In the years leading up to the Great Depression there was an explosion in leisure time and fun. Business was booming and even the working class was becoming able to have a some fun. All over New York people were visiting parks, experiencing movies, and doing pretty much anything to entertain themselves and keep them out of their hot apartments during the summer months. All of these conditions combined to create the perfect time to form Coney Island, "The Playground of the World."
The small island outside of the city attracted many business men to the area because of clean beaches, undeveloped and cheap land, and above all the opportunity to make a name for themselves. The area exploded with horse races, luxury hotels, animal shows, extreme weather demonstrations, freak shows, and rides that defied gravity and shocked everyone who attended. The area was well-known to everyone and it was easily accessible from all parts of New York City. You could take subways, boats, or taxis and it made it easy for people of any social class to come.
Attractions such as Luna Park and the Steeple Chase were some of the main and most elaborate experiences for park goers. Luna Park had roller coasters that flipped and twisted people in ways they had never even thought possible and the Steeplechase gave people a place to play games, ride mechanical horses around a track, and get cozy with the opposite gender by giving them a great reason to hold on to their partners waist. The freak shows were the best of their kind and most of the public believed that they had the most authentic freaks of any competitors show. You could do anything at Coney Island that could be imagined because it seemed like the laws of nature and gravity did not apply to the small beach area. People felt invincible and activities like swimming off of a beach for the first time only boosted their confidence.The outrageous designs of hotels and theaters also promoted the image of possibilities. Hotels were shaped like the most random of objects, probably the most famous being the elephant where the richest of the rich could pay to sleep in the trunk for the summer. But this area was not only for the rich, but for anyone that had hopes of experiencing something out of a story.
Coney Island was a safe haven for freaks, outcasts, immigrants, upper class, and working class. Anyone was welcome and this mix of all kinds of people led to parties that would rage for days at a time. The beaches were the most common place to find classes mixing together but it could occur really anywhere. The area was famous of their 5 cent Nathan's Hotdog Stand which is one of the many examples of how cheap and approachable the island was. It attracted anyone who was looking for some cheap and scandalous fun. The city rules didn't apply to the people that came and that became obvious when men and women were found closer and closer to each other and also the level of gambling stepped up. Everyone was at Coney Island and you never knew what you could really expect to find walking down the beaches. Even African tribal members, who were paid to work the crowds, could be found wandering around the boardwalk, keeping the mysterious island in the news and relevant.
The area was really created for the people of New York to entertain them and give them something they had never seen before. It also got people out of their stuffy, unair-conditioned apartments. This time of exploration was crucial in American history because these were the times that people were building amazing rides and also getting over old taboos such as wearing more modern bathing suits. Coney Island really was a revolutionary idea that was a complete success in the ways of modernizing New York and letting people experience new ideas and ways of life. I also think it made people more open-minded and relaxed about the different backgrounds and races of the people around them.
Coney Island did not last long because of the Great Depressions starting so soon after but its reputation of fun and excitement still lives on in all of the pictures taken and all of the stories told. It is also mostly destroyed and burned because of a lack of upkeep but the city of New York is trying to restore it to its once great glory. Its impact on the history of roller coasters and rides is also monumental and extremely important to engineers but especially to the people that got to experience it first hand.
Background Information on Coney Island- Vanalen.org
This source told me how and why Coney Island grew so rapidly and also how it affected people. It also gave me some information on some of the attractions there and how they came about.
Attractions- Westland.net
This source told me about the types of attractions, rides, and buildings they had there and what types of people they attracted.
Documentary on Coney Island from YouTube
This source showed me how the different classes used Coney Island and how it came to have it's own social rules. It also showed me how genders started mixing and how scandalous it was.
Background Information on the Times- The History Book
This source told me about the times before Coney Island was built and why it was necessary for it to be built. It also told me about the early years of the park and how it was viewed by the city.
How It Came About- Coney Island Official Website
This source showed me how important the area was and still is to New York and it's importance in history. It also told me a little about the restoration that they are starting o work on in the area.
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