New Flickr Group From History Project: Coney Alive And Kicking

The Coney Island History Project just started a new Flickr Group and it's up and running to show the world that Coney Island is not closed but very open! So if you got awesome pictures of what's going to be alive and kicking for summer 2009, you can submit them now!

From CIHP's Alive And Kicking Flickr Group:

The Coney Island History Project, founded in 2004, is a not-for-profit organization that aims to increase awareness of Coney Island's legendary and colorful past and to encourage appreciation of the Coney Island neighborhood of today. Now that the History Project's flickr photostream is established, we're ready and eager to start a few groups. This group is intended to help publicize to the world the fact that Coney Island is alive and kicking and welcomes visitors in 2009!

We are interested in the best of the best images from recent years of attractions that will *definitely* be here and open for business in 2009. Once the 2009 season gets underway and you have new photos, you can start adding images from this year as well. Photos of residents and visitors enjoying what Coney Island has to offer are also welcome. Everything from the landmark Cyclone, Wonder Wheel and Parachute Jump to the independently owned rides and attractions to the beach and the Boardwalk. If you are uncertain whether a particular ride, food stand or other attraction will be open, we'll try to find out.

Coney Island attractions that will *definitely* be open in 2009:
Please consult the list here before you post.

Public Hearings For Coney And Brighton Beach Rezonings

The Bay News earlier reported that the Community Board 13 will be February 25th for Brighton Beach and March 3rd for Coney Island . Located at Coney Island Hospital Auditorium for Brighton and at Lincoln High School Auditorium for Coney Island.

Coney Rock blog says:

There are supposed to be 2 Board Hearings for Coney. The Community Board deadline for their recommendation is March 30th. The March 3rd hearing is a tentative date thus far, but I expect there will be 2 hearings in March. Then it goes through Marty, City Planning, and City Council, with a bunch more public meetings.

YourNabe.com writes:

At this point Community Board 13 is anticipating holding two separate hearings on the massive plan to change Coney Island’s current C7 zoning. It is hoped that the zoning change will facilitate the development of 4,500 new units of residential housing and the construction of a 27-acre year-round amusement park.

* * * * * *

The city is desperate to get its Coney Island redevelopment plan realized by the end of this summer, but significant opposition from ride advocates and local elected officials remains.

Besides Coney Island are the controversial proposal to rezone 50 blocks in Brighton Beach. The rezoning would allow taller buildings along Brighton Beach Avenue, which has some local residents opposing the plan, claiming the taller buildings would block sunlight and ocean breeze.


Coney ULURP hearings [YourNabe.com]
Public Hearings scheduled for Coney and Brighton Rezoning [ConeyRocks]
Brighton Beach rezone - CB13 to hold hearings on plan to revamp 50 blocks [YourNabe.com]

Coney Island Film Festival Call For Entries Now Open

Image courtesy of Coney Island Film Festival
Top Row: Paul Andersen (The Visitor), Randy Scott Slavin (Temporarily in Love) Angelica Torn, Luke Zarzecki (Lucky Days) Marcos Meconi (Carlos Catani) Bottom Row: Chris Fox Gilson, Carolyn Travis (Airplay) Amanda Jencsik (Coney Island Saved Me!) Peter LiPera (Save Coney Island) Photo: Norman Blake, Location: El Dorado Auto Skooters

It's that time again...to get your films submitted to the Coney Island Film Festival for 2009! Your chance to have your film screened in Coney Island and maybe win an award like the filmmakers in the picture of above, who won last year.

Early Bird Deadline is February 27, 2009. Regular Deadline is April, 24, 2009. Late Deadline is July 3, 2009. And Extended Late Deadline is July 10, 2009.

Read Quotes from the 2008 filmmakers about our festival.
View the festival's 2008 Photo Gallery.

9th Annual Coney Island Film Festival
October 2-4, 2009
at Sideshows By The Seashore and The Coney Island Museum in the historic Brooklyn neighborhood Coney Island, New York!

Flickr Convoy: Coney's Fast-Food-Toutin'-Astroboy

Image courtesy of Rubys Host / KC Flickr Group

So, what's up with this burger boy who has stood perched atop the Gregory & Paul's foodstand along with the Astroland rocket for many years? Though this image has a mirrored effect (He only holds one big juicy burger instead of two), could he still be considered a Coney Island icon? Does he have a name? An origin? Who knows the history of this fast-food-toutin'-Astroboy? Shouldn't we make sure he has a place in the future Coney Island?


