These are just a few of the pics that Jack Szwergold shot in Coney Island yesterday of all the “FOR LEASE” that have been put up. He has posted a full photoset that includes equally depressing Astroland Destructoporn shots. What a shitty ass thing to have to see the day after Christmas. And what a depressing thing it must have been to take in on Christmas Day. Jack Writes:
I haven’t been to Coney Island in a while and decided to go down on Christmas Day to see how badly new developers are treating the place. Yeah, a negative sentiment. But on Christmas Eve, Thor Equities (the developer that now owns a disturbing amount of Coney Island) put “For Lease” signs up on tons of beloved business. What a nice bunch of guys!
FWIW, for anyone saying that the place needs to be cleaned up, you know what: I completely agree with you. But going about it this way and destroying so much without giving back is simply selfish and the wrong way.
We’re so sad about this all we can hardly bring ourselves to go down there.
1 response so far ↓
1 John Baggott // Dec 30, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Well
I can understand from a business point of view that if the leases are up, then Thor needs to advertise, but to do this before the current tenants have had a chance to see the lease, shows no respect for the tenants who have been paying rent for many years. If the rumors are true about a 3x hike in rent then I suspect that Thor expects that some of the tenants may want to negotiate or take time to consider this to and the Sign on the store front may be a bully boy tactic.
I cant help but think Thor may have got this slightly wrong, next week is Polar Bear day when thousands of people are on the boardwalk along with most of the New York media, I am sure the “For Lease” signs will make as much news as the polar bears and the comments wont be praising Thor for their actions.
I can not even start to think what Coney Island will be like this summer if there is no Ruby;s, Lola Star, Cha Cha’s, Grill house the taco store, Gyro corner and all the other established business that make the boardwalk what it is,if theses guy’s don’t come back all we can look forward to is the shutters being down and nowhere to sit down and have a drink and something to eat and gaze upon the ocean and watch the Boardwalk go by.
John