If you’ve made an early trip to the Wonder Wheel this year, you’ve probably noticed the giant white wing of the new Coney Island Amphitheater rising just west of the Brooklyn Cyclones stadium. Opening this Saturday with a Ziggy Marley … Continue reading
When crowds throng Coney Island for the annual Nathan’s hot dog eating contest on July 4th, they’ll find a boardwalk amusement strip that is, for the umpteenth year in a row, undergoing a summer of change and transition. There is … Continue reading
A quick fact-check of yesterday’s much-hyped state comptroller’s report declaring Coney Island to be booming: Yesterday state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli issued a report on economic development in Coney Island and Brighton Beach, and declared the two Brooklyn communities to be … Continue reading
Earlier this month, the owners of Coney Island’s Luna Park announced they’d be booting out eight boardwalk businesses because they didn’t fit their image of a “year-round” Coney. That’s been the stated dream of city planners for years now — … Continue reading
It’s been just about forever since anyone built anything new in Coney Island (this doesn’t count), so little wonder everyone seemed so excited today to attend a press conference announcing actual new stuff this summer: In what’s becoming a bit … Continue reading
Still more on Coney Island, this time an analysis of how we got here for Metro: It’s happy time in Coney Island! Sure, Astroland is still a vacant lot, as are the former batting cages and go-cart rides, and even … Continue reading
New York City has put out the call for an amusement-park operator for its newly acquired Coney Island land: Now that it has seven acres of Coney Island beachfront property in its mitts, the city isn’t wasting time gearing up … Continue reading
The long-running saga of New York City’s battle with developer Joe Sitt over Coney Island is over, but the amusement district’s future remains unclear: It was, Mayor Bloomberg said more than once, “a day people probably thought never would arrive.” … Continue reading
Four years in the making, the Coney Island rezoning plan got its final approval from the city council today — and yet still it’s not over. I have the live play-by-play on the Village Voice site: Against all odds, there’s … Continue reading
With the city council set to vote on the rezoning of Coney Island this week, I try to boil the issue down to 350 words: On Wednesday, after a five-year battle that’s included everything from “giant rat” exhibits to protesters … Continue reading