Latest news with #MermaidParade
Time Out
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This powerful photo exhibit shows the turmoil of Coney Island in the 1960s-70s
These days, Coney Island is known for its roller coasters, Mermaid Parade, and Hot Dog Eating Contest, but back in the 1960s and 1970s, it was a very different story. Instead, the Brooklyn neighborhood resembled "a war zone" between 1965–1975 amid ill-conceived government projects, as the Coney Island History Project explained. Now, a new exhibit of street photography from that era examines what life was like back then. Charles Denson grew up in the West End of Coney Island and began photographing his neighborhood as a teenager. His photos are now part of the exhibition "Coney Island Streets: 1965–1975," which you can visit for free all summer at the Coney Island History Project. The fee exhibit shows the effects of discriminatory policies that began back in 1938 when the federal government "redlined" Coney Island. Redlining targeted the area because of prejudice against immigrants, African Americans, and local residents who were predominantly of Jewish, Italian, and Irish ancestry, the Coney Island History Project explains. The flawed policies of the Federal Housing Administration made it nearly impossible for homeowners to obtain mortgages, loans, and insurance. Slumlords, arsonists, greedy developers, and block-busting took advantage of the situation, and quality of life deteriorated as the area became a poverty pocket. "I grew up to the sounds of fire engines and bulldozers as block after block of viable housing went up in flames or was reduced to rubble under the treads of heavy machinery. None of the structures in my photographs has survived," Denson said in a press release. Block after block of viable housing went up in flames or was reduced to rubble. The government's Urban Renewal program called for the demolition of 60 blocks of homes and businesses. Then, government funding for such projects ran out in 1974, leaving the Coney Island community with a debris field of burned out structures and closed businesses. "My photographs show how resilient the neighborhood proved to be as residents survived as best they could with what remained. During this 10-year period I photographed portraits of local residents, family-run businesses, and the dramatic day-to-day changes taking place in Coney Island," Denson added. My photographs show how resilient the neighborhood proved to be. After photographing his neighborhood as a teen, Denson eventually began his career in 1971 as a photographer for New York Magazine. Today, he is an author of several books about Coney Island and served as executive director of the nonprofit Coney Island History Project. See the exhibit for free at the Coney Island History Project exhibition center (3059 West 12th Street, next to the West 12th Street entrance to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, just a few steps off the Boardwalk). It's open on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays through Labor Day, 1–7pm.
CBS News
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Coney Island artists concerned about controversial casino proposal
A New York City arts nonprofit says it's worried about the future if a controversial plan to build a casino in Coney Island moves forward. Coney Island Mermaid Parade could be jeopardized if casino is built, organizers say Artists with Coney Island USA, the arts nonprofit responsible for the summertime celebration and a variety of year-round beachside programs, are preparing to hold a mock funeral Saturday for one of their time-honored traditions: the iconic Mermaid Parade. Adam Rinn, the nonprofit's artistic director, says if developers have their way, the futures of both the parade and the organization are in jeopardy. "Our building is literally going to be surrounded by pallets of cinder blocks, by trucks, by chain link fences, by porta-potties. Who's going to come into our business for upwards of four years when this construction is going on to support us?" Rinn said. He's talking about the proposal to bring The Coney, a massive casino, hotel and entertainment venue to the area. It's one of the locations being evaluated for three downstate casino licenses to be awarded by the New York State Gaming Commission later this year. Casino would offer opportunity to invest in neighborhood, developers say Robert Cornegy, a spokesperson for The Coney, said the development seeks to support artists. "We have a $200 million fund that is for the community to access and to use in the way that it sees fit. If the Mermaid Parade is one of those ways, then certainly we'd be in support of that," he said. He argues that it would be an opportunity to invest in the neighborhood and to use funding to address longtime concerns like storm resiliency and boardwalk improvements. He also says it will bring thousands of union jobs. "Access to employment in this peninsula has been incredibly rare and scarce. The unemployment numbers are always higher in Coney Island than not only to the national average, but the city and state average," Cornegy said. Rinn doesn't believe that's the right argument. "Isn't it the city's job to invest in neighborhoods?" he asked CBS News New York's Hannah Kliger. "Why is it a private developer's job to cover infrastructure in a neighborhood? To me, that's just a bad deal." The Coney casino license bid continues despite community division Part of the proposal includes demapping several local streets to build the combined 1.3 million square foot development surrounding Coney Island USA's landmarked century-old headquarters. The building itself is protected and will remain but everything around it would have to be demolished. Community Board 13 did not approve the land use application, although the vote is considered advisory. Now the Brooklyn Borough President has one month to review the matter. "It would literally engulf our entire building," Rinn said of the street changes. "We've not seen any kind of studies that talk about pile driving and what that would do to the structural integrity of this building." Regardless of what happens during the Universal Land Use Review Procedure to change the streets, developers with The Coney continue their bid for the casino license, even if they have to amend its footprint. "I think there's a misconception that we're going to replace small businesses. No, we're going to work hand in hand and actually drive our customer base back out into the community," Cornegy said. It's a sore subject for local dad Kouichi Shirayanagi, who started an organization called Coney Islanders Against the Casino. "Casinos don't build. They take away from the economic vitality of a place. Because when people spend their money in a casino, they're not spending their money on local retail," he said. Developers claim their plan has community support among locals. Artists at Coney Island USA, though, hope the casino license does not go through so their mock mermaid memorial doesn't become a real one.
