Comments on: The Empire of the Nickel

The Empire of the Nickel

zarq — Mon, 30 May 2011 08:13:33 -0800

"For five cents Coney Island will feed you, frighten you, cool you, toast you, flatter you, or destroy your inhibitions. And in this nickel empire boy meets girl."

Every Sunday, Fortune re-publishes one of their favorite stories online from the "Fortune Classic" archive

By: nosila

nosila — Mon, 30 May 2011 08:52:27 -0800

Awesome! I just visited Coney Island for the first time last night, and was totally fascinated by it. Thanks for the great read!

By: namewithoutwords

namewithoutwords — Mon, 30 May 2011 09:02:08 -0800

When I was young, they called Coney Island the "Playground of the World"

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Mon, 30 May 2011 09:05:11 -0800

I never really "got" the appeal of Coney Island's fair until I saw Harold Lloyd's Speedy from 1928, which is a truly fantastic time travelling jaunt into the streets of NYC of the 20s. The section where he takes his girl to Coney Island is mostly here, though I'm not sure I can recommend that soundtrack. Until I saw that, I assumed it was a big draw because there was a ferris wheel and some hot dogs and a freak show maybe, and no one had TV. But that film shows what a completely amazing experience it must have been, and made me dearly wish I could have seen it in its glory.

By: StickyCarpet

StickyCarpet — Mon, 30 May 2011 09:41:43 -0800

If anyone is passing by there, could you grab by prescription sunglasses? They're at the base of the big dip of the Cyclone roller coaster.

By: ReeMonster

ReeMonster — Mon, 30 May 2011 09:54:18 -0800

If anyone is passing by there, could you grab by prescription sunglasses? They're at the base of the big dip of the Cyclone roller coaster. Bummer! Did you tell them? They are usually cool about that sort of thing. My friend lost his wallet and they grabbed it for him. Oh and make sure you ride the Cyclone multiple times in a row; it's cheaper for subsequent rides ;)

By: atrazine

atrazine — Mon, 30 May 2011 11:50:18 -0800

They don't sleep anymore on the... Really. Only five comments and I'm already beaten to it?

By: hexatron

hexatron — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:14:08 -0800

My Coney Island roller coaster story: 1952 or so, Brooklyn--My best friend's parents take me & best friend to Coney Island. The 'ride' is entered on the street. All you can see in a short rail track, with a little train of coaster cars on it. The back of this area is a dark red wooden wall, with arched doorways for the little train to enter and to leave. Swinging doors prevent one from seeing through the arches. Friend's mom hates roller coasters, but dad convinces her it is like a train ride (which is certainly what the street view looks like). We all go. The little train goes through the arch, and is immediately dragged uphill. Nothing is really visible yet. We reach the top. We see extent of this monster. It is laid out in a straight line, with four hills-and-drops, ending in a turnaround, and then four more hills-and-drops straight back. It runs alongside the (elevated) Brighton Beach subway line. Big curses from mom. For the whole trip. Then it's back through the arch to the street entrance. But we are now on a parallel set of tracks through the entrance, and we don't stop. We go out through the exit arch to a parallel drag-up-the-hill, and then do the eight hills again. The coaster, probably over 1000 feet long, had four parallel tracks (2 outbound, 2 inbound). I was told the coaster was originally part of Luna Park, spared from the fire that consumed the park in 1942.

By: hexatron

hexatron — Mon, 30 May 2011 15:08:01 -0800

Identifying hexatron's coaster. I found this one in a long list of coasters. It's the right size and shape, and in the right place: http://www.westland.net/coneyisland/articles/coasterlist.htm

8.) Mile Sky Chaser (1923 - 1944) * Type - Wooden - Out & Back * Location - Luna Park * Builder & Designer - Jarvis * Height - 80 ft?? * Length - 3850 (estimate from map) This enormous coaster ran along Luna Park's perimeter, mainly on the west and back sides. The loading station was near Surf Avenue at its entrance. It was originally built by Jarvis at Brighton Beach in 1910 and known as the Chase Thru the Clouds. When the park burned in 1919, the coaster was abandoned until Jarvis, as Luna's new manager, needed a more thrilling coaster and decided to move it. Newspapers reported that it cost $140,000 to build, but that might have been the original cost added to the rebuilding cost; but it does seem excessive. They also claimed that it had drops pf 95 feet, 75 feet and 65 feet; somewhat of an exaggeration. It burned in the final Luna Park fire.

