Farewell Astroland

I read the sad news this morning that the summer of 2007 will be the last operating year for Coney Island's Astroland as we know it. I didn't get out there a lot as a child growing up in the city, but like the statue of liberty and empire state building, even if i didn't go there every year, i still had a very strong sentimental attachment to it as an integral part of the city's unique character.

More recently, this past summer, a group of Shore Fire staff and journalist friends made the trip out to a Coney Island Cyclones game, where The Klezmatics were performing as part of Woodie Guthrie Day. Afterwards, a group of us sampled some of the culinary delights of the boardwalk and took a few spins on the famed Cyclone (which, thankfully, will be spared redevelopment). It was a very fun evening.

I can't deny, though, that the amusement park is in its twilight. The weekend after the baseball game i biked out there and saw the snack stand directly across from the roller coaster, where i had bought a corn dog just days earlier, burning to the ground as several companies of firemen looked on helplessly- the result of what seemed to be an electrical fire.

I hope the new owners are able to rejuvenate the area while retaining some of the spirit of the old amusement park.

For the record, my high score on the skee-ball machines next to the Nathan's Hot Dog stand on the boardwalk is 340.