Coney Island's arcade games and rides in the "vintage amusement park ER"

Please read this fascinating article on how the folks from Deno's Wonder Wheel Park are working hard to salvage the rides and games that were ravaged by Hurricane Sandy.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323501404578165283531252180.html

Of particular interest to me is how dear the Grandma's Predictions fortuneteller is to the park; they consider it a good luck charm.  Here's a photo I took while Ben and I visited Coney:

The article relates that Grandma's been around since the 1920s.  She apparently made it through the flooding, although she's being taken care of at the "ER"; apparently the Zoltar machine in the background didn't fair as well.

Again, please give to the Red Cross and help the folks affected by Sandy. And consider donating to Coney Island USA, to help keep the history and spirit of this priceless place alive for future generations: http://shop.coneyisland.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?display=home

Give at Thanksgiving. The folks at Coney Island will be very grateful.

The museum is doing alright, but the sideshow, the gift shop and the attached bar are in shambles.  You might ask, "But why do I want to contribute money for a sideshow?  What good will that do the world?"  In a word: plenty.

Coney Island USA is enclosed in a building nearby the famed Coney Island amusement parks, the legendary Cyclone rollercoaster, and just down the street from THE Nathan's famous hot dogs.  Coney Island USA is comprised of the side show (I believe the only side show, actual side show with "freak" acts and feats of derring do) in the US, a place which hires folk who might be considered to be on the fringes of "normal" society, but who possess amazing skills and display them with pride and reverence for a form of theatre has long been ostracized and disrespected.  One visit to the Coney Island USA side show will tip you on your ear.  You''ll walk away with a sense of awe and, most importantly, a a fresh reverence for the unique characters who shamelessly give of themselves in order to keep the spirit of side shows alive.  To borrow the words from the company's site, "The purpose of Coney Island USA is to defend the honor of American popular culture through innovative exhibitions and performances."

Right now, the materials needed to present performances are soggy from salt water or were thrown away in a dumpster due to the flooding. See photo above.

 

The gift shop is the only place you'll be able to find earrings shaped like Deno's Wonder Wheel (I own a pair and wear 'em proudly), or a bottle containing an authentic shard of Coney Island boardwalk.  Right now, the items that were spared from the deluge are being sold to help support Coney Island USA.  Oh, and the bar?  A great place to grab a beer after watching the side show or visiting the museum.

So - your donation, or your purchase from the gift shop, helps support Coney Island USA, allowing them to do their work.  Oh,yes, the museum.  It's upstairs on the second floor, so it was spared from the flooding.  But the gift shop helps support the museum, as does the bar, so it's best that all spaces are cleaned up and restored as soon as possible.

And what's up in the museum? Oh, just amazing exhibits about the history of Coney Island, a true American icon, a seaside treasure that's withstood fire and flood, the changes of time and culture, and keeps on kicking and inspiring and entertaining.  The museum keeps the true spirit of Coney Island alive.

The holidays are just around the corner.  Who doesn't want a necklace with an image of a tattooed mermaid on it? The following link will take you to the store website, where you can order a great gift, or make a donation:

http://shop.coneyisland.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?display=home

DO this.

(Photos from the Coney Island USA Facebook page.)

New uses for old bumper cars!

My delightful friend, Jill Jackson, who's a great fan of my book, sent me this email and I was blown away by the creativity therein!  While on the Road Trip, I took a number of photos of old bumper cars, always wondering where the retired ones went.  To the trash heap?  To the park's museum (only a few parks actually have museums.  Arnolds Park and Knoebels come to mind; Coney Island has a museum but I don't know if they'd have the space for ride vehicles).

Anyway - I've never copied an email into a blog post, but I couldn't pass this one up.  Kudos to the brilliant Tom Wright who found a wonderful way to repurpose these vintage beauties.  Enjoy!

The ones in Coney Island and Rockaway Park back in the 20’s thru to the 50;s ran on electric . Had a pole on the back going to a metal electrical charged overhead plate.


Remember driving the bumper cars at amusement parks or
a fair, don't you? They were so much fun.

 Well, now what do you do with old Bumper Cars? (and check out the license plates!) 



WHO KNEW?
















Yes, you read that right; these little beasties are street legal.
They run on either Kawasaki or Honda motorcycle engines and co-opt vintage bumper car bodies into the most awesome form of mini-car we've seen in too long. There are seven of these little monsters floating around California and they're all the creation of one man, Tom Wright, a builder in the outskirts of San Diego who figured the leftovers of the Long Beach Pike amusement park needed a more dignified end than the trash heap.

They were originally powered by two cylinder Harley Davidson
Motorcycle engines but they rattled like heck because of the two cylinder vibration and Tom replaces them with four cylinder Honda or Kawasaki 750's.
And a couple have been measured as capable of 160 MPH, which is terrifyingly fast in machines with such a short wheelbase.
By the way, they are almost indestructible in accidents!

Creepshow at the Freakshow at Coney Island

http://www.coneyisland.com/creepshow.shtml

I'm a big fan of the folks who run the Coney Island freakshow.  Part of my East Coast roadtrip, my visit to the freakshow and the Coney Island museum connected me with this group of highly dedicated, creative performers who have their hearts in the rigth place and hold the history and spirit of the true Coney Island  reverently - and somewhat irreverently.

So when I got win that they put together a mean haunted house, I had to learn more.  Truth be told, I hate haunted houses that aren't actually haunted.  Give me an EMF meter and night vision camera, and I'm golden, but I don't get the thrill of spending good money for people to chase me with chainsaws. 

Having said that, if I had the time/money to make it out to Coney for their own unique brand of horror show, I'd be there in one quick bone rattle.  From what I get from reading the description, it's more a theatrical experience, fully immersive, and completely original and deeply creepy. 

Think about it: it takes you "into the tortured dreams of a corrupt and drug-addled amusement park official".  Can't think of much that would be creepier than that.