Coney Island

Coney Island is a peninsula and former island of southernmost Brooklyn, New York City, USA, with a famous beach lying on the Atlantic Ocean.

History

The Name

There are a number of explanations for Coney's name, but the generally accepted source is from coney, an obsolete English word for rabbit, chosen because it was cognate with the Dutch name for the island, Coneyn Eilant ("Rabbit Island"). It has been called thus since the 1640s, appearing on early maps of Nieuw Amsterdam as such.

Related Topics:
Rabbit - Dutch - Nieuw Amsterdam

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The Native American inhabitants of the area called the island Narrioch, "land without shadows", because, in common with other south shore Long Island beaches, its compass orientation keeps the beach area in sunlight all day. In common with other Long Island barrier islands, Coney Island was virtually overrun with rabbits, and rabbit hunting was common until resorts were developed and open space eliminated.

Related Topics:
Native American - Long Island - Compass

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The resort

Beginning with the period after the Civil War, Coney Island became a resort, as excursion railroads and the Coney Island & Brooklyn Railroad streetcar line reached the area in the 1860s and 1870s. With the rail lines, steamship lines and access to the beach came major hotels and public and private beaches, followed by horse racing, amusement parks, and less reputable entertainments, including three card monte and other gambling entrepreneurs, and prostitution.

Related Topics:
Railroad - Coney Island & Brooklyn Railroad - Streetcar - 1860s - 1870s - Steamship - Hotel - Beaches - Horse racing - Amusement park - Three card monte - Gambling - Entrepreneurs - Prostitution

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When the steam railroads were electrified and connected to Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company at the beginning of the 20th century, Coney Island began to turn more rapidly from a resort to an accessible location for day-trippers seeking to escape the summer heat in New York City's tenements.

Related Topics:
Manhattan - Brooklyn Bridge - Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company - 20th century - Summer - Tenement

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The first carousel at Coney Island was built in 1876 by Charles I. D. Looff, a Danish woodcarver. It was installed at Vandeveer's bath-house complex at West 6th Street and Surf Avenue. The complex was later called Balmer's Pavilion. The carousel consisted of hand-carved horses and animals standing two abreast. A small coach was mounted on the platform for people to sit in who didn't want to ride the horses. The ride was illuminated with kerosene lanterns (Thomas Edison did not announce his first light bulb until three years later, in 1879). Music was provided by two musicians, a drummer and a flute player. A metal ring-arm hung on a pole outside the ride feeding small, iron rings for eager riders to grab. A tent-top protected the riders from the weather. The fare was five cents.

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Nathan's Famous' original hot dog stand opened on Coney Island in 1916, and quickly became a landmark there. Their celebrated annual hot dog eating contest has been held there since its opening.

Related Topics:
Nathan's Famous - Hot dog - 1916 - Hot dog eating contest

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In 1915 the Sea Beach Line was upgraded to a subway line, followed by the other former excursion roads, and the opening of the New West End Terminal for all the subway lines in 1919 ushering in Coney Island's busiest era.

Related Topics:
1915 - Sea Beach Line - Subway - 1919

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After World War II contraction began seriously from a series of pressures. Air conditioning in movie theaters and then homes, and the advent of automobile access to less crowded and more appealing Long Island state parks, and especially Jones Beach lessened the attractions of Coney's beaches. Luna Park closed in 1946 after a series of fires and the street gang problems of the 1950s, now colorfully portrayed, spilled over into Coney Island. Though there was not a great danger as would be understood today, the menacing appearance of some of the youth, and their often harassing behavior made parents less willing to bring their young children to Coney or allow their teenaged children to go there.

Related Topics:
Air conditioning - Movie theater - Automobile - Long Island - Jones Beach - 1946 - Street gang - 1950s - Parent - Child - Teenaged

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The presence of threatening youth did not impact the beachgoing so much as it discouraged visits to rides and concessions, the staples of the Coney Island economy. A major blow was struck in 1964 when Steeplechase Park, the last of the major parks, closed.

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The builder and New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses was actively opposed to the "tawdry" entertainment at Coney and discouraged new building of amusement. Housing projects (both low and moderate income) were built that used up what had been amusement areas, and the aquarium project, where Dreamland once stood, helped contract the available area for more traditional amusements.

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In Coney Island's lowest years there was some incremental improvement in relatively small areas, notably the preservation and later the expansion of what had been the rides area at the back of the Feltman's property as Astroland. The general improvement in New York City's infrastructure, commercial prospects and image after the 1970s fiscal crisis under the mayoral administration of Edward I. Koch helped Coney Island, and many improvements were made under the recent mayoralty of Rudolph Giuliani, continuing with the current mayor, all helped by the Wall Street booms of the 1980s and 1990s.

Related Topics:
Astroland - Edward I. Koch - Rudolph Giuliani - Wall Street - 1980s - 1990s

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While all of the original amusement parks have long since closed down, Steeplechase being the last in 1964, one revived amusement park, Astroland, has gradually expanded, and there are also several more or less organized amusement areas and a number of independent rides and concessions.

Related Topics:
1964 - Astroland

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