Nathan's began as a nickel hot dog stand in Coney Island in 1916 and bears the name of founder Nathan Handwerker. A second branch on Long Beach Road in Oceanside, New York, opened in 1955, and another debuted in Yonkers in 1965. All were sold by the Handwerker family in 1987, at which point Nathan's was franchised and a great number of establishments were opened around New York City and beyond. The company went public in 1993, and Bill Handwerker, the founder's grandson, left the company three years later.
The original Nathan's stands at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in the Coney Island neighborhood of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.
Tags: NYC New York City restaurant Coney Island Fast food Nathan's Nathan's Famous World Famous Hot dog Frankfurters original ny New York kings county Brooklyn
Athough it is not the longest standing, or necessarily the most impressive, the Coney Island Cyclone may just be the most famous roller coaster around. The track is 2,650 feet long (including 6 fan turns, 9 drops, 16 changes of direction, and 18 track crossovers) and 85 feet at its highest point; the first drop is nearly 60 degrees. Each of the three trains is made up of three 8-person cars, but only two trains can run simultaneously. Invented by Harry C, Baker, the ride's top speed is 68 mph and it takes about one minute and fifty seconds.
After seeing the success of 1925's Thunderbolt and 1926's Tornado, Jack and Irving Rosenthal bought land at the intersection of Surf Avenue and West 10th Street where the ride the Great Coaster sat. When the Vernon Keenan designed Cyclone opened on June 26, 1927, at a final cost of the Cyclone reported between $146k and $175,000k, a single ride cost 25 cents (35 on Sundays).
According to legend, in 1948 a coal miner with aphonia who visited Coney Island. He had not spoken in years but screamed while going down the Cyclone's first drop and said "I feel sick" as his train returned to the station—then prompty fainted after realizing he had just spoken.
By the 1960s, attendance at Coney Island had dropped off. In 1965 (or 1971, reports disagree), the Cyclone was bought by the city of New York for one million dollars. Lack of riders hurt profits, and the ride was condemned; in 1972 it was nearly destroyed at the hands of a planned Coney Island aquarium expansion. A "Save the Cyclone" campaign ensued, and the coaster was leased to the Astroland park for $57,000 per year. Today, the ride is owned by Astroland, but the land it stands on is still owned by the Parks Department. Astroland's owners had the ride refurbished, and it reopened on July 3, 1975. In the 1980s, events like the Mermaid Parade and Sideshows by the Seashore brought visitors back to Coney Island and the Cyclone. Its 70th birthday was celebrated in 1997 with a tightrope walk by Tino Wallenda between the ride's two highest points; that year a single ride cost $4. Its 80th birthday was celebrated on June 26, 2007 with a brass band, stilt walkers and Miss Cyclone; that year a single ride cost $6 (with a $4 re-ride option).
Astroland Park, opened in 1962 by the Dewey Albert, served as a neighborhood anchor for over 4 decades--surviving recessions, urban renewal, racial tensions and the crack epidemic. But it couldn't survive Thor Equities, who bought the property (but not the amusement park business) from the Albert family in November, 2006. In its place will be Coney Island Park, part of a planned year-round resort. The municipally owned Cyclone was not part of the Thor sale, and the Albert family will continue to operate it under its contract with the City. The a 3.1-acre park, adjacent to the Coney Island boardwalk owes its name to the the Cold War space race. A red, white, and blue rocket ship, rises above the rides with "ASTROLAND PARK" painted across its fuselage.
The Cyclone was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1988.
National Historic Register #91000907 (1991)
Tags: New York City NYC Coney Island amusement park roller coaster coaster Cyclone ny landmark Astroland Park NYCLPC harry baker vernon keenan harry c. baker Astroland Amusement Park astroland theme park park ACE Coaster Classic New York National Register of Historic Places New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission kings county NRHP U.S. National Register of Historic Places Brooklyn
The Parachute Jump is a no-longer-operational amusement ride, whose iconic open-frame steel structure remains a Coney Island landmark. Eighty meters (262 feet) tall and weighing 170 tons (150 tonnes), it has been called the "Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn". It was built for the 1939 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, and moved to its current site, then part of the Steeplechase Park amusement park, in 1941. It is the only portion of Steeplechase Park still standing today. The ride ceased operations in the 1960s.
The ride was based on functional parachutes which were held open by metal rings throughout the ascent and decent. Twelve cantilevered steel arms sprout from the top of the tower, each of which supported a parachute attached to a lift rope and a set of surrounding guide cables. Riders were belted into a two-person canvas seat hanging below the closed chute, then hoisted to the top, where a release mechanism would drop them, the descent slowed only by the parachute. Shock absorbers at the bottom, consisting of pole-mounted springs, cushioned the landing. Each parachute required three cable operators, keeping labor expenses high.
The site barely escaped a condominium development by Fred Trump, but public opposition and the expense of demolition scuttled the project. The City of New York acquired the Steeplechase site in 1969, and control of the Jump passed to the city's parks department, which attempted to sell it in 1971. No buyers were found, and demolition was considered but eventually rejected, due both to the high price to the city that demolition would cost and to a nascent preservation movement.
