Part 5

by Takeshi Yamada

In recent years, New York City has been spending a large amount of money to revitalize the public facilities of the Coney Island area in Brooklyn, New York. Examples of them are Key Span Baseball Stadium (2002), a new small park at the corner of Stillwell Ave and the board walk, bathrooms equipped beach pavilion at the corner of Stillwell Ave and Board Walk (2004), major board walk repairs, Parachute Jump Tower upgrading (new painting and lights installation in 2006), Coney Island - Stillwell subway station’s complete make over (completed 2005) and so on.

The newly renovated futuristic Coney Island-Stillwell subway station for F, Q, N, D lines, seen from the Stillwell Avenue. (August 24, 2007)

Unfortunately, after the golden era, Coney Island almost became a lost city until recent decades. This is why today’s children in New York City do not know anything about the Coney Island’s glory days less than 100 years ago. Coney Island once was the center of the entertainment industry of the world and it was bigger than Hollywood, Disney World, Six Flags, and Times Square all combined.

Today, revitalization of Coney Island is a vital issue for locals as well as New York City politics. New York politicians finally realized that they can not collect tax money when NY people spend billions of dollars in other states during their summer vacations and trips. There are still so many things to be done in Coney Island by the government and private commercial companies. Seeing is believing. The photographs below show why.

The empty disowned lot right next to the Coney Island-Stillwell subway station on the Surf Avenue. This prime location is completely wasted. (August 25, 2007)

It may hard to believe but these disowned eyesore stores on the Surf Avenue are facing the main entrance of the Coney Island-Stillwell subway station. This prime location is also completely wasted. Shown in the back is the Astroland Tower. (August 18, 2007)

The eyesore empty trashed lot next to the disowned stores on the Surf Avenue facing the Coney Island-Stillwell subway station main entrance. This prime location is also completely trashed and wasted. Shown in the back is the Astroland Tower. (August 18, 2007)

The spectacular historical B&B Carousell was closed down on the Surf Avenue by the Coney Island-Stillwell subway station, a few years ago. (prime location) (August 24, 2007)

An old, disowned, and deteriorating museum building on the Surf Avenue in the amusement park area. (the prime location!) (August 18, 2007)

The old and disowned “Playland” (game center) on Surf Avenue by the Keyspan Baseball Stadium (prime location!) (August 24, 2007)

From the above shown abundant Playland game center to the board walk is completely wasted like this. Many smaller lots around here also look like this. (prime location) (August 29, 2007)

An empty lot full of school buses at the board walk by the Key Span Baseball Stadium (prime location) (August 29, 2007)

A community meeting invitation color post card, front and back, 6x9 inch. (June 2007) The artist’s rendering in the front of this card shows the new Coney Island Amusement Park to be built.  For this purpose, Astroland Amusement Park will be demolished. The original idea presented by the real estate developer - building a high-rise condominium within the amusement park ground as shown here - was completely rejected by the community. As we speak, many deals have been made in public and private between the government, commercial developers, and community representatives to finalize the development of this unique, distinctive and historical area of New York City.    

Takeshi Yamada, Sea Rabbit (“Seara”), two exotic travelers from Spain visiting Astroland Amusement Park. (August 15, 2007) Even today, many tourists from other countries visit Coney Island.

Takeshi Yamada © 2007 Copyright all rights reserved