The Coney Island Houses

Andy!

2012-01-29T11:06:00.001-08:00

Our very own Andy "Bat" Adams belting out the tunes. Love it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXAK3QiVwDk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Charlie Denson Climbs The Parachute Jump

2012-01-18T20:11:00.001-08:00

Charlie posted a video of his climb to the top. Check it out:

Happy Thanksgiving from the Boys!

2011-11-24T10:07:00.001-08:00

9/11/2011

2011-09-11T19:13:00.001-07:00

Ten years later... Have we?

The 2011 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

2011-07-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

A great shot courtesy of Butch Moran. Thanks Butch! (Click on the photo to make it larger)

Help Abby Raise $10,000 for Masbia

2011-01-07T01:58:00.000-08:00

Kenny Boden shared this video with me for a very worthy cause if anyone is so inclined.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

Snow on Coney Island

2010-12-28T09:01:00.000-08:00

First Snow. December 26, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

Great shot by local resident Bruce Handy. Thanks Bruce!

Coney Island's Henderson Theater

2010-12-27T01:02:00.000-08:00

A very nice video by Charlie Denson showing more of the vanishing history of our hometown.
Thanks Charlie.

Coney Island Polar Bears Snow Swim Dec. 26, 2010

2010-12-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

No. Freaking. Way. I'd rather be here in AZ.

Coney Island's Shore Theater Is Named a Landmark - NYTimes.com

2010-12-15T22:05:00.000-08:00

Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Read the story here in the NY Times.

Looks Like Musical Talent Is Genetic

2010-11-16T16:15:00.000-08:00

Check out Bat's son on iTunes. Taking after his old man although Andy didn't rap too much.

Click here: ---> Andy's son J-Frost on iTunes

It’ll Always Be The Big Park To Us

2010-11-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

It amazes me what information pops up about Coney Island. Did you know that our beloved Big Park had an official name when it opened? Read on...

Nautilus Playground

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

Nautilus Playground

Shakespeare once asked, “What’s in a name?” In the case of parks, a name often reflects the history of the place, and the spirit of the time when the park was named. Many small parks were named after local men who served and died in World Wars I and II, recalling acts of courage in troubled times. Others are named after prominent local figures, allowing the deceased to remain an important part of the community. Some derive their name from a previous owner of the property, others from local streets. Nautilus Park, which borders Riegelmann Boardwalk between West 29th and West 32nd Streets, follows the maritime naming tradition of the Coney Island area. The playground’s name comes from the nautilus, a marine coiled-shell mollusk, belonging to the only surviving genus of the nautiloids, which were the largest predators of the seas during the Ordovician period 450 million years ago. The nautilus is a member of the carnivorous mollusk family Nautilidae, common in the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Cephalopoda class of highly mobile mollusks that possess large eyes, tentacles, and powerful beak-like mouths. The shell of the nautilus is divided into 36 chambers, with the animal residing in the last and largest chamber. The chambers are filled with gas and liquid, which the animal controls in order to affect its buoyancy. The nautilus rests on the ocean floor during the day, and at night, swims about by forcing water through a primitive funnel. Using its adhesive tentacles, the nautilus feeds on shrimp and algae. Species related to the nautilus include shell-less mollusks such as the octopus and squid.

The word nautilus is a popular choice for ocean-related nomenclature, particularly when attempting to convey strength. Nautilus Playground shares its name with the ship-hunting submarine in Jules Verne’s 1870 novel Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. It is also the name of the first nuclear submarine, U.S.S. Nautilus, launched in 1955. The U.S.S. Nautilus was the first vessel ever to use atomic power for propulsion. Appropriately for this playground, Nautilus is also a famous line of fitness machines.

The City of New York acquired this land by condemnation in 1945, and the Board of Estimate assigned it to Parks on May 14, 1953. It opened to the public on June 13, 1957, as the recreational area for the Coney Island Houses. Its original name was Coney Island Houses Playground.

A severe housing shortage after World War II caused the clearing of more than 50 acres of Coney Island residences to make way for new housing. Coney Island’s existing homes and bungalows could not sustain year-round living, therefore new housing, mostly large apartment buildings, was constructed around Surf, Neptune, and Mermaid Avenues. The last blocks of 30th and 31st Streets were cleared for the Coney Island Houses project- city-aided housing, constructed by the New York City Housing Authority.

The playground’s name was changed to Nautilus Playground in July 1997 by Commissioner Stern. Today, the park features slides, swings, basketball courts, gaming tables, shuffleboard courts, a sandbox pit, and a comfort station. The basketball courts were renovated and used as a set in Spike Lee’s 1998 movieHe Got Game. The playground also features London planetrees (Platanus acerifolia). The London planetree takes its name from London, England, where it flourished despite the city’s once coal-polluted air.

1.38 acres

Ash Wednesday Storm or Great Atlantic Storm of 1962 March 6-8 1962

2010-11-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

Peter Singer posted some pictures on Facebook and he kindly allowed me to post them here. I remember this storm very well although I always thought it was from the remnants of Hurricane Donna. Here is some fascinating information about the storm and the pictures follow. Thanks Peter!

The following information is from World Lingo

The Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 occurred on March 6-8, 1962 along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. In an area accustomed to a hurricane season from late August to early November each year, and the periodic major winter storms known as "Nor'easters", the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 was unlike anything anyone living could recall.

It was considered by the U.S. Geological Survey to be one of the most destructive storms ever to affect the mid-Atlantic states. One of the ten worst storms in the United States in the 20th century, it lingered through five high tides over a three day period, killing 40 people, injuring over 1,000 and causing hundreds of millions in property damage in six states.

CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE A LARGER IMAGE. THEY ARE ALSO AVAILABLE TO COMMENT (PLEASE!) WITH ALL THE OTHER PHOTOS ---> HERE.

Ocean Parkway’s Last 19th Century Mile Marker

2010-11-01T00:40:00.000-07:00

Ephemeral New York

Great little story from our friends at Ephemeral New York. Read it here.

By Popular Demand.... Brooklyn Memories

2010-10-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

Many of us receive this link from time to time. Cheryl Nessel suggested a permanent spot on the blog. Thanks for the suggestion Cheryl!

Click here--> Brooklyn Memories

The End of Faber's Fascination at Coney Island

2010-09-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Charlie sent me this video he shot on September 9, 2010. Beautifully done.

Ask Mr. Coney Island: Pizza on the Boardwalk

2010-08-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

Charlie Denson told me about an Ask Mr. Coney Island story about Larry and Vinny on the Coney Island History Project website. There are some great pictures, including one of Bat. Thanks Charlie!

See the story and pictures at the Coney Island History Project ---> HERE

New York Street Games

2010-08-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

Check out the website where you can purchase the video.

Coney Island By Jerry Della Femina

2010-07-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

Long Island has some of the finest beaches in the world.

What can compare for beauty with Main Beach in East Hampton? Malibu? Cannes? Miami? Those beaches are all thin, puny strips of sand. Incredibly overrated. They could all fit on any Long Island beach at the same time and there would be plenty of shoreline to spare.

I never get tired of looking at our beautiful beach in East Hampton. And when I stare and look at it long enough, I always think back to what used to be. When you grew up in, as they say, "limited circumstances," a trip to the beach was the best celebration of the line "The best things in life are free."

I grew up on West 7th Street in Brooklyn, one subway stop (five minutes) from Coney Island. The Sea Beach train (now called the N) ran behind our tiny house when I was a kid. Every time the train rolled into the station my entire house would shake. At night I would lie in my bed and listen to the train come in. It was a friendly, familiar sound to a little kid: It meant people were coming home.

