So Long, Astroland
Over on Gowanus Lounge today, it’s Astroland Monday, where the blog celebrates the former amusement park and curses the developer responsible for killing it. So far there’s been a post of before-and-afters and a video post-mortem with some harsh words for Thor Equities. Enjoy.
Over on Gowanus Lounge today, it’s Astroland Monday, where the blog celebrates the former amusement park and curses the developer responsible for killing it. So far there’s been a post of before-and-afters and a video post-mortem with some harsh words for Thor Equities. Enjoy.
Take a look at an aerial map of Coney Island. There are huge amounts of vacant land and open bus or car parking. This land has sat undeveloped for decades. Amusement parks had plenty of opportunity to demonstrate their viability during the time the area was zoned C7, and during that time the amusement aea steadily shrunk.
I can’t say I won’t miss the amusement area when/if it’s gone, but maybe there’s something to be said for putting in uses that would be active more than a handful of summer weekends a year.
But didn’t the people who were running Astroland sell to Thor? Am I mistaken on that, because if that’s the case, don’t they bear some responsibilty? If that is what happened, their griping over not getting a new lease is particularly galling.
pastroland
No, not dead yet. Alive & Kicking is a new flickr group of “the best of the best images from recent years of attractions that will *definitely* be here and open for business in 2009”
http://www.flickr.com/groups/coneyislandisaliveandkicking/pool/
“Every day we come across news reports and miscaptioned photos that make people think the Cyclone, Wonder Wheel, Sideshow and everything else closed forever on Sept 7, 2008. It’s not true! We send out emails explaining that we are devastated by the loss of Astroland but Coney Island will indeed be open for business in 2009. The images in the group should call out to people–Coney Island is alive and kicking, please visit!”
I’ve been to Coney Island numerous times- I loved it. It had history, it was gritty, it was classic NY and it was for everybody. What you will see in the future is a big, glossy, expensive,plastic, disneyfied version of some rich developers fantasy of Coney Island. A lot could have been done without destroying its unique character- but there you go. Glossy, Plastic. Fake. Elitist. How long before those big fancy apartment buildings and hotels start demanding private beach access and finally kill one of the great public beaches of the Northeast? Rich people don’t share well.
“That said, Coney Island is still going to have beaches, and boardwalks, and restaurants, and such. This is a big, obnoxious loss, but it’s not the death toll for Coney Island as a summer destination spot.””
WHAT??????!!!!!!!!!! Coney Island is going to be a hole in the ground!!!! Thor Equities is waiting for the city to bail them out!! GOD DAMN I hate hate you retards!!
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…
“That said, Coney Island is still going to have beaches, and boardwalks, and restaurants, and such. This is a big, obnoxious loss, but it’s not the death toll for Coney Island as a summer destination spot.””
WHAT??????!!!!!!!!!! Coney Island is going to be a hole in the ground!!!! Thor Equities is waiting for the city to bail them out!! GOD DAMN I hate hate you retards!!
The What
Someday this war is gonn end…
yes, yes. Asshats, mutant bubble, retards, and so forth. God knows Coney Island was way better when its primary purpose was as a place to score smack and/or get mugged.
I’m sorry to see Astroland go, even though I personally have zero interest in visiting a crappy amusement park. It was a part of the city’s history, and the plans that Thor Equities has for Coney Island are assinine.
That said, Coney Island is still going to have beaches, and boardwalks, and restaurants, and such. This is a big, obnoxious loss, but it’s not the death toll for Coney Island as a summer destination spot.
in this case i second this …