had a family reunion there every year through the 50s. Good memories. No one was able to notify us as to what the problem was since there were no cell phones back then. at nytoday.com or in the morning, on The New York Times homepage or its New York section. In 1941, after the World's Fair, it was moved to its current location in the Steeplechase amusement park on Coney Island. turn into muggers paradise. [50] The reopening was delayed by disagreements between operator International Parachuting Inc. and James Strong. great fun but the creme de la creme was our last ride: The Parachute Drop. A Huge Fan of the Old Coney island, and Yes, Coney Island was Nutty back in those days, You must have had a blast, Im wondering if you became a paratrooper. I Rode the Parachute Jump as a child in the late '50s. [56] The Parachute Jump was slated to be sent to either Coney Island in Brooklyn or Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey following the conclusion of the Fair. I visit Coney Island as often as I can and try to get to Coney Island just to see the old parachute jump. I want the Paracute Ride to be put back in service ASAP. Rode the Steeplechase 3 or 4 times; I think the fare was 50 cents, 75?, but no more than a dollar I'm sure. Dramatic news stories have been spun about a declining Jump falling into disrepair, including detailed descriptions of the rickety ride finally being forced to close in 1968. Install new mechanisms? [123] The city government stabilized the structure in 1993 and painted it in its original colors, although the structure still suffered from rust in the salt air. The accident did not take place on the Parachute Jump. Omori's Japanese-American parents moved to Coney from California in the 1940s, during World War Carlos Quinones, 72, is alongtime Coney Island resident whos well known for his collection of classic cars. Aside from the years and neglect and exposure to the elements that the parachute jump has suffered, Mr. Kernacs said, there is a lower public tolerance for real danger. [107] Two years later, on May 23, 1989,[3] the LPC restored city landmark status to the Parachute Jump. The upper floor of the pavilion has red, yellow, and blue walls. You can find the latest New York Today You can also receive it via email. I did ride on the Parachute Jump as a youngster..it was a thrilling memorable experience. My grandfather George Siebert assigned to NY City Rescue Squad, it might have been you he climbed up for the rescue. Then the city changed its mind about the status, and talked about . [61] According to Jim McCollough, a business partner and nephew of the Tilyou brothers, the frame was repainted every year. an older friend challenged (or dared) me to ride along with him. Park Should Become Amusement Area", "15Year Dispute Over Lease for Coney Island Steeplechase Continues", "Coney Island: battered but unbowed, it still amuses", "Beleaguered Coney Islanders Rally With Sense of Affection; The Talk of Coney Island", "The Talk of Coney Island; at Coney I., Symbols of Heyday Fading Away", "Nix Landmark Status for Coney Parachute", "Parachute Jump at Coney Island Loses Chance of Landmark Status", "Holy Coney! Being the youngest guess who got stuck more often than not. Capped by a 12-foot (3.7m) flagpole, it was the tallest structure at the Fair. We lived in Levittown so it was a haul. A circular structure runs atop the subframes, connecting them to each other. [94] For a time Trump rented out the base area as a concession and it was encircled by a small go-kart track. [74][77], Coney Island's popularity receded during the 1960s as it underwent increased crime, insufficient parking facilities, and patterns of bad weather. [51][52] These disagreements included a lawsuit filed by International Parachuting against Strong to prevent him from selling the rights to the ride to third parties. [32] Life Savers sponsored the ride, investing $15,000 (equivalent to $292,000 in 2021) and decorated its tower with brightly lit, candy-shaped rings. [15] The parachutes slowed the rider's descent and the seats would be stopped by a brake after they had fallen to 4 feet (1.2m) above ground level. My fave was cyclone. There was seating like a small theatre where you could watch the antics on stage for the price of one ticket punch on your round admission ticket. I 've been to both Disneys and The lights were activated in 2006 and replaced in a subsequent project in 2013. Besides the obvious insurance and liability concerns is another factor to consider: the Parachute Jump never made money for the Tilyous. It might be a kind of magic If the PD ever opens up again, Ill be there promised! If I told you some of the things we did you wouldn't believe me. Fortunately, it was a nice day, and we were too young to be worried so we just waited until it finally began to run. I almost cried when they shut it down last summer. Twelve cantilever steel arms radiate from the top of the tower; when the ride was in operation, each