In the summer my Mom would take me and my little brother to Coney Island just about every day. For me, it was like traveling to Oz.

When you walked off the subway, some incredible smells fought with each other to get into your nose. The first was the smell of raw clams being squirted with lemon. And then there was the smell of ice-cold beer foaming up and out of the glass in the clam bar that was in the promenade of the subway terminal.

As you walked across the street, you smelled the sweetness of cotton candy and two seconds later you smelled the garlic and spices of those sizzling Nathan's hot dogs that made your mouth water. By the time you got to the boardwalk, you were starving and reaching in your bag of homemade sandwiches to sneak a bite.

You could get to the beach by walking onto the boardwalk or under it. (A few years later the Drifters would tell the world about the wonders that could be found "Under the Boardwalk.") Walking under was the faster way to get onto the beach and that's the way you always went. You braved the cold clammy sand that hadn't felt the sunlight in years. You gingerly stepped over (while still managing to sneak a peek at) the teenage couples who were passionately "making out" on the blankets in the dim semi-privacy that could only be found under the boardwalk. They pretended they were invisible. I was very young but I knew enough to go along with the pretense.

The walk on the beach was a joke. There seemed to be millions of people on the beach; consequently, there was no beach. We stepped on one beach blanket after another. Finally, my mom staked out a claim and we parked our blanket, touching four other blankets, and rushed to the water.

To be honest, the water in Coney Island was just slightly cleaner than the Ganges in India. The recent BP oil spill disaster triggered a sense memory that I hadn't thought about in so many years. For years after World War II, the water in Coney Island was filled with oil chunks that blackened our feet. I remember my father telling me that it probably came from one of the ships that had been blown up nearby during the war. I remember wondering if it was one of ours or one of theirs.

But now the smell in the air was suntan oil, and as a kid I remember staying in the water for hours to fight the waves. Invariably, my mother would call me in because "your lips are turning blue." She never came into the water. She just joined all the other mothers who were standing on the shore on "blue lip patrol." When the time came to go home, I always begged for another half-hour. They always gave it to me.

On the one-stop ride home, I would rush to the front of the first car and stand on my toes at the open window. The cool air hitting my sunburned face would feel wonderful.

My favorite line in any movie is from Atlantic City. A very old Burt Lancaster is trying to impress a very young Susan Sarandon. They're looking at the Atlantic Ocean. She says, "It's very beautiful." He says, "Yes." Then he looks at her and says, "But this is nothing. You should have seen it in the old days."

My children have the same ocean I had in the old days. But they don't have the noise of subway trains every night. They've never been to Coney Island. The beach they walk on in East Hampton is spotlessly clean and well maintained. There's always plenty of room. Thanks to the diligence of the village fathers, they will never smell food on the way to Main Beach.

My children seem to have everything, but in some ways I feel sorry for them. With all they have, they will never have the richness of these memories.

If you wish to comment on "Jerry's Ink" please send your message to jerry@dfjp.com or visit indyeastend.com and scroll to the bottom of the column.

Coney Weekend TV - Mermaid Parade Hoopla 2010! Video Playlist | Embedr

2010-06-20T13:43:00.000-07:00

2010 Mermaid Parade

2010-06-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some wonderful pictures by our own Butch Moran. Thanks Butch.

Below: Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson.

It Wasn't Always Idyllic

2010-06-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

The recent email I sent about the murder in our old neighborhood really resonated with a lot of people who shared some of their experiences that showed we were still a rough inner-city neighborhood. Here are a couple that come to mind for me.

Remember how we were always invaded from the surrounding neighborhoods during Halloween? I went trick or treating with my sister Toni and she was a little ahead of me in the staircase. When I got to where she was, a kid from outside the projects was trying to steal her candy. I pushed him down the stairs and he went down to the next landing. It's amazing how adrenalin just kicks in because I was just protecting my sister and this kid was at least my age or maybe older and he was a "tough side-street' kid. This was probably a common occurrence.

The other incident occurred when I worked at the A&P. I used to walk up 29th St and I was always accosted by some guys north of Mermaid Ave. Got pushed and smacked around but it was more frustrating than being really scared. I used to run non-stop both ways when going to and from work. Once, when I had a little extra time, I walked up 28th St. I should of been doing that all along or at least alternating with 30th St but in reality, it probably didn't matter. Those were rough streets. I was walking up 28th St and saw one of the guys who was always picking on me. He acted like he didn't know who I was but I walked up to him and said something to the effect that he wasn't such a big man without his friends. He just kept walking away. I felt flush with being in control again.

Thereafter, I told my father that if he wanted me to work (a real big thing for him) he had to pick me up when I got off at 9PM. That worked out well except for one time. A little back story.... when I worked at the A&P there was a guy working there named Alonzo Brooks who was the toughest kid at Mark Twain. Some of you who went there undoubtedly know who he was. Now, Mark Twain was junior high but he looked like a man. This was a serious person who I was deathly scared of. As it would happen, he liked me. I used to get his dry cleaning for him when he asked (like I would say no!). This was 1967 and at a time of racial tension in the city and he used to tell me... "DePinto, when we take over, I'll make sure nothing happens to you." I found this both funny and comforting at the same time.

Anyway, I used to wait by the locked front door at 9PM until my father pulled up and then the night manager would unlock the door and let me out. One night, he said that he was busy in the basement and he was just going to let me out then and I could just wait outside for my dad. Shit! Of course, as soon I was standing outside for a few minutes, a couple of guys came up to me to rob me. Alonzo came walking out the door and soon as the two guys saw him, they turned and ran. Like I said, he was a serious individual. My father pulled up and as I was getting in the car, I nodded at Alonzo and he nodded at me. True story.

Coney Island Reunion Cruise - UPDATE

2010-06-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

The date for a deposit to secure your spot has been extended to June 21, 2010.
See the previous post for more information.

Coney Island Reunion Cruise

2010-05-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: Coney Vintage Vid 1946: A Quick Ride On The Parachute Jump

2010-04-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: Coney Vintage Vid 1946: A Quick Ride On The Parachute Jump

A Rite Of Passage…. McCabe’s

2010-03-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

“You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline… it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.” Frank Zappa

I thought it was appropriate to use a quote to start this post and Frank Zappa had a way of saying things that make sense to me. I thought a lot about this post since with this blog and fast approaching 60 (ouch) I find myself reflecting on the many different things I have done. Now…. I’m not a big drinker. A glass of wine in the evening for my heart and beers on occasion with the guys before an ASU game. Sometimes a little Limoncello (which I make myself, thank you very much) after a good meal but that’s it. I’m always the designated driver. There is, however, the rite of passage of going to a bar for the first time. Back in the 60s, if you recall, the legal drinking age was 18 although I think bars did not have to serve you unless you were 21. I went to McCabe’s the first time when I was about 16. I think I went with Randy Sobelman and I was both excited and very nervous. Contrary to todays’ bars, McCabe’s was a bar where men drank. I don’t ever recall seeing a woman there, let alone a teenage girl. Anyway, Randy had been there before and he told me to act like I knew what I was doing. He said to just put the money on the bar after I ordered and just leave it there. We walked in and I’ll never forget the sights and smells. A small jukebox, lot’s of cigarette smoke and the bar along the north wall. The bartender’s name was Whitey and I remember word for word what transpired:

Whitey: What’ll you have?
Me: I’ll have a 77.
Whitey: (Sarcastically) You mean a 7 & 7?
Me: (With false bravado) That’s what I said.