Join the Kinetic Carnival Flickr Group to add your Coney Island images and have them featured on this blog.

Left is the original (non-mirrored) burger boy. And don't forget his girlfriend who's perched on the other end of the food stand.

Both 'Astro' boy & girl should have a place in the future Coney.

Saying Good-Bye For Now To Astroland Rocket

Image courtesy of Coney Island History Project (Flickr.com)

In a press conference and ceremony paying tribute to the Astroland rocket which Astroland donated to the city yesterday, many of the main characters attended. Of course among them was Carol Hill Albert, Astroland's past owner and operator, who said:

“This one of a kind Rocket simulator was the very first ride to arrive at Astroland Park, when it was founded by my late father in- law Dewey Albert in 1962. My husband Jerome and myself are donating this in his honor and on behalf the Coney Island History Project. It is especially fitting that this Rocket, which was the first to arrive, will be the last item to leave Astroland Park. On the sad occasion of closing Astroland, which has been Coney Island's largest amusement park for 47 years, my husband Jerome and I are heartened to know that the City will be displaying the Rocket in a prominent location as part of the new Coney Island where it can continue to educate and entertain.”

The rocket is to receive a bronze plaque which on it will be inscribed that the donation is in honor of Dewey 0Albert, Astroland's founder. The plaque is said to be placed on the rocket in the next few months. Though nobody will see it because the rocket itself will be stored some place, somewhere, in Staten Island.

Image courtesy of Pablo57 (Flickr.com)

Posted by Mr Jonsey PabloJonsey on the Coney Island message board:

Rocket may be leaving us soon for exile, but tonight the rocket sleeps cuddled beside the Cyclone's back. The rocket listens to the cry of the Astro Tower for at least one more night, hears the Q train rumbling by for one more night. The rocket will sleep with the sounds of the aquarium and the ocean soothing her to sleep, mermaids will be guarding the rocket tonight.

The rocket has been rumored to be located temporarily at says Indie Rob Leddy on the CIUSA board:

A friend who is a reliable contact called me this afternoon and claims that it will be stored at the Stapleton Homeport.

Image courtesy of photoboyonsi (Flickr.com)

Eat Nathan's HOOPLA!

Image courtesy (posted with permission) by Cristian Fleming
(Cristian Fleming - editorial cartoonist)

Last week the launch of the seven-month public review process for Coney’s rezoning set off the buzz that Nathan’s Famous hot dog eatery was threatened of being devoured because it sits on land that will become highly valuable when the rezoning for Coney redevelopment happens. Somewhere, almost hidden, in the draft of the environmental impact statement released by the city last week states:

The report, referring to “impacts” of the rezoning of Coney Island, indicates that Nathan’s Famous “is assumed to be replaced under the proposed actions with a new building containing hotel, amusement, retail and enhancing uses.”

But Andrew Brent, a spokesman for the mayor, said that Nathan's is not leaving for now. He said, “Nathan's is one of Coney’s treasured assets, and its continued success on its current location is absolutely a part of the administration's plan to grow and revitalize the amusement district."

Other buzz is that the rezoning could have the eatery expand with "possibly a sit-down restaurant, catering facility or even a hot-dog ride."

Ruby’s Host posts on CIUSA board

Nathans already had designs for 15 stories, of which part would be condos. They are planning on using the first 3-5 floors for Nathan’s expansion like; in-house seating, a mini museum for Nathan’s history and for the eating contest.

But above all the hoopla, chairperson for Nathan’s Famous, Eric Gatoff wrote a letter to the Gowanus Lounge blog and had this (in part) to say to GL:

....we believe the information relating to Nathan’s is being misinterpreted and that there is no intention to replace or demolish our flagship location. In fact, the Coney Island Development Corporation’s own drawings of its intended redevelopment continue to show Nathan’s Famous in the same location on which it has stood for 93 years, on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues, at the front door to the “People’s Playground.”

But if you gave a sigh a relief – wait – because Coney Island USA director Dick Zigun says: The historic building is, YES INDEED, very very very threatened by this zoning plan.

The rezoning creates enormous economic pressure on the Handwerker Family to demolish the current building when the lease is up in 20 years. The city is economically encouraging (almost forcing) the family to upgrade to a 15 story building with a new home for the Nathan's Restaurant. The city has shown NO RESPECT for the historic building where fast-food was invented. The city should be zoning for a tall building BEHIND the current two story structure.

