Sodom by the Sea
I went to the NY ren fair with folks this weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's much bigger than King Richard's. hilariarex convinced me that I needed some pretty pretty skirts, which I'm looking forward to wearing soon. We saw a very talented self-taught performer, who juggled fire on top of a ladder he was supporting himself on, rode a unicycle on a loose rope, and (most alarmingly), juggled a chainsaw. The only downside was getting carnyed -- somehow, I was convinced to pay $2 to do one of those 'test your strength' things. I am, apparently, a rum drinker.
The next day, we went to . It's very easy to get to from Manhatten -- four different subways terminate there. The beach is large and beautiful, and it has a decent sized wooden boardwalk. But there weren't many people. And if you get a couple of blocks away from the boardwalk, you enter the land of abandoned storefronts. Even on the boardwalk, between Astroland and Keyspan Park (a minor league baseball staduim), there is an abandoned lot, and a lot used only for bus parking. I just don't understand why the place isn't more hopping. They have everything a place could ask for: sand, sun, water, and an easy way to get there. They have the weight of history behind them. So why is Coney so empty? It made me a little sad.
Here's a photo taken in the 40's of the view from the parachute jump (now closed). Compare it to the view from the Wonder Wheel taken today (and when we were there, I think there were fewer folks than even in the photo).
1940's
Today -- look at all the empty space on the park and on the beach
Highlights of the visit:
* The Comet rollercoaster. The seats are the cushiest I'd ever seen, but it became clear why they were so padded: this is one BUMPY JOSTLY coaster. Ow. On the other hand, now I've ridden a coaster that was around when my grandparents were young, so that's something.
* The Wonder Wheel. Much cooler than a ferris wheel, the car doesn't stay in one place but instead dives forward. Great!
* The Spook-O-Rama. A dark ride. I'd been reading a lot about dark rides on the internet -- there aren't many left. It's a bit like Mr. Toad's Wild ride (from Disleyland): it's a car on a track in the dark where things jump out at you. I suspect the reason there aren't many left is that people find them dull, but I actually found it a little too scary.
* The sideshow. There was a woman sword-swallower, and a man who performed the human blockhead (where you hammer a nail into your nose -- very cringe-inducing). The highlight was the fire-eater woman. She was really talented, and just did a beautiful performance.
All in all, I'm glad I went. It was great to spend time with NY folks. And I'm glad I got to see for myself what the area is like now. But I now feel very strongly that Coney is actually gone already. That beautiful beach will always be there, but the atmosphere and excitement are no longer.
Here's one more picture from the heyday. This is Luna Park.
The next day, we went to . It's very easy to get to from Manhatten -- four different subways terminate there. The beach is large and beautiful, and it has a decent sized wooden boardwalk. But there weren't many people. And if you get a couple of blocks away from the boardwalk, you enter the land of abandoned storefronts. Even on the boardwalk, between Astroland and Keyspan Park (a minor league baseball staduim), there is an abandoned lot, and a lot used only for bus parking. I just don't understand why the place isn't more hopping. They have everything a place could ask for: sand, sun, water, and an easy way to get there. They have the weight of history behind them. So why is Coney so empty? It made me a little sad.
Here's a photo taken in the 40's of the view from the parachute jump (now closed). Compare it to the view from the Wonder Wheel taken today (and when we were there, I think there were fewer folks than even in the photo).
1940's
Today -- look at all the empty space on the park and on the beach
Highlights of the visit:
* The Comet rollercoaster. The seats are the cushiest I'd ever seen, but it became clear why they were so padded: this is one BUMPY JOSTLY coaster. Ow. On the other hand, now I've ridden a coaster that was around when my grandparents were young, so that's something.
* The Wonder Wheel. Much cooler than a ferris wheel, the car doesn't stay in one place but instead dives forward. Great!
* The Spook-O-Rama. A dark ride. I'd been reading a lot about dark rides on the internet -- there aren't many left. It's a bit like Mr. Toad's Wild ride (from Disleyland): it's a car on a track in the dark where things jump out at you. I suspect the reason there aren't many left is that people find them dull, but I actually found it a little too scary.
* The sideshow. There was a woman sword-swallower, and a man who performed the human blockhead (where you hammer a nail into your nose -- very cringe-inducing). The highlight was the fire-eater woman. She was really talented, and just did a beautiful performance.
All in all, I'm glad I went. It was great to spend time with NY folks. And I'm glad I got to see for myself what the area is like now. But I now feel very strongly that Coney is actually gone already. That beautiful beach will always be there, but the atmosphere and excitement are no longer.
Here's one more picture from the heyday. This is Luna Park.