Whitey smiled and turned to hopefully get my drink. I didn’t even know what was in a 7 & 7. I just knew it was something that I heard was a drink. I was scared shitless. I sat on an empty stool and there was some money and an empty glass on the bar. I didn’t know what that meant but I soon did. Before my drink came, I felt a hand on my neck and I was lifted off the stool and dropped to the ground. The man never said a word to me after he sat down. No one said anything. I don’t even know if anyone was watching or laughing or whatever. We moved further down the bar and Whitey brought us our drinks. I don’t remember how much it cost but I do remember feeling like a grownup. I went in many times after that and thought I was cool because we called it Whitey’s, not McCabe’s. Maybe Whitey was the owner, I have no idea and I’m hoping that comments to this post will answer more questions about this neighborhood landmark. That was the last time I ordered a mixed drink. I always ordered Rheingold after that first time and it was served in what looked like little Welch’s Grape Jelly glasses and they cost 20 cents. One time I was there with someone and Vernon Petty bet us that he could drink the glasses of beer faster than us. He was older and of course, he drank his slower so we would get drunk. He bought the beer so it wasn’t a total loss. All in all, just another coming of age Coney Island kid experience. Anyone else? Please comment below.

Joey DePinto
3/21/2010

Thanks to Charlie Denson for the great photo.

Shore Theater

2010-02-06T22:37:00.000-08:00

The Shore Theater, though I always prefer to call it the Loews (Low-eze!), is being considered for landmark status. Check out the story here. Great pictures and history of the Lowes Coney Island.

Charles Denson with Students at his alma mater, PS.188, Coney Island

2009-12-30T10:10:00.001-08:00

Charles Denson with Students at his alma mater, PS.188, Coney Island
Originally uploaded by Coney Island History Project

Charlie at P.S.188 giving a history lesson about the old neighborhood.

Happy Holidays From The Coney Island Houses...

2009-12-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

… and Stan and Ollie!

Coney Island Dream

2009-12-18T00:19:00.000-08:00

Coney Island Dream from Joshua Brown on Vimeo.

This is a visually beautiful short video of Coney Island in winter. Enjoy.

Brooklyn 1600s

2009-12-18T00:11:00.000-08:00

This is a pretty cool picture (click on the picture for a larger view). More information here.

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: Coney Vid: A Few Coney Lovers Speak Their Minds

2009-12-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

Coney Island Parachute Drop

2009-12-15T09:06:00.001-08:00

Coney Island Parachute Drop

Uploaded by Reggie_Lavoie on 12 Dec 09, 8.21PM PST.

I never get tired of looking at these shots but I prefer Jump to Drop.

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: Coney Vid: A Look Back...Before The Saga

2009-11-11T00:07:00.000-08:00

A look back at a not-so-distant past summer in Coney Island. A summer that was yet untouched by greedy hands. A Coney Island that needed repair but was still alive and thriving without its future in peril or in question. A Childs Building that still had not let in the sun for decades, a thriving boardwalk, the Wonder Wheel still shimmering in the sunlight, the B&B Carousel whirling to the grind of the organ, an Astroland still alive and kicking, and the Top Spin and the Zipper still spinning with verve.

Coney Island- Summer, 2005

Happy Halloween from Switzerland!

2009-10-31T09:47:00.000-07:00

Hello to all of you who used to live in the Coney Island Projects.

This morning when I woke up in Switzerland, where Halloween is not much of a holiday, I thought about the way we used to go trick-or-treating in the projects. I remember that in the fourth building we used to knock on the doors and say "Trick or Treat from the buildings", so that people would give us extra special treats. Helene Greenbaum used to tell us to say "29" when we knocked on her door. I also remember scores of wonderful Halloween parties, among them a particularly memorable one at the Singer's house.

Many of my childhood friends from the projects vanished at the cusp of adolescence; I myself left Coney Island right before turning fourteen. However, since Joey started the Coney Island Houses site, I have reconnected with many old friends. Thank you Joey!

For those of you who don't know, I have lived in Switzerland for the past 24 years in a small village in the French-speaking part - about an hour south of Geneva and I became Swiss about ten years ago. Before moving to Switzerland, I had lived in Italy. I teach Linguistics and Italian at a Swiss University - HEP, which is not far from the French and Italian borders. I have two grown kids, Dante, who is a doctor working in oncology in Lausanne and Mercedes, who lives in Scotland and teaches Sociolinguistics at the University of Aberdeen.

Our closest holiday to Halloween is Carnevale and I usually go to Venice to celebrate it. Here are some photos of me in Venice taken in 2007 dressed in my Bianca Neve (Snow White) costume. The last photo is of me and my son Dante.

I love looking at all of the photos on the site and I'll try to add some more when I have a bit of time.

Let me know if any of you come to Europe. I'm going to make some pumpkin soup now. Happy Halloween! All the best.

Ciao,
Lisa Beth Schneider Durham (Apt. 12A - building four)

Remember Clay Cole?

2009-09-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

From The Beatles Examiner:

The name you'll certainly know, especially if you have East Coast roots, is disc jockey Clay Cole. Particularly in the New York area, his show was one of the best teenage dance shows around. Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits once said, "New York was home to 'The Ed Sullivan Show' and 'The Clay Cole Show' and when we first came to America, we were told we must do Clay Cole and Ed Sullivan. Trouble is, we didn't know which was which."

And Cole pulled off a historic feat on one particular show: He had the Rolling Stones, who were in the studio, and the Beatles (via satellite) on the same program called, interestingly enough, "The Beatles vs. the Rolling Stones."

Totonno's To Re-Open Mid October

2009-09-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy of timkang (Flickr.com)

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: Coney Pizza Place To Re-Open Mid October

The Coney Island summer season this year still thrived considering the embarrassing mishaps of Thor Equities and the first time in almost four decades that Astroland was not here. Coney summer goers did do without another Coney iconic place: the pizza place..."Totonno's Pizza.

According to the owners of Totonno's Pizza which was damaged in a fire last March will reopen sometime around mid-October. Though the fire did cause some damage, the closure was for reasons of the building's structure as city inspection recognized. The building, located at 1524 Neptune Avenue, was found to be compromised to the degree that it couldn't support the weight of the oven it housed.

But renovations have been underway all summer so expect to grab yourself a warm slice this fall and winter.

Life Lessons From Coney Island

2009-09-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

My name is Mike Bruckner. Perhaps some of you reading this remember me or my brother Dave. Maybe you were one of the "kids" who beat me up. I was a skinny kid with glasses. Easy target. I lived in Coney Island from the year of my birth (1951) until 1964, when we moved to Bensonhurst. At the time that was the saddest day of my life. I went to PS 188, then in 5th grade they moved us to the brand new PS288. That seemed like we were in the lap of luxury compared to the old school. From there I went to Mark Twain for 7th grade and part of 8th. Then in November of 64, we moved. Although I never lived in the projects (as my dad referred to them), I (along with my brother) played in the Big Park from 1959 'til 1964. We got to know lots of kids there. Our best friend was Joey DePinto. Of course we have the same memories as the rest of you: punch ball, stick ball, Al the ice cream man, going under the boardwalk, etc. When I moved to Bensonhurst and enrolled in Bensonhurst JHS, the first thing I learned was everyone wanted a chance to beat up the new kid. Bensonhurst at the time seemed almost genteel compared to rough and tumble Coney. They looked down their noses at me like I was white trash from the wrong side of the tracks. Well if there was one thing I learned in the Big Park it was you gotta be tough. You've got to stand up like man and take your lumps and give some back. I was determined not to let these snobby kids get the better of me. Like life in general, I won some and I lost some. In the end though, after fighting my way through most of the class, I gained a certain amount of respect from them. Thanks Coney Island.

