The Unreality of Coney Island

Coney Island, taken September 6, 2002.

Like most of New York City, Coney Island is undergoing changes. The beloved Astroland is slowly being shut down and dismantled. Plans are being tossed around as to what should occupy the area that is one of the defining places of New York: Hotels? Residences? Another park? As the New York Times contemplates these possibilities (Hooray for Bloomberg for wanting distance between the boardwalk itself and housing, but, come on, hotels are basically the same thing.), they bring up an interesting idea: Coney Island is different from New York City, it is "New York's unreality," where the city embraces the out-of-ordinary. Fitting as it is in southern Brooklyn, and a beach at that.


Coney Island, taken September 6, 2002.