The Window Seat: The Last Year For Astroland And Coney Island Will Never Be The Same

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This morning I heard some disturbing news on the radio. The Coney Island amusement park (AKA the Astroland Amusment park) has been sold to a real estate developer, at least according to the NPR story I woke up to. Everything save the cyclone, an official landmark, will be torn down and made into…What exactly? That is the question.

When I first heard the news I was blurry with sleep but this got my blood pumping. It's sacrilege to tear down Coney Island! After all, I have yet to go on all the rides! I'm thinking what – more luxury rentals by the sea? Is there no one else who wants to see some things remain the same? Ugh, I feel old. It's an ugly thought this early in the morning. But what about preservation of an icon?

And that's really it. It's not so much that I want to preserve a slice of my own experience because I don't have memories of family outings to Coney Island. My family, with roots in Brooklyn, never went there. It wasn't until I went to Brighton Beach as an adult that I got to witness The Cyclone up close with my own eyes. And I must admit I was afraid to go on it because it seemed, well, a tad rickety. However these rides are a piece of New York history! They're a classic. I want Coney Island and all the wacky wanderers who abound from clowns to mermaids to creeps to be there always – to have a place to shine. After all, it's why Coney Island's amusement park and boardwalk has been the colorful backdrop for many a movie, book, video, commercial and parade for years.

I depresses me to think how the world is changing. It's getting so cleaned up. Everything with any grit, any true personality –originality–is being taken down in favor of what I'm calling the bland branding-down of America. I love how unsafe Coney Island is from fashion to freaks. Do they know what they are taking apart when they tear this slice of Americana down?

And then in my semi sleepy state – I thought I heard something hopeful. Something odd about wanting to make Coney Island like Dubai. A multi-million dollar entertainment resort. There was brief talk of making a snow mountain. And while I have no idea if that's true or even possible in a place that gets pretty hot during the summer months – it definitely seemed like the best case scenario. If you have to go out with the old and in with the new – at least ushering in something as wild and far-fetched as Dubai seems like a suitable modern day replacement for Astroland and all that goes with it.

While the plans have yet to be approved I remain dubious. And also determined to ride the rides at Coney Island this summer for the first and last time.

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