By the way, little did I know on that dismal day in November '64, I hadn't seen the last of the island. In the summers of '66 and '67, I worked at the "Corner Cigar Store". You may remember it. It was diagonally across from Nathan's on the corner of Surf and Stillwell. In '68 I worked briefly at Steve's clam bar which was on the boardwalk, then Eddie's Fascination.

My last visit to Coney was in March 2005, just before I moved to Texas. One last stop at Nathan's and the Aquarium. Ironically, here in Houston they refer to hot dogs as coneys.

--
Michael Bruckner
09/16/2009

What I have learned during this reconnection with all things Coney Island Houses

2009-09-14T21:08:00.001-07:00

I am a proud graduate of the Coney Island Houses school of life, circa 1950's, 1960's, and early 1970's. My major was "Big Park", which was the most popular major of our day, and one that has fallen on hard times in the decades that followed us.

Our alumni numbers in the thousands, and our school has produced professors and doctors, writers and entertainers, educators and businesspeople, civil servants and entrepreneurs, house persons and homeless persons, law enforcement professionals and ex-cons, attorneys and and the disenfranchised, athletes and activists, writers and check kiters.

Though our universe once spread from 29th street to 32nd street, our alumni is now spread over the four corners of the globe, and that shall not be defined as Staten Island, Bensonhurst, Flatbush, and LONGIsland.

Though I once believed we all sprung from the same strand of DNA, our alumni numbers Liberal Democrats, Card-Carrying Fox News watchers, Libertarians, Anarchists, Communists, and Justdontcareists.

Contrary to popular opinion, we celebrate our religious holidays at synagogues, churches, mosques, Off-Track-Betting parlors, and wherever we wish.

We are happily married and never-married, divorced and cohabitating, proudly gay and heterosexual, charitable and inhospitable, in Olympian-shape and Globulous Mass-shaped, passive and argumentative, intuitive and clueless, inquisitive and uncaring, sensual and senseless.

Though we were not a virtual melting pot, we are a multi-cultural group; we are of a rainbow of colors, and we celebrate that.

Though not all of us loved one another as children, we have grown and evolved through the years, and we love one another deeply and passionately and feel forever connected. We believe that our school prepared us for life in a way that few others share and understand, and in a way that those that followed us in the decades since cannot understand.

We feel special and blessed to have had the opportunity to spend our childhood in such a school, and know that while we may have once been categorized as lower-middle income, our experiences were rich, and our lives privileged.

The world we grew up in has changed forever, and though so much of that world has become better, we believe that much of what we experienced exceeds anything our children and grandchildren will ever know about.

While many of us have regrets in our lives of things done or as yet undone, virtually all of us would love to have one last opportunity to run full speed into the ocean and dive in head-first before the cold water chases away our nerve.

We sometimes think about our beloved classmates who are not here to help celebrate our reunions, and we honor their memory.

We were not, as I once believed, one homogenous mass, with one mind-set and one set of opinions. We all came from the same place, and we have all evolved in ways unexpected, and in ways unimaginable.

We look at pictures of ourselves as kids, and we smile, we shed a tear or two when the intense memories are stirred.

We hug, we laugh, we embrace.

We are the graduates of The Coney Island Houses, and we will always be connected, and will always care about and for one another, and this makes us unique, and special, and GOOD.

Though many of us have traveled a long and hard road, we are the lucky ones. We are still here.

Celebrate it.

Steve Lattman

Jodie's Sweet 16 Party - August 1970

2009-06-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Jodie's Sweet 16 Party - August 1970 from Jodie Degen and Joey DePinto on Vimeo.

Jodie is also sharing this video from her Sweet 16. This is at least 3-4 years older than the Big Park video. Interesting to see the changing hair length on the guys. There are some shots of us throughout. Enjoy.

TIP: If you click on Vimeo in the lower right corner, the video is a little bigger.

The Big Park - Coney Island Houses - 1960's

2009-06-02T23:15:00.001-07:00

This video is an 8mm to VHS to digital transfer so the quality is a little washed out. It's also over 40 years old! If you watch it a few times, people become more recognizable. Please comment and share your thoughts about it. I thought the Little Rascals music was appropriate with all the horseplay. Man... we had fun! Please thank Jodie for sharing this wonderful footage. She shared the raw footage and I compiled the video and added the soundtrack.

TIP: If you click on YouTube in the lower right corner, the video is a little bigger.

Dusk On The Boardwalk In Summer

2009-06-02T18:23:00.001-07:00

I don't know.... this picture just speaks to me. Anyone else?
dusk
Originally uploaded by me-myself-i

Parachute Jump - Coney Island

2009-05-20T17:48:00.001-07:00

Great b&w shot of the Parachute Jump. It's such an icon.
Parachute Jump - Coney Island
Originally uploaded by paulinakubis

End Of The Line

2009-05-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: Coney Vid: End Of The Line
Description:
My first completed film, shot on Super 8 in July 2007, the last summer Coney Island's Astroland was going to be open. I had never visited the park before, but wanted to get there before it was closed forever so one summer while taking a course in NYC, I brought my Super 8 camera and spent the day filming there.

Posted by HOSHINOAOI [YouTube]

Coney Island Opening Day

2009-05-09T11:20:00.001-07:00

Coney Island Opening Day - 024-(L)
Originally uploaded by skabz666

Another great picture. Nothing says Coney Island like the Parachute Jump.

Coney Island Opening Day

2009-05-09T11:16:00.001-07:00

Coney Island Opening Day - 022-(L)
Originally uploaded by skabz666

This is a great picture.

1953 Rainy Day in Coney Island

2009-05-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: Coney Vintage Video: 1953 Rainy Day At Coney

This is a clip from the film "The Little Fugitive" which plays fairly regularly on Turner Classic Movies. Simpler times.

Coney Island Photography Show

2009-04-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: Coney Events: Coney Island Photography Show

A Visitor's View

2009-04-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

To whom it may concern,

I didn't grow up in Coney Island but as a child I had always been fascinated by the place (especially Astroland). My aunt and uncle did live in one of those buildings until 1974 when they moved out to Shirley. My father and aunt grew up there but I didn't really know anything about their childhood.

I just recently did an assignment for a class I'm taking where I had to do a 30 minute presentation on any topic and I chose Coney Island. I got my presentation prepared but something was just missing to make the presentation alive. Then I stumbled on your site and I saw what makes Coney Island such a fascinating place. Yes, they did have all those interesting amusement attractions, Nathan's, the Wonder Wheel, etc. What made it exciting was the people that lived there to talk about it, such as Joey DePinto, Debbie Durso, Stu Berg, Elliot Popkin, Stu Goldberg and the many wonderful people I saw in the photos. I thought of all of you and my presentation came to life. I'm usually a very monotone person when I speak, but not when I did my presentation.

Thank you all for growing up in a place where you can speak fondly about it through good and sad times as people who don't know you can see what a fascinating life it was.

