. And where is the city getting this money from? I thought we were out of money and having to cut out education improvements and raise taxes and MTA cards just to survive. Maybe we can just double the deficit to build an amusement park that's an hour subway ride away from anywhere that tourists won't even be able to find and locals will go to one time then no more. I'm thinking we have larger priorities than adding a cable car and more carneys to the boardwalk at this time. Maybe in a few years when we are over the depression that's around the corner.

Posted by: williamsburgguy at November 18, 2008 9:21 AM

well yeah that's true. i've always found the rides at coney island to be totally ridiculously prices already! just imagine how much the new rides will cost!? there is the old notion tho that even in tough times, you can't stop having fun.. sometimes you actually have to try TO have more fun.

-rob

Posted by: PitbullNYC at November 18, 2008 9:42 AM

I like the idea, except for photo number 4. They should keep Coney Island family friendly. The subway car looks nice!

Posted by: motorinstructor at November 18, 2008 12:06 PM

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November 18, 2008

The New Coney Island: Theme Park of a Theme Park

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