brucepix

Will a controversial plan ruin a neighborhood?

Tonight, Tuesday,at 6 pm in Lincoln High School in Coney Island a community meeting of sorts will be held to begin the process of what will become the future of this neighborhood on the Brooklyn shore. The original “improvement” plan called for the retention of the amusement area combined with urban renewal in the form of affordable housing and improved shopping. Somewhere along the line the plan morphed into a grandiose scheme which includes reducing the acreage of the world famous amusement area, building three 30 plus story “hotels” which would actually be condos and a shopping mall.
     The current residents of Coney Island contend that this scheme would ruin the ambiance of the area and cause rents to rise and the availability of affordable housing to drop. The people opposing the plan also contend that the so called “hotels” will in actuality be luxury residences with only a token paid to housing for lower income people. In addition, in the words of some group members, “Who needs a shopping mall. People don’t come to Coney Island to shop”. Tonight’s meeting will be only the opening volley in a conflict between what has all to often become a war between the people of New York and a powerful real estate lobby.
     
  I have some photos left over from the mermaid parade last Saturday. Hopefully what ever they decide to do with this area they will not put the stamp of civility on this unique event.

 The contention is that no matter what  
eventually happens to the neighborhood, 
the world famous Cyclone roller coaster
will remain.

Every member of this swing orchestra was packing a gun.
This is the NYPD orchestra and the guns are part of the
uniform. I can report that at the end of their set everyone
applauded wildly.

Meanwhile back at the parade this
young lady was so proud of her “costume”
she couldn’t wait to show us her..er..bubbles.

For those who got bored looking at half naked women there was
an old car show going on a few blocks away.

The only concession to safety in this ‘57Caddy interior is a thin
layer of padding on the dashboard. There were no seat belts 
or airbags and the instrument panel was all metal. The only thing
safe about this car was its sheer bulk.

I love this blue Chevy convertable. It’s just a great looking car.
If it weren’t for the fact that it sucked up gas at an alarming rate
I wouldn’t mind driving around in this car today.

This is a shop for losers. If you couldn’t win one of these prizes
at one of Astroland’s games of skill you could always just buy one.
You coud always lie to your friends.

This may be the wave of the future. I had a bike very much like 
this one when I was a kid. Mine was a Schwinn Hornet. It was blue
and it didn’t have a tank. I went all over Brooklyn and Queens on
that bike. In those days we didn’t consider it a form of exercise. It
was just transportation.
 

It looks like it’s going to be a great day out. I’m in desparate need of exersize. So I’m going to reluctantly put on some pants and venture forth.