arm supported a parachute attached to a lift rope and a set of guide cables. [43][44] At least two other groups of people became stuck on the Parachute Jump in its first year: a deputy sheriff and his sister-in-law later in July 1939,[45] and two female friends that September. Looking on Google Maps, one. [4] It consists of a hexagonal base, upon which stands a six-sided steel structure. So, he claimed the PJ in Coney Island. I think they just dont care. [126][127] The Bullard deal was negated in 1994,[117] and the site directly north of the Parachute Jump was developed into a sports stadium, KeySpan Park,[a] which opened in 2000. "The historical consultant wrote that. who wants to go there anymore with promises that they are not going to keep. Bathing in Coney Island as a kid in the late 40s and early 50s (yes the water was not clean), I would witness the chutes getting stuck often sometimes for hours for hours. [72], The Parachute Jump attracted up to half a million riders during each annual operating season. Development began in the 1840s, when Coney Island wasn't even connected to the mainland. use, and continue to use this type of device, why cant it be made serviceable for the public?? Unfortunately, the garden and building in the photo have been demolished and are being replaced with a high rise residential building. More than50 different custom-built rides are on view and maybe orderedvia From the 1940s through the 1970s, bus tripsto Coney Island were so popular that concessionaires recall 50 to 100 buses arriving onSaturdaymornings and staying till 6 or 7 at night. No wonder almost everyone in this forum who has expressed interest in reviving the Parachute Jump is of my generation or older. people. But I would also like to be able to see who is in the park and on the street too. Steeplechase had been founded by their father, George C. Tilyou (1862-1914), whose enterprises at the turn of the century helped A ladder is on the north side of the structure, extending from the top of the base. [90] A Daily News article from 1973 states the ride closed in 1968. Recently, though, city officials reached out to him anew, and he met According to The New York Times, a 17-year-old girl was riding the park's Super Himalaya ride when suddenly, a coupling that binds the ride's cars together snapped. It was designated a city landmark in 1977. Any validity to this story?? [7][148] The B&B Carousell, an early-20th-century carousel that had become part of Luna Park, was relocated to Steeplechase Plaza east of the Parachute Jump in 2013. All the rides were [111][112][113] Despite the city's reluctance to designate the structure as a landmark, the Parachute Jump was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. When it was windy the operators had to do test rides since the winds at the top could differ from the surface. Beside their famous rollercoaster installations, that amusement ride manufacturer has built several (modern) versions of the parachute-tower, [115] The local community board recommended that the Parachute Jump be demolished if it could not be fixed, but NYC Parks commissioner Henry Stern said in January 1984 that his department had "decided to let it stand[116], Stern dismissed the possibility of making the Parachute Jump operational again, calling it a "totally useless structure" and saying that even the Eiffel Tower had a restaurant. I very much try out the jump (who hasnt stared at that tall structure I, too as a child/teen went to Coney Island every chance I could. And yet no one I knew was [33] Elwyn E. Seelye & Co. designed the steelwork, Bethlehem Steel manufactured the tower pieces, and Skinner, Cook & Babcock assembled the pieces onsite. The Parachute Jump was fortunately landmarked and rehabilitated, still an important landmark on the Coney Island boardwalk. Some quick stops at the Coney Island attractions - Rides on the Parachute Jump, The Whip, The Magic Carpet (I think.) I hope they do something right in the renovation Its open-frame steel structure measures 250 feet tall and weighs 170 tons. Imagine a carousel for grown-upsit went in With restoration of the ride being proposed, it's important to get the facts straight. Btw: The illumination looks great and imho it is a nice addition to the beach area. . When they were dropped . The Parachute Ride in Coney Island closed down with the rest of the park in 1964. These difficulties were exacerbated by competition from the 1964 New York World's Fair, also in Flushing MeadowsCorona Park, which led to a record low patronage at Steeplechase Park. [133] The restoration was completed around July 2003. fun and excitement of getting on the Jump and the feeling of that initial drop, it should certainly be restored so future youngsters may have this experince. [86] The Guide to New York City Landmarks also mentions that the ride closed in 1964,[34] while the Brooklyn Paper says the Jump was shuttered in 1965. Ahh..the Steeplechase horse race! It has been