Sincerely,
Donald Katz
4/11/2009

Coney Island History Project Exhibition Center To Open For Season

2009-03-28T01:03:00.000-07:00

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: Coney Island History Project Exhibition Center To Open For Season

The Coney Island History Project's Exhibition Center under the Cyclone Roller Coaster will open for the Cylone's opening day from Noon to 3pm and will officially, reopen for their regular opening day on Memorial Day Weekend. Drop by.... Charlie Denson may be there.

Cyclone Roller Coaster Opening Day: First 100 Ride Free!

2009-03-28T00:45:00.000-07:00

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: Cyclone Roller Coaster Opening Day: First 100 Ride Free!

Coney Island--Aerial video with Helicam

2009-03-25T00:53:00.000-07:00

Coney Island--Aerial video with Helicam from Jason Lam on Vimeo.
This is really cool.

Retire in Coney Island

2009-03-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Kids, it's me Kenny Boden, formerly of 3020. I live in Brooklyn and often film and walk the Coney trail in the "off season." Enjoy!

Kenny Boden

3/15/2009

The Journey Back Home

2009-03-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, I had an older friend named Jack, who on the date of his fiftieth birthday, became very depressed. When I asked why, he remarked that he had come to the conclusion that half of his life was now over, and that he was on the downside of life.

Though I was a much younger man at the time, this stuck with me, and I waited until the date of my fiftieth, wondering if this same feeling of malaise would descend upon me, wondering if perhaps seeing more than half of my life in my rear view mirror would be a depressing concept.

Jack, I don't know if you're around anymore as we've traveled different paths, but I can say with full confidence that not only do I look forward to many more years of happiness and joy, but I can look back upon the "first half" of my life with so much happiness, and so many wonderful memories, that I feel as if I have been so blessed in this life. Unlike you, Jack, I have no dread of marching forward, as I'm very much looking forward to this next chapter.

Recently, so many of us have traveled back in time, either through this blog or Facebook (where we have raised the average age of users by at least five years), and through periodic dinners and get-togethers. It's obvious that dozens, and perhaps hundreds of us, have felt this need to reconnect, after so many years apart. It's been a blast.

As time has gone by since this connection, I think many of us have realized just how different our paths have been, and how different we all are, yet despite all this, we are part of a collective fabric.

We're not all Democrats or all Republicans, we are not all happily married, or world travelers, or thriving in this world, yet despite this, there is something that will forever tie us to one another.

We are that generation of Baby Boomers that is now middle aged (though many of us still look in a mirror and see a kid smiling back), and the oldest of us are now starting to qualify for Social Security. We grew up in a different world, with a different set of values and expectations than those that followed us in those five "Stalinist" buildings on Surf Avenue, and there seems to have been something different about our world back then, or there is no way that so many of us would be making that journey "back home".

There is something comforting about looking back at those pictures of many of us lying on chaise lounges holding sun reflectors, or Al The Ice Cream Man standing there beside his cart, and the joy of reconnecting and knowing that there are others out there that have this same love for our collective past gives us closure.

I have enjoyed reconnecting to so many of you, and learning of your experiences and trials and tribulations through these many years has given texture to my memories of you. Yes, many of us have suffered through tremendous personal losses or a debilitating health crisis, or other life issues, but at our core, we are still those same kids, still turning our jeans into shorts when the knees are torn, and the same kids with faces lit from the joy of running carefree through the sprinkler on the rare summer days when it was turned on (and working).

I see already that as time goes by, these days of checking Facebook for postings by our old, long-lost friends is fading away. The knowledge that we all still exist and we all still care about those times will cause me to smile, even if (as I expect), we are all coming to many new forks in the road, and we will all soon head on into the sunset chasing different paths.

To each of you, my friends, both old and new, whether we now remember each other or not, we are part of something that was special and you will ALWAYS mean much to me, whether we part now never to connect again.

I've learned (or perhaps remembered) that we weren't all alike, and that there are reasons why we were all connected in that "big" park, yet had different friends, and why we all traveled different paths.

But to me, you'll all still be kids there, running through the park, breathing in that salty summer air, or shoveling snow off the courts so we can play basketball or cold winter days.
To me, there will always be crowded pavilions on the boardwalk and working fountains, we'll all struggle figuring out how to wash the outside of the top windows of our apartments without falling out, and I'll always wonder what the two barbers are saying to one another in Italian in that barber shop on 29th street between Mermaid and Surf Avenues.

Let's each raise a glass of Merlot or Diet Coke to one another, and toast just how fortunate we were to have lived in our time, in that place, and with one another. We are the greatest generation, because we were lucky enough to have grown up in that last innocent era, where we could dream big, where we cared about one another, and where the world ahead of us was big and bold and somehow, SAFE.

To my dear friend Jack, now long lost (and most likely gone), may I say with all due respect that unlike you, I have too much left ahead of me to accomplish, too many new moments to enjoy, and too many happy memories to make. I am not going to sit here and dread the future, because perhaps unlike you, my future is too full for me to fear it.

To my old friends, many now reconnected, may I thank you for the wealth of memories you have given me. My life is full, both looking forward and behind me, and I owe much of that to you all.

As we march forward, and though we may lose sight of one another yet again, I am delighted to have made this journey back in time, as you have confirmed what I always believed, that our place was special, and our experiences unique.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you all.

With love,
Steve Lattman
3/12/2009

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: A Winter Walk Under Steeplechase Pier

2009-03-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: A Winter Walk Under Steeplechase Pier

The Music That Brings Me Back Home

2009-03-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, it doesn't mater where you are but if I hear an old Doo Wop song from the 50s and early 60s, I am immediately transported back to the old neighborhood. This even happened to me in Yuma, AZ but that's another story. One of my vivid memories is listening to older guys singing a cappella on the boardwalk or a street corner. Well, another friend from the neighborhood has found the blog... Teddy Grable. If you didn't know, Teddy was the lead singer for The Concords. He has allowed me to post a link to two songs and yes, that's him singing lead vocal. If you right-click, you can save the songs too. Enjoy, and drop Teddy an email.

Here they are:
I Cry
On The Corner

Joey DePinto
03/08/209

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: Casting Call For 'Astroland' Student Film

2009-03-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog: Casting Call For 'Astroland' Student Film

Students at Hunter College have put out a casting call for their short film on Coney Island: "Ode to Astroland" which will shoot March 28th & March 29th in Coney Island. They seek a couple of seniors and a couple of children.

Breakdown:

Joe (Senior, 65+) :
Takes Margaret out on a date to Coney Island. However, it is no longer what he remembers it to be. He becomes devastated, not knowing how to handle the world changing.

Margaret (Senior, 65+) :
Accompanies Joe on a date to Coney Island. Once it is clear the day won’t go as planned, Margaret decides to salvage what is left of the day.

Young Joe (10) :
Sits with Margaret on a bench, tosses popcorn in his mouth.

Young Margaret (10) :
Sits with Joe on a bench, tosses popcorn into her mouth.

This short film is silent and therefore there are no lines for all of the characters.

Please submit any photos, resumes, and contact info to: aruiz@hunter.cuny.edu

There is no pay, but meals, credit and copy of the film will be provided.

A Little Story

2009-02-24T22:19:00.000-08:00

Having been a fan of the author Joseph Heller since I read CATCH 22, I knew he grew up in Coney Island. However, I wasn’t aware until I began reading his autobiography, NOW & THEN – FROM CONEY ISLAND TO HERE, that he lived on W.31st St. between Surf & Mermaid. Just down the block from the Coney Island Projects.