However, it seems that it may have returned (or I am severely deluded): http://www.bklyn-genealogy-info.com/Newspaper/Disasters/1944.LunaPk.html

The Mile Sky Chaser (coaster) and Shoot the Chutes rides were damaged but repairable. Unfortunately it was during World War II when building material was strickly rationed. However, the park did reopen and charged ten cents to see the ruins.

And googly no pictures! Not one!

By: lupus_yonderboy

lupus_yonderboy — Mon, 30 May 2011 16:30:35 -0800

Great article. [Last time I was on the Cyclone I lost my voice and, I think, my wallet (didn't notice for quite a long time).] Coney Island, sigh, another of America's great assets being rapidly being destroyed by the vultures ripping at the country's body. I was there a couple of years ago on Astroland's last day (it's becoming condominiums). My assumption is that in twenty years from now there will be a plaque where the Cyclone was and not much else.

By: anazgnos

anazgnos — Mon, 30 May 2011 17:22:43 -0800

My assumption is that in twenty years from now there will be a plaque where the Cyclone was and not much else. Long Beach has a plaque where the Cyclone Racer used to be. Thought the "new" Luna Park opened on the site of the old Astroland, though? I mean, the new Luna Park appears to just be an ugly, unthemed asphalt field with a bunch of off-the-shelf carnival rides but it's a step, at least.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 30 May 2011 20:17:33 -0800

Thanks so much, zarq, I really look forward to reading this, as I have long been a MASSIVE Coney Island fan. used to love to go down there every now and then during the years I lived in Brooklyn, (84 to 95), especially at off-season, when an aura of bleak poetry pervaded the area. I'm reminded of a song wrote quite some time ago. I've yet to record it, but I think I'll post the lyrics here... CONEY ISLAND OF THE MIND every other car of the F train is engulfed in flame but it's pulling on outta west 4th street station, honey, just the same step on in, step lively, and watch the closing doors we're gonna ride this burner all the way down to coney island's golden shores we'll ride on the roller coaster it's made outta bones and mud we'll play the little game where you shoot the ducks tonight we're out for blood we'll go down under the boardwalk, no telling what we'll find down in coney island babe, a coney island of the mind we'll head on over to the side show and see the woman with a hundred toes the two headed fish and the elastic man who hamers nails into his nose exotic dancers from cleveland and curiosities of every kind down in coney island babe, a coney island of the mind with ferris wheels spinning in all their eyes a million souls with a nickel to spend wander through this half-dreamt place from the past to the present and back again we're just two more fools who never wanna go back home and have to face what we left behind down in coney island babe, a coney island of the mind then in the midst of the sickening swirl at the height of the cheapest thrill there's a blink, just a second of silence when everything goes dark and still then a million colored flashing lights bright enough to strike you blind illuminates the desperation at the heart of this coney island of the mind and now the dead cold winter surrounds this place the roller coaster's covered with snow the midgets and dancers have all gone home we're the only ones left at the freak show the ferris wheel, it's rolled away it's pitch black where the lights once shined all we got is each other babe and a coney island of the mind

By: drjimmy11

drjimmy11 — Mon, 30 May 2011 22:13:54 -0800

I grew up under the roller coaster on Coney Island, which accounts for my temperament, which is a little nervous I think.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 30 May 2011 22:26:41 -0800

I grew up under the roller coaster on Coney Island, which accounts for my temperament, which is a little nervous I think. Well, hello there, Mr. Allen! Hey, can i ask you something? How come your movies aren't funny anymore?

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Tue, 31 May 2011 03:16:16 -0800

Let me commend to you Kevin Baker's book, Dreamland. That is all.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:00:01 -0800

Oh my goodness. Look at this, and this and this, which I just happened upon randomly looking for something unrelated.