lit up in commemoration of events such as the death of Kobe Bryant. for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month", "Coney Island pays tribute to Kobe Bryant", New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, Historic Structures Report: Parachute Jump, Oral histories about the Parachute Jump collected by the Coney Island History Project, "New York World's Fair 19391940 records", Coney Island, Parachute Jump, Coney Island, Kings County, NY, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Parachute_Jump&oldid=1149989923, This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 17:38. No one wants DARK NYC!!! One operator could handle the chute but it was tiring so usually two split the job. and a Pony ride "open all year". petelush and Elle Stern, those are some great, evocative descriptions. I tell people if they ever make it to Brooklyn in the summer its a must see. Here's the site during construction. restore everything, thats probably what you would be talking about. That kind of work, he added, would be somewhat more expensive than building a new parachute jump from scratch, but would maintain an large oval track and the horses were supported from underneath and goes fastyou really had to hold on. I moved to Coney Island in late 1959 and was fortunate to be old enough to enjoy SteepleChase, all 3 major the best ride, as you hurtled on a track, holding on to a cast iron horse, with no safety apparatus at all! Im too young to remember the Coney of the 1950s but youve painted a very vivid picture for all of us. We had the whole park to ourselves! c/o Deno's Wonder Wheel Park !.After nyc refused to let trump build hotels and/or apartment complexes on the site of the former amusement park Donald Trump came personally with a slew of scamtily-clad females , and with a sledge hammer in his hands he began smashing away at the walls of the steeplechase park!!! [6][120] Following this, the Board of Estimate granted permission for Bullard to develop his amusement park on the Steeplechase site, including reopening the Parachute Jump. The thing was designed and built by human beings. There are multiple cables on each chute, As a kid with a younger brother living in Coney Island. Each parachute had a seat for two hanging beneath it; riders were lifted by a cable to the top of the tower, then dropped, floating gently to the ground. any ride circle around the base of this ride. realistic goal., But talk of reviving the jump, closed since 1968, as a working ride has been hard to quash over the years, and Flag at Fair Tops Russia's Star; Unfurled Atop the Parachute Jump Greatest Throng on a Weekday Present", "Boro Veterans Plan to Give Fair a Flagpole", "It's a 12-Second Fall at Coney's Big Jump", "Amelia Earhart Uses Her First Parachute; Flier Makes Her Initial Jump, With a New Device From a 115-Foot Tower", "Fair Amusements To Show A Profit; Net This Year Put at 'Nominal to Handsome' as Big Costs of '39 Are Eliminated", "Contracts Signed For Fair's Books; Exposition Publications Is to Put Out Guide, a Souvenir Volume and Daily Program", "Parachute Tower For World's Fair; 250-Foot Jump to Be Offered as a Novel Amusement", "Play Area at Fair Takes On New Life; Amusement Zone Starts To Boom", "Fair for Fair! ever snatched away by an abductor; and the strangers I met on my extensive journeys through the city were always kind and helpful as most people are, save for the modern-day fear of being arrested as After the Life Savers sponsorship ended at the conclusion of the 1939 season, the ride was relocated closer to the entrance of the New York City Subway's World's Fair station, near the Children's World section of the Fair, at a cost of $88,500 (equivalent to $1,712,000 in 2021). [8], Functional parachutes dangled from each of the twelve sub-frames and were held open by metal rings. The Parachute Jump never operated after the closure of Steeplechase Park on September 19, 1964. When I was a kid I was crazy about the Jump. At this point, if it is rebuilt, I would love to introduce my two grown children Horace Bullard obtained a 99-year lease on the Steeplechase site and Roller coaster enthusiast John Hunt has been buildingscale models of coasters and amusement parkattractions since he was a boyand has turned his hobby into a business. The tower impresses me since Ive seen it years ago on a postcard. most other modern amusement parks but none of them will ever compare to the magic of old Coney Island! Steeplechase employees parked at Harrys parking (now a gass station) they all knew I was Harrys grandson and when I was old enough to ride the parachute jump I did. [91], The city unsuccessfully attempted to redevelop the Steeplechase site as a state park. bringing the parachute jump up to modern safety standards, is possible, but will cost money. There no good reason why it should not be restored and reopened. [9] The upper floor housed mechanical structures and hoisting machinery, while the ground floor contained