We finally confronted some ghosts yesterday and went to Coney Island. What we saw brought tears to our eyes, for many reasons. Our overall impression was that a lot of people were in Coney on a frigid day to take pictures of the devastation of the land emptied by developer Joe Sitt, of the FOR LEASE signs and of the dismantling of Astroland. It struck us a little like what we call Disaster Tourism. We’ll have much more from yesterday pics and vids, but we tossed this tiny vid together quickly last night of people looking at the little memorial at the Boardwalk gate at Astroland. We will have a lot more to say on this subject this week, but what we’ll say for now is that we were disgusted by what we saw and outraged that the city has allowed things to reach this point. Everyone from the Mayor to City Planning Director to the head of the Coney Island Development Corporation should hang their heads in shame at the violence they are allowing to be perpetrated by a mean-spirited, vicious, vindictive developer. As for the developer in question, Joe Sitt, we can not think of enough foul expletives to fully describe our rage and contempt for what he is doing to Coney Island. Much more tomorrow.
Brookvid: The Astroland Gate
January 4th, 2009 · 4 Comments
Tags: Brookvid · coney island
4 responses so far ↓
1 Save Coney Island Coalition // Jan 4, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Why are Mayor Bloomberg, City Councilman Domenic Recchia and Lynn Kelly, President of the Coney Island Development Corporation, allowing Joe Sitt to get away with murdering Coney Island?
This is your opportunity to say Thor No More!… Mayor Mike, Give Us Back our Playground!…Hey Domenic, Don’t let Pal Joey Kill Coney!….CIDC, Go Back to the Drawing Board!
Download & print flyers for distribution @
http://www.flickr.com/photos/saveconeycoalition/
CALL 311 AND LEAVE A COMMENT FOR THE MAYOR!
Mayor Michael Bloomberg
email :http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html or phone 311 (1- 212-NEWYORK outside of the city) and leave a “Comment for the Mayor”
Voice your opinion! Send comments to the City Councilman representing Coney Island, Domenic M Recchia Jr.!
email recchia@council.nyc.ny.us and domenicmrecchiajr@gmail.com
Phone- 718-373-9673/212-788-7045; Fax -718-373-0195/212-788-7769
2 DW // Jan 4, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Coney died two or even three generations ago.
The final nails are being hammered in.
We like capitalism.
3 Spidora Xplora // Jan 4, 2009 at 8:01 pm
DW, capitalism meant mom & pop stores, carnival attractions and RIDES up until this point. CI didn’t die two or three generations ago, it still lives, despite the bulldozing/blight tactics of speculators looking to flip the property & make millions. Coney Island is still zoned for amusements…let the city council & mayor EARN their votes by enforcing this. Build Rides, not malls…fightforyourrighttoconey.com
4 Bruce // Jan 5, 2009 at 12:30 am
Reechia is a parrot for Sitt, Reechia opens his mouth and we hear Sitt. Reechia may say he tried, but its doubtful he really did.
The cities only weapon against Sitt is eminent domain, and they are afraid to use it.