Beginning in 1993, the City of New York painted and stabilized the structure, painting it in its original colors, but the structure still suffers from rust in the salt air. With Coney Island in a period of revival, including the minor league baseball stadium KeySpan Park next door, a $5 million restoration plan by the New York City Economic Development Corporation has been underway since 2002; as of 2003, the upper part of the structure was completely dismantled, and steel structural elements were being completely replaced as necessary.
In 2004-2005, the Parachute Jump was the focus of an architecture competition by the Coney Island Development Corporation and the Van Alen Institute which drew over 800 entries. The 7800 square foot (725 m²) Parachute Pavilion, at the base of the Jump, will be an all-season activity center including a souvenir shop, restaurant, bar, and exhibition space. In 2005, a lighting installation was completed. The winning design followed strict guidelines to harmonize with the landmark structure, including a maximum height of 30 feet (9.1 m).
See this picture of the Parachute Drop in its current setting as part of Keyspan Park.
The Parachute Drop was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on May 23, 1989.
National Historic Register #80002645
Tags: New York City NYC Coney Island parachute drop parachute jump amusement park amusement park New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission NYCLPC landmark ny New York National Register of Historic Places kings county NRHP U.S. National Register of Historic Places Brooklyn
John Miller designed and built this coaster in 1925, which ceased operation in 1983. It has since been demolished to make way for Keyspan Park. A family lived in a house under the coaster's first turnaround. The Thunderbolt was featured in Woody Allen's movie "Annie Hall."
For more on the parachute drop, see this picture of Keyspan Park or this picture from 1998.
The Parachute Drop was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on May 23, 1989.
Parachute Drop National Historic Register #80002645
Tags: New York City NYC Coney Island rollercoaster Thunderbolt chain perspective coaster parachute drop parachute jump amusement park theme park keyspan park New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission NYCLPC T landmark ny New York National Register of Historic Places kings county NRHP U.S. National Register of Historic Places Brooklyn
Athough it is not the longest standing, or necessarily the most impressive, the Coney Island Cyclone may just be the most famous roller coaster around. The track is 2,650 feet long (including 6 fan turns, 9 drops, 16 changes of direction, and 18 track crossovers) and 85 feet at its highest point; the first drop is nearly 60 degrees. Each of the three trains is made up of three 8-person cars, but only two trains can run simultaneously. Invented by Harry C, Baker, the ride's top speed is 68 mph and it takes about one minute and fifty seconds.
After seeing the success of 1925's Thunderbolt and 1926's Tornado, Jack and Irving Rosenthal bought land at the intersection of Surf Avenue and West 10th Street where the ride the Great Coaster sat. When the Vernon Keenan designed Cyclone opened on June 26, 1927, at a final cost of the Cyclone reported between $146k and $175,000k, a single ride cost 25 cents (35 on Sundays).
According to legend, in 1948 a coal miner with aphonia who visited Coney Island. He had not spoken in years but screamed while going down the Cyclone's first drop and said "I feel sick" as his train returned to the station—then prompty fainted after realizing he had just spoken.
By the 1960s, attendance at Coney Island had dropped off. In 1965 (or 1971, reports disagree), the Cyclone was bought by the city of New York for one million dollars. Lack of riders hurt profits, and the ride was condemned; in 1972 it was nearly destroyed at the hands of a planned Coney Island aquarium expansion. A "Save the Cyclone" campaign ensued, and the coaster was leased to the Astroland park for $57,000 per year. Today, the ride is owned by Astroland, but the land it stands on is still owned by the Parks Department. Astroland's owners had the ride refurbished, and it reopened on July 3, 1975. In the 1980s, events like the Mermaid Parade and Sideshows by the Seashore brought visitors back to Coney Island and the Cyclone. Its 70th birthday was celebrated in 1997 with a tightrope walk by Tino Wallenda between the ride's two highest points; that year a single ride cost $4. Its 80th birthday was celebrated on June 26, 2007 with a brass band, stilt walkers and Miss Cyclone; that year a single ride cost $6 (with a $4 re-ride option).
Astroland Park, opened in 1962 by the Dewey Albert, served as a neighborhood anchor for over 4 decades--surviving recessions, urban renewal, racial tensions and the crack epidemic. But it couldn't survive Thor Equities, who bought the property (but not the amusement park business) from the Albert family in November, 2006. In its place will be Coney Island Park, part of a planned year-round resort. The municipally owned Cyclone was not part of the Thor sale, and the Albert family will continue to operate it under its contract with the City. The a 3.1-acre park, adjacent to the Coney Island boardwalk owes its name to the the Cold War space race. A red, white, and blue rocket ship, rises above the rides with "ASTROLAND PARK" painted across its fuselage.
The Cyclone was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1988.
National Historic Register #91000907 (1991)
Tags: New York City NYC Cyclone Coney Island coaster Rollercoaster Amusement park ny landmark Astroland Park NYCLPC harry baker vernon keenan harry c. baker Astroland Amusement Park astroland theme park park ACE Coaster Classic New York National Register of Historic Places New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission kings county NRHP U.S. National Register of Historic Places Brooklyn