Joseph Heller grew up there in the 30’s. I lived at 3030 Surf Ave., Bldg 2, during the 50’s & 60’s. But in spite of the time difference, I remember very clearly so much of what he writes about in the first 3 chapters of his book. He writes a lot about the amusement area and the beach of course but he also writes in detail about Seagate and PS 188 and about little known Railroad Ave. Railroad Ave. was a “non-street” by the time I moved to Coney Island in 1957. The railroad/trolley tracks were barely visible beneath the high weeds. I got a chill down my spine when on Page 40 he describes in detail, Mr. Moses Candy Store on the West Side of 31st St. Moses’ Candy Store was still there when I lived there. I remember it well, as I’m sure many of you from the Projects and the side streets do. I remember grumpy old Mr. Moses with his trousers hitched way up high, coming out to serve us from between the curtains that separated his home from the candy store. I also remember that as I got older, grumpy old Mr. Moses was really wasn’t so bad if he was shown a little kindness.

I highly recommend at least the first 3 chapters to anyone out there from “the old neighborhood.” Especially if you lived between Seagate and W. 29th Street when “The brass ring on the carousel seemed as good as gold.”
Terry Goldstein
2/24/2009

Coney Island Now Has A New "Talking Historian"

2009-02-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

Coney Island Now Has A New "Talking Historian"

The Coney Island History project proudly appoints Coney's 'landmark' meat market's proprietor, Jimmy Prince as Coney Island's "distinguished talking historian." After Prince retires from Major Meats store after more than fifty years, he will be working with the Coney Island History Project at their exhibit under the Cyclone roller coaster to share his Coney Island memories with visitors.

CIHP:
Jimmy Prince began working at Major Market as a young man in 1949 and became the shop's proprietor in the 1970's. The storefront is emblazoned with signs that say "Coney Island is Coming back Folks, Let's Watch it!" and "It's Major's for your Barbeque Specials." Founded in the 1930's, Coney Island's oldest butcher shop is a throwback to the days when the entire length of Mermaid Avenue, from Stillwell Avenue to Sea Gate, was a bustling retail strip serving a predominantly Jewish and Italian population. The shop was one of the few survivors the area's downturn in the 1960's and 70's, and, later, the incursion of supermarkets.

* * * * * * *
One of the audios in the History Project's online oral history archive is an interview with Jimmy. A second recording captures the sounds of a typical day at Major Markets.

Prince will also star in an upcoming documentary by Charles Denson, executive director of the Coney Island History Project. The documentary with premier this summer.

Nice Aerial View

2009-02-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

Pretty cool aerial shot of Coney Island and the bridge on Google Earth. If you click on the picture, it will open to a larger size for a more detailed view.

The Big Park

2009-02-03T15:32:00.001-08:00

There looks to be an upgrade of the Big Park underway, although I have no idea when it started. The entire east end of the park up to the park house looks new. Notice the entrance into the park is set at an angle, as opposed to previously when it was a straight shot in. If you click on the picture, it will open to a larger size for a more detailed view.

Snowfall at Nathan's

2009-01-31T16:24:00.001-08:00

I really like this picture. Remember the steamed windows?

Snowfall at Nathan's
Originally uploaded by Trish Mayo

Now For Something Completely Different

2009-01-31T15:12:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post a little story about a part of my life that my friends in NY can also experience but I'm getting a little a head of myself.

This September will be 40 years since I left Coney Island to attend Arizona State University. 40 YEARS! Unbelievable. It really doesn't seem that long especially with all the reconnections as a result of our blog. When I first came here, there were very few Italian and Jewish delis. Italian food wasn't a problem once my family moved here in 1972 and now that Phoenix is our 5th largest city, there are really good delis and restaurants. When I was a freshman at ASU, I discovered Mexican food. I knew nothing about it except I had heard of tamales and tacos. I had the good fortune of having a roommate who was Mexican and was from a little mining town east of Phoenix. I used to go home with him on weekends sometimes and his family introduced me to authentic Mexican food and I was hooked. There are many different types of Mexican food and I experienced them in traveling extensively throughout Mexico over the years. The restaurants in Phoenix (think of all the pizza places and Italian restaurants in NY and you'll get an idea of how many Mexican places are here) run the gamut of regional styles: Sonoran, Tex-Mex, Southwest, Mexican Seafood, Mexico City style and New Mexican.

I only eat at one Mexican restaurant and I only eat at one take-out place. The take-out place is a little hole in the wall... cash only, limited menu and in a really bad neighborhood. Best Sonoran style anywhere... Rito's. The restaurant is Los Dos Molinos (The Two Grinders). It is New Mexico style cuisine and it is different. It is HOT. I mean like really hot, sweaty face and scalp hot. It is heavenly. Washed down with an ice cold Carta Blanca or Negra Modelo and there is literally a feeling of euphoria that overtakes your body. I eat there every couple of weeks with my son. I took him there when he was little and now he is a hooked like I am. The green is hot (Hatch chiles from New Mexico) and the red less so. Why am I waxing poetic about Los Dos Molinos? They are family owned and operated... no franchises and a blood relative is responsible for the food at each restaurant. There are 5 locations: two in Phoenix, one in Mesa (3 miles from my house, thank you very much), one in northeastern AZ in a little town near New Mexico, Springerville and the 5th one? 119 E 18th St in Manhattan! If you are adventurous, give it a try and you will know the heaven that we are blessed to experience in AZ. WARNING: I'm not kidding about the heat. Read the words of chef Victoria:

"When you read our menu and see the word "chili" keep in mind we use New Mexico Chiles and this means "Hot" with the best flavor this side of the Rio Grande. If you know "Hot" put us to a test but if you don't we suggest you try one of our other wonderful dishes that don't have any "Heat." I'm sorry we do not provide a mild sauce, I do not know how to make "Mild."

You'll thank me if you like real Mexican food. C'mon... don't be a baby.

Los Dos Molinos
119 E. 18th St (between Park Ave and Irving)
212-505-1574
Click here Los Dos Molinos

Joey DePinto
01/31/2009

Filmmaker Wants Your Old Coney Island Home Movies

2009-01-25T13:44:00.000-08:00

A New York based filmmaker is working with the Coney Island History Project on a documentary about the now defunct Astroland Amusement Park and they are in need of those old Coney Island home movies from the 1960's, 70's and 80's, especially film shot on 8mm and 16mm film. They're also looking for any outstanding pictures taken during the same period.

The Coney Island History Project says:
The History Project will shoulder the expenses of film transfers and return the original film along with a DVD transfer to anyone who donates their material. Donors will also receive credit in the film and two complimentary copies of the completed documentary. Contact the History Project at info@coneyislandhistory.org or 718-265-2100.

Filmmaker, JL Aronson, who cordially invited me to see his work in 2007, is a consummate New York filmmaker having crafted documentaries about pigeon fancying in Williamsburg and the underground karaoke scene on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. He has also directed a series on the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s downtown New York music scene for Manhattan Neighborhood Network (in association with the New School) and created marketing videos for Central Park Summerstage, Celebrate Brooklyn, PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, the Siren Music Festival, River to River Festival and other New York institutions. In 2006, his “documentary musical” Danielson: a Family Movie won numerous film festival awards throughout the country before going to theaters in December of that year and DVD in April 2007.
Film clips at creativearson.com

Last Summer At Coney Island

2009-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

A new documentary about the recent past, the confused present and the uncertain future of America's playground.