Understandable is the importance to keep the building's character and history by landmarking but then again...why? Nathan’s is a simple two story building which can't be seen because it’s covered with billboards. It will not blend in with a sprouting new Coney around it. Sure there is plenty of space in the lots behind it to go up but adding another a few more stories above it with new billboards (for a Nathan's expansion) would fit in nicely (keeping the same logo and design) with its future surroundings. Okay okay...keep the first floor because we want to keep the original intact.

As worry of Nathan’s iconic signature for Coney was threatened, others were busy vanishing from Coney forever like Gregory & Paul’s long standing food stand on the corner of Surf Avenue and W. 10th street across from the Cyclone – as it was auctioned off. Their stand on the boardwalk, however, will most likely be open this summer as some reports indicate.

The Astroland rocket sat quietly in the almost-vacant Astroland lot until Wednesday when it was announced that Astroland was donating it to the city for Coney’s future.

Well, since Belgium porn was expelled from the future of Coney Island by Davina Cukier who decided to sell the domain left to lapse by Thor Equities, it appears she gave up and the hosting company put up a generic page.

And finally, left for birds was the 6 million dollar potato chip that nobody wants for the amphitheater at Asser Levy Park made its rendering debut. The public’s opposition to Marty Markowitz plans for the theater grows.


Nathan's HOOPLA:
Coney Island Nathan's in Danger Under Bloomberg Plan [Eatery]
Coney Offensive Begins, But Nathan's Dogged By Questions [Curbed]
Nathan’s Calls BS on Talk of Demolition [Gowanus Lounge]
Nathan's Staying at Coney Island, At Least [Village Voice - runnin's scared]
Coney Is. Plans Bites Nathan's [NY Post]
Hot Dogs To Go Go -Brooklyn May Lose Original Nathan's [Brooklyn Hall of Fame]
Dick Says Nathan’s Could Go to the Dogs [Gowanus Lounge]

Other HOOPLA:
City Saving Astroland Rocket (In Space Saving Vacum Bag) [Neil deMause - The Website]
Astroland, Gone But Not Forgotten [the Architects Newspaper Blog]
Coney Island's Rocket ride saved for new NYC park [Antiwar Newswire]
Coney Residents: Asser Levy Alone! [The Brooklyn Paper]

How to Have Fun with Boring Planning Maps [Gowanus Lounge]
Future of Coney Island Farce Continues & Get Curiouser [Gowanus Lounge]
After 6-Ton Donation, Astroland Rocket Sets a Course for Re-entry to Coney Island [NY Times]

Images:
Nathan's [Etsy]
In the Pool: Utilitarian [Gowanus Lounge]
Coney Island I'll Stand Alone [the Daily Sunrise]
Coney Skies [Taking Pictures]

Astroland Rocket Donated To City And Takes Off To Staten Island

Image courtesy of Coney Island History Project (Flickr.com)

The Astroland Rocket has been donated to the city. The rocket that has been resting inside the gates of the now-mostly-empty Astroland lot is ready to be carted away across the river and over the Verrazano Bridge to Staten Island where it will be living in hiding in Staten Island for a long time. Until it's placed somewhere in its new home at the future redeveloped Coney Island. Astroland donated the 71-foot long, 14,000 pound rocket to the city and was excepted by EDC Deputy Mayor, Robert Lieber on behalf of the City Economic Development Corporation.

The New York Economic Development Corporation sent out press alert about holding a conference at the Aquarium's Education Hall at noon. Carol Hill Albert along with Lieber and EDC president, Seth Pinsky, Domenic Recchia, City Planner Amanda Burden and others attended. Some quotes from the conference, in part, read:

"Rescue of Endangered Coney Island Artifact is a Symbol of the City’s Commitment to the Redevelopment of the Storied Amusement Destination...Will Relocate to a Permanent Home in Coney Island’s New Amusement and Entertainment District." It added that rocket "will become a permanent and iconic part of the 27 acre redeveloped amusement district in Coney Island."

With the announcement there was a conference held at the New York Aquarium at noon where the rocket was moved to until it was shipped off to Staten Island sometime in the evening.

Robert C. Lieber, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, quotes in the release:

“Coney Island is the people’s playground, and the Astroland rocket is its symbol of the adventure, discovery and fun that have brought New Yorkers here for years.”

Also in the press release, Seth W. Pinsky, President, NYCEDC, said:

“The Rocket will now join the Cyclone, the Wonder Wheel and the Parachute Jump as permanent symbols of Coney Island as it once was and the Coney Island that it will become again.”

Other quotes from the release could be read at the Curbed posting here.


Astroland Rocket Update: Staten Island Exile Looms for a While [Curbed]