Bogey, King Maker
File this one under Things-I-Didn’t-Know:
Bogart was an excellent chess player, almost of master strength. Before he made any money from acting, he would hustle players for dimes and quarters, playing in New York parks and at Coney Island. The chess scenes in Casablanca had not been in the original script, but were put in at his insistence.
Coney has popped up a lot in the sites I frequent. I should hop back there within the next couple of weeks before it gets crowded and take some more pictures. Meanwhile, if you (and Ingrid) are interested, some of my modern Coney Island pics can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bmj2k/sets/72157624596059587/
Great photos, definitely interested if you go back and get more.
Coney Island, for me, definitely falls into the mythical portion of New York.
(“Warriors come out to plaaaaay.”)
Sadly, that Coney Island hasn’t existed since the 70’s. It is very different now,but if the plans actually turn to reality, Coney will be unrecognizable in ten years.
When I say “sadly” I mean it in the nostalgic sense. Modern Coney Island is cleaner and safer and still has The wonder Wheel, Parachute Jump, and Nathan’s. There is also The Brooklyn cyclones minor league ballpark- a GREAT place to see a game-and of course the boardwalk and Aquarium are still there. This set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bmj2k/sets/72157624285408357/
was taken during a wrestling event at the park. The ballpark abuts the boardwalk- you can enter from there and the view from the seats is open water. The Parachute Jump is just past it and looms over right field. These are not my favorite pics but they give a sense of the place.
Understood – what are the plans for the next ten years?
Looks like a beautiful place to take in any sort of event.
If we ever make it out that way, I’ll have to coax you into giving us a guided tour.
Look at the images on this site, then think “brighter-louder-gaudier.” I’ve seen scary things in the paper about this plan, including totally covering the main avenue with a giant 1/2 tube.
http://www.thecidc.org/Planning/RezoningPlan.html
As for the tour? No prob.
Thank you, Barry! The pictures are fantastic! I also had a look at the link in your most recent comment. This rezoning project is very interesting.
OVerall, they are going to Disney-fy the area. I love Disneyland (though I slightly preferred Universal when I was in Florida) but Coney Island has a very particular character. The new Coney will have high end shops, condos, and no space for the Freak Show or Shoot the Geek. It right now still has a lowbrow, populist feel. It is in a middle ground between The Warriors and Space Mountain, and there is still enough of the old Coney flavor (but with a safer atmosphere) to satisfy me, though it is going to lose a lot of its history soon. Even sections of the wooden boardwalk may be replaced by concrete.