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Workers Scramble to Finish Luna Park, Sitt Talks Coney Island
By
John Del Signore
Published May 27, 2010
Modified May 27, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published May 27, 2010
Modified May 27, 2010
Share
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We're told that Luna Park, the new Coney Island amusement park on the former Astroland site that's now owned by the city, will be opening this weekend as planned. Workers have been laboring around the clock to finish the park, which features 19 new rides, including a spinning roller coaster called The Tickler, a "Wild River" ride inspired by the original Luna Park ride Shoot the Chutes, a ride called Surf's Up which buffets riders with simulated winds, and Air Race, which will have riders "doing corkscrews in jets." Here are some photos taken on Tuesday, and it looks like they're really cutting it close on this one.
Meanwhile, developer Joe Sitt, who sold the property to the city but still owns a huge chunk of Coney Island, gave an exclusive interview to NY1 the other day. He talked about his plans to tear down many of the old buildings on Surf Avenue and build two big hotels and an indoor water park. Coney Island preservationists have been trying to save some of the buildings Sitt wants to demolish—such as the gorgeous 1923 bank building. But Sitt says, "Every one of these buildings is just horrible, rundown relics with nothing exciting about them. I hate to say it, but the great buildings of Coney Island disappeared 80 years ago."
Tagged
brooklyn
coney island
fun and games
joe sitt
luna park
memorial day weekend
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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