Coney Island Dream from Joshua Brown on Vimeo.
An almost forgotten urban scape lies in the southeastern corner of Brooklyn. The once great Coney Island has fallen victim to urban blight and the greed of developers. What was once a bustling theme park is now covered with blue barricades and chainlink fences. Joshua Brown shot this last winter just before a large storm hit. Now with the wrecking balls coming back in full force, his short video "Coney Island Dream" takes on a whole new meaning.
Tony Fast shared this with me and it was too good to not post. It's a little off-topic but it's really beautiful cinematography and shows the present state of Coney Island quite well.
Comments
Well done!
Posted by: b. taylor | April 28, 2010 3:57 PM
I LIKE!
Funny, here in Berlin, Germany we have exactly the same situation, it is called «Spreewald«, but it is not at the sea...
:-|
s
Posted by: seb | April 28, 2010 4:46 PM
Sooo tight!!! Amazing
Posted by: Colby | April 28, 2010 10:53 PM
Such a nice video, wicked use of depth of field and even a little bit of tilt shift at the end (?). Really evocative. Beautiful stuff.
Posted by: KGJ | April 30, 2010 6:52 AM
This is indeed a lovely film of a snowy December night when only Nathan’s and a couple of other year round businesses were open. But it does not represent the Coney Island that visitors will find in the 2010 season.
As someone who works in Coney Island’s amusement area, I want to get the word out to potential visitors that Coney Island is not abandoned and closed like Germany's Spreewald, which was mentioned by one commenter. We’re a neighborhood of independently owned and operated seasonal attractions, not a single owner park. Unfortunately, several years of headlines about the ongoing redevelopment and rezoning have left many potential visitors with the misimpression that ALL of Coney Island is closed. Not true!
Currently open on weekends till the middle of May, then daily through the summer: 40 rides including the landmark Cyclone roller coaster and Wonder Wheel and diverse attractions including the Coney Island Circus Sideshow. The Aquarium, Nathan’s and Boardwalk eateries are now open daily, weather permitting. Visit the “Coney Island Fun Guide” on the web for details.
Coney Island is expecting its best season in years. The City bought 7 acres including the former Astroland from real estate speculator Joe Sitt. The new Luna Park with 19 new rides will open on the former Astroland site on Memorial Day Weekend. Ringling Circus is returning to Coney Island in June. While Joe Sitt recently announced plans to demolish four historic buildings and has no plans to activate his remaining parcels on Stillwell, we’re not going to let him spoil our party. Please come out and enjoy!
Posted by: Tricia | May 1, 2010 12:09 PM