My Astroland

Astroland amusement park at Coney Island closed yesterday, after having been open for nearly 50 years.

My boyfriend and I just walked through it a few weeks ago, wading through an ocean of children we could only describe as being on 'fun-overload.'

It's the latest piece of Coney Island to go, and the largest part yet. Coney Island has held a special place in my heart since I moved here, but simultaneously the need for redevelopment is obvious: currently, it's nowhere near the splendor of it's glory days at the turn of the century.

There's been a lot of debate as to whether or not Thor Equities, the company taking on the task of reshaping Coney Island, has good intentions or not. I won't go into it here, but I hope consideration is given to Coney Island's rich history as we usher in a new era.

I'm a little sad in my heart to see such an institution closed. So in memoriam, a few photos I've snapped of Astroland and its surroundings in the past few years:

Coney Island's Astroland to Close for Good (cnn)

Coney Island Official Site

UPDATE: Some of these photos were used in a NowPublic article; also, the Astroland rides are for sale.

The Dancing Pig

Le Cochon Danseur a silent film from 1907. It's important to watch it all the way to the end. Link courtesy of Zachariah.



This one is much less horrifying: Coney Island at Night, and Edison short. Not necessary to watch all the way to the end, but pretty cool.

Under the Boardwalk, Elephant Bones!

Tomorrow I'm going to Long Beach, my favorite New York beach. The first time I headed out there, I had read that the boardwalk had been built by a team of Elephants. Wikipedia offersthe more plausible story that Long Beach's developer, William Reynolds, marched the elephants from his other interest, the Dreamland amusement park at Coney Island. Perhaps it was under the pretense of having them build the boardwalk, but it was just a publicity stunt.

Also, it was at Coney Island (at Luna Park) that Edison shot his famous film of a 'rogue' elephant being executed. It's terrible to watch, I don't recommend it.

Topsy the Elephant