This is a new film that will be opening soon. It really gives a nice little overview over what is happening today. I will let everyone know when it is released. Look for Charlie Denson.

Just CLICK on the picture above.

A Rather Surreal Night

2009-01-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

It was a rather surreal night, with perhaps twenty of we Surf Project "Oldtimers" there, an eclectic mix, with several (including me) unrecognizeable to others.

Personally, I sat there much of the night transfixed, wondering how it was possible that many of us would get together after so many years, now older than our parents were when we lived in the projects, listing to stories about "back then," stories about our kids, our GRANDKIDS (for some of us), our 401K's, our assorted aches and pains, and relishing the stories and the memories of how wonderful we had it; a "resort" where we grew up.

Personally, I sat across from Howie Gresh, my elementary school classmate, a friend that had grown up two doors from me on the 4th floor of building four, and couldn't quite come to grips with looking at the same person, now older, and regaling in stories of back then, and amazed at the stories of what had become of us.

How is it possible to have been reunited with this group now, so many years removed, and somehow still connected, as if time itself had stopped, and as if we were suddenly thrust back in the cheesebox, waiting for the game to end because we had next, or wondering if tomorrow was a "beach day", because, well...just because!?!

Steve Lattman
1-19-2009

I'm innocent

2009-01-18T10:41:00.001-08:00

joey
Originally uploaded by Pablo57

I did not tag this wall, even though that is how I would've signed it.

Coney Island New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim - 2009

2009-01-02T10:44:00.001-08:00

Coney Island New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim - 2009
Originally uploaded by Barry Yanowitz

Anyone remember seeing the Polar Bears doing this? I remember seeing a few brave souls from my window but I don't believe it was the organized event that it is now. Maybe it was the pre-season training for Polar Bears. Happy New Year to all my friends from the projects.
Joey

Click on the picture to see more.

Demon Cursing The Heavens

2008-12-30T23:49:00.001-08:00

Demon
Originally uploaded by Pablo57

Here's another picture from the Kinetic Carnival Flickr Group showing the demon from Dante's Inferno in Astroland. The ride is down and he's cursing the heavens.

Seems appropriate, doesn't it?

Coney Island Beach NY - Dec. 29, 2008

2008-12-30T23:45:00.001-08:00

Coney Island Beach NY - Dec. 29, 2008
Originally uploaded by Rubys Host

Nice winter view from the pier courtesy of the Kinetic Carnival Flickr Group.

Coney Island Beach, NYsunset with snow 2008

2008-12-23T00:19:00.001-08:00

Things have slowed down a bit and I'll be teaching a full load next semester so here is a little diversion from KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog. They post pictures and stories about Coney Island. Remember walking on the beach in the dead of winter? When you click on the picture, it takes you to a whole slide show in this series. Enjoy.

Joey DePinto

12/23/2008

Coney Island Beach, NY sunset with snow 2008

Originally uploaded by Rubys Host

Confession

2008-11-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

As I'm certain is true for many of us, for most of my adult life I've painted a picture of having grown up in a tough low/middle income city housing project, as if I was once a character out of "Good Times," as if Jimmy "JJ" Walker had been playing shortstop next to me in game of punch ball in the Big Park. (Change that...Jimmy didn't look very athletic. We'd have probably put him in the sprinkler just to catch any rare balls that came off the park house roof...)

I always presented myself as someone that had succeeded despite having grown up on the wrong side of the track. I thought it made me seem more remarkable, giving people the image of someone that had scratched and clawed their way to adulthood, and who came out whole despite meager circumstances. It was a lie, and each of us lucky enough to have come through the projects in our era know it. Instead of knife fights growing up, our idea of dangerous was sneaking through "security" at Sea Gate to hang out at the "Riv." Instead of worrying about whether we'd have enough money to eat, our fear was falling off the wooden maze while playing blind man's bluff in the "little" park. Instead of drive-by shootings, we were worried about how to get our Spalding back from the two or three ladies that would incessantly sit on the benches on the cobblestones in the middle of the big park and would refuse to give our ball back if it accidentally rolled towards them, or what we'd do if the Pensy Pinkie would split in half while playing stick ball off the park house wall. What a wonderful, magical place we lived in then, when losing a game of basketball in the Cheesebox meant you were going to go for a quick swim in your cut-off shorts to cool off before you could get back on the court, where a half drawn shade in your apartment window meant that it was time to come up for dinner, and where instead of dead-beat dads, we had men like Leo Rich organizing stick ball games for us.

When my kids were growing up, I took them back to the projects to show them just how tough an upbringing their dad had gone through, when the truth was that I was brought up in the closest to paradise that I've ever known. I wanted them to appreciate all that we now have, when the truth is that my fervent hope for them is that they someday experience the true unbridled joy we shared growing up there, surrounded by hundreds of good kids, knowing even the name of the park man (Gene) who's job was to loan out checker boards to kids, where there were ALWAYS enough sparklers to go around to the kids that didn't have them on Tuesday night fireworks nights. No, none of us grew up on the "wrong side of the tracks" as I've so colorfully painted to business and social acquaintances through the years. I wouldn't trade those summer mornings on the beach, those happy nights at the "Y" playing ping pong, those days sneaking peeks at the latest "Archie" comic (before Coopey kicked us out), those road trips against the other "Y's," those times of knowing every mother playing Mah Jong, of knowing not a handful, but hundreds of other beautiful boys and girls in my age bracket, for all the summers kids now spend in Europe, for all their organized soccer leagues, their magnet schools, their Wii's, their double mocha latte's, their designer threads. Personally, I'll take a cheeseburger deluxe, a chocolate egg cream (with a side of water poured in a cone-shaped cup) at the Hubba Hubba any day of the week.

There must be a reason that so many of us are drawn back home, now so separated by miles and experiences and the passing of years. Perhaps it's that we were raised in Nirvana, but that we didn't even know it at the time.

Steve Lattman
Lattman's sister's brother
11/05/2008

A Song About The Coney Island Houses

2008-09-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a wonderful surprise for everyone. We all remember that Andy was a terrific drummer and we enjoyed seeing his band at the Y. He sent me a song that he wrote about the projects. Here is Andy in his own words:

I wrote the song in the late 1980's. After a night of recording new songs at the studio, I was driving home and I just started thinking of Coney Island and growing up in a special place. You came and you went, but you always came back. Safe and secure. You know? But when you left, other elements of life affected you. It was like stepping outside of Paradise. I think I wrote the song in about 20 minutes. Andy Adams

Here's a link for the song: Paradise. Click Here
Joey DePinto
09/17/2008

The Poor Man's Paradise

2008-09-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

The Coney Island Houses, for me anyway, was a magical place. My father called it the "poor man's paradise" and a paradise it was. It was a place where everyone had someone, a place where there were no strangers and a place that seemed to afford us all everything we ever needed. We were basically a self-contained unit. We had our own supermarket, pharmacy and four luncheonettes (remember Willie's, Jimmy's, Hy and Artie's and the HUBBA HUBBA!). Two Kosher deli's, Two excellent bakeries, Gittler's, Larry & Vinnie's and John's Pizza, Sam's Kinishes, a doughnut shop, a Chinese restaurant, Mary's Heros, a bowling alley, a poolroom, the 'Y', banks, schools, Stella's Italian Restaurant just to name a few. Remember Coopey's Corner?

