Don't Ruin Coney Island!

Don't Ruin Coney Island!
Originally uploaded by killerfemme

This sign was taped to plywood encircling the now empty lot where the go karts used to be. Thor Equities has purchased Astroland and plans to "make it nice," but no one really knows what their plans are. Rumors are circulating- will the wonder wheel stay or not? What about the cyclone? What is considered a landmark? This whole looming tragedy of the disneyfication of Coney Island reminds me of a recent argument I overheard between my co-workers concerning the Ratner arena project in Downtown and Prospect Heights Brooklyn. One was insisting that he supported the project because "the city has to expand." The other was patiently explaining that "expansion" and "development" does not mean destroying peoples homes for stadiums and parking lots and building luxury housing and no schools. Or, in the case of Coney Island, destroying what makes Brooklyn Brooklyn to turn it into a theme park version of itself.