But the most important factor of all of this is that we had each other. Mulitple age groups of children and adults melding together at times, unified in the feeling that we were all one family. We may not have realized it at the time but we were all part of a very special world that to this day and for lifetimes to come, no one will ever be able to experience. We are all very lucky to have lived it and very lucky to have each other to run through the memories with. We need to keep the flame burning.
Andy "Bat" Adams
09/17/2008

The Night The Park House Blew Up

2008-09-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

It was a warm summer night not unlike all the others before it. We all gathered in the big park ready to spend our time together laughing and sharing stories about the day that had just passed. Something was different that night, the guys were in a funny mood. All the girls sat on the benches wondering what was up. When it became pretty dark, one by one the guys drifted over to the park house. What were they going to do now? We wouldn't dare go over there so we just hung out and talked. All of a sudden we heard the biggest boom and over by the park house it was lit up like the fourth of July. Fire crackers, cherry bombs and maybe an M80 or two brought half the people to the windows of the buildings facing the park.

All our wonderful guys took off running in every direction and left us there saying, "OMG, we're in trouble now." Off in the distance we could hear the distinct screaming of the police sirens and before any of us could react, the police officers from the 60th Precinct were upon us. I remember looking around the park and realizing the girls were the only ones there. Yup, it was the girls who took the brunt of their questions. We would never give you guys up and we never did. Cindy was so nervous she couldn't stop laughing. The officer turned to her and said, "How would you like for me to take you up to your parents and let them know what kind of guys you're all hanging out with?" She just kept laughing. I was quite sure we were all going to jail that night. It really just became another one of the thousands of memories born in that park. The memories I never want to forget. The guys and girls I never want to forget. Thanks to all of you.
Carrie Garguilo Oliva
09/16/2008

Old Memories From The Coney Island Houses

2008-08-28T22:58:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to Omar Robau who posted our site on his blog. If you haven't been to KINETIC CARNIVAL - The Coney Island Blog, please check it out. Past, present and future Coney Island stuff. Here's what he wrote:

Here's a rather new website that focuses on the memories of Coney Island from a group of friends who lived at the Coney Island Houses in the 1960's. The Coney Island Houses holds wonderful stories with more to come on an era of Coney Island long gone.

My Coney Island Memories

2008-08-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

I have so many memories... where do I begin. How about all of us riding the Surf Ave bus to Nostrand Ave, headed to Jahn's for the kitchen sink? Playing Johnny on the Pony against the red brick house in the Big Park, or the make-out sessions in Jodie's house, with her parents sound asleep in the next room LOL. Joey, you having a crush on my mom and I remember that you used to blush so bad every time you saw her! Hanging out sometimes at the "Spot" in Sea Gate, Tuesday night fireworks, pizza at Larry and Vinny's, or the knish place. The back room at Nathan's. Oh my gosh, I could go on and on. If only we could go back to those days...Garguilo's. Do you all remember when we were cheerleaders at the "Y" for the basketball games, the outfits, learning the cheers? Oh my gosh...come on guys, let's hear some more memories.

Audrey Blackburn
08/27/2008

My Steeplechase Memories

2008-08-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

My grandfather Matteo Barbaro (top)

We were young when Steeplechase closed in 1964. Imagine the fun and memories if it had closed in 1969? My grandfather Matteo Barbaro worked on the Caterpillar ride. Remember when the cover closed and at the end of the ride it opened and people were making out? When my cousins would come and visit, they would want to go to Steeplechase. We would go by the old post office on Surf Ave and 17th St, which was the entrance to Steeplechase and we would try to get our grandfather's attention. He always ended up looking over and he would motion for us to wait until the ride stopped. He would come over and say something to the guy at the gate and they would let us in when no one was looking. He would then give us a handful of tickets with a few punches left on them. All the rides had a number of punches to get on and when he took tickets that had the correct number left, he would pocket them to give to us. Like this one:

In addition, he would tell us which rides were operated by his friends and we were instructed to say that we were Matty Barbaro's grandchildren. These were all elderly Italian men so they would make a fuss over us and let us on without a ticket. My grandfather told us to ask every ride operator if they knew him. If they didn't, we used a ticket. We usually had tickets left over but I never paid to get into Steeplechase or go on any rides. A while back, I got a tattoo as an homage to my grandfather and to Steeplechase. I used the ticket above as the stencil and I changed the ticket number to his birthday, March 29, 1894. Here it is:

I loved Steeplechase. I still remember the smell. Last thing....when you exited the Caterpillar, there was a sign asking if you dared see the rare red bat! You climbed the ladder to look in the cage and there it was....a painted red baseball bat!

Joey DePinto
08/25/2008

The Music Of Our Memories

2008-08-23T01:47:00.000-07:00

How much of what we remember about our neighborhood is influenced by the music we listened to everyday? There are so many songs but I thought it fitting that this be the first one. The opening words say it all. When you initially open the page it will play. Hit Reload or Refresh to start it again. Enjoy.

Joey DePinto
08/23/2008

I've added more songs. Let me know what you would like in the playlist and if it's available, I'll add it.

Coney Island And Those Endless Summer Nights

2008-08-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

My memories of growing up in the Coney Island Projects sit so clearly in my mind. Warm Summer days at the beach with a bunch of great friends, horsing around, getting thrown in the ocean, sitting and sunning with those visors of course and the baby oil with iodine....watching 'the guys' playing slapball, or basketball in the cheese box...handball courts...hanging on the swings...the sprinklers .....then at night we would all come down to the "big" park all showered nice and fresh ready for the night of hanging out sitting on our benches...or by the flagpole, everyone was there and everyone talked to everybody...among other things that I won't mention....Tuesday nights up on the boardwalk, go to Larry and Vinny's for a slice and a Mountain Dew...put a quarter (?) in the jukebox and sing along with the music....go out watch the best fireworks, more horsing around...hanging out...some serious talks too between friends...Lets not forget the 'Y'...Friday Night "lounge" listening to music, playing bumper pool, dancing, talking, live bands (if you want to call them that). The basketball games we went to, the bus rides to those basketball games.....great memories....Surprise Lake, Brickman Hotel....just to name a few. I have such great memories, didn't need to go far, we just had to walk down stairs, be a few feet away from the beach and the park where we all just hung out and needed nothing but our friends to have a good time. As the song goes...those were the best days of my life...back in the summer of "69....but before that as well...great, great unforgettable memories. You had to be there!!!!

Jodie Degen Capezza
08/18/2008

You Had To Be There

2008-08-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

I had a discussion today with Eddie about growing up in the Coney Island Houses. We were talking about the pictures that Merrill sent me (they're posted to the right) and how young we looked. Eddie's daughters were amazed at his lack of chest hair! We spoke of how lucky we felt to grow up there and how wonderful it was to live in Coney Island during that time. We had so many friends and never a lack of things to do or places to explore. The funny thing is that no matter who I've talked to from the old neighborhood, we all have the same feelings and recollections of our childhood. I've been a social worker for over 30 years and I know that no childhood is without pain and frustration. My conclusion is that we aren't all suffering from group amnesia. It was a wonderful place to grow up and I hope that all who did will contribute to this blog. You know those days are long gone if you've been there recently and see what things are like now. However, in my mind's eye nothing has changed and I still feel the breeze and hear all the sounds coming from the Big Park. Oh, and most of us didn't have any chest hair either.

Here’s a video I shot of the old neighborhood in June 2000…. before everything changed forever.

Joey DePinto
08/16/2008

Coney Island 2000 from Joseph A DePinto on Vimeo.