ticket booths and a waiting room. [77][106][114] The survey estimated it would cost at least $300,000 to demolish the structure (equivalent to $842,000 in 2021), making demolition too costly an option. Exhibit about the One Hundred-Year-Old Coney Island Boardwalk, April 23: Immigrant Heritage Walking Tour of Coney Island, March 16: Coney Island History Show and Tell via Zoom. ", "U.S. Its boss (although not as exciting as the parachute which I hope to be able to try sometime). It was a lot more than rides: real frozen custard (go ahead, try to find it now, even at places He said, in fact, that he recently spoke with someone, a representative of a European company that has offices in the United States, who said the The colourful history of Coney Island has been kept alive through community initiatives such as the Coney Island History Project, which last year marked 50 years since Trump's destruction. So this was what it was like to parachute out of a plane, I thought, knowing I would never parachute out of a plane. There was never anything actually wrong with this particular attraction. [52][53], The Parachute Jump reopened in June 1940, over a month after the Fair's reopening. Scary! Only safety belt was a rather loose strap draped across the lap. [85][96] The agency attempted to sell the Jump at auction in 1971[97] but received no bids. the top and went into that momentary free fall I thought it was all over for me! A friend tells me that near its end, there was a mishap a week after he rode it with friends. Restoring [62][63] The fire had destroyed many of the larger attractions, including a Flying Turns roller coaster, whose site stood empty a year after the blaze. The animations were based on events in the local calendar, including the boardwalk's operating and non-operating seasons, the lunar cycle, the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, and national holidays such as Memorial Day and Labor Day. The hot dog made its debut in 1867 at Coney Island. Why is this information relevant? Send questions or suggestions It was scary! And so we have traded the zest of challenging and overcoming our fears for the pablum of safety. The Parachute Jump is on the Riegelmann Boardwalk at Coney Island between West 16th and West 19th Streets. [130], The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) assumed responsibility for the tower in 2000. but, it was also generate revenue I know I would pay to ride it. This ride will probably be as safe as any of the myriad of roller coasters. [58] After the Fair closed in October 1940,[59] its operators announced that the Parachute Jump would be sent to Coney Island. c/o Deno's Wonder Wheel Park It is a big let down for quite alot of [20], The city government questioned the tower's safety. Construction cost about $99,000 (equivalent to $1,929,000 in 2021). [86] That October, the city announced a plan to acquire the 125 acres (51ha) of the former Steeplechase Park so the land could be reserved for recreational use. The lighting of the Parachute Jump at Coney Island in July 2006. The ride required some modifications in its new, windier, shore-side location, including the addition of 30-foot-deep (9.1m) foundations. [91] Consulting engineer Helen Harrison and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation's website also cite a closure date of 1968, saying it was one of several small rides that were operated by concessionaires on the site of Steeplechase Park. Like what the memorable, for me, will always be the first and only time I experienced the Parashute Jump. The mechanics would occasionally stop the ride on purpose as a publicity gimmick -- the screams of riders dangling in the air was guaranteed to draw a crowd. I personally would be happy to see the PD operating again. Brooklyn, NY 11224, info@coneyislandhistory.org(347) 702-8553. Therefore bringing us Dow lawyers would have a field day with this one; every parachute would need 100% reliability and so on. He was on the news and in the newspaper it was so embarrassing. Expect Million on First Day", "Russia Quits Fair; Finns to Stay; Reds to Raze $4,000,000 Pavilion; Moscow Orders Withdrawal Without Giving Explanation", "Couple Marooned Five Hours on High Parachute at Fair", "Pair Held 100 Feet Aloft in Fair Parachute; Thousands Watch Efforts to Rescue Them", "Pair Stranded 100 Feet in Air on Fair 'Chute", "Parachute Device at Fair Booms After 2 Hang in Mid-Air", "Parachute Sticks With Another Pair; But This Time Deputy Sheriff and Sister-in-Law Are Kept Aloft Only 35 Minutes", "Parachute Jams Again; Two Women Kept 230 Feet in Air at Fair for Half Hour", "Shift in Fair's Play Zone; Parachute Jump to Be Moved to More Central Site", "Play Zone at Fair Is '100% Sold Out'; Revitalized Great White Way Offers Livelier and Gayer Section Than Last Year", "Fair Parachuting Held Up By Dispute; Withdrawal of the Inventor From Company Delays Opening of Device", "Seek to Retain Exclusive Rights to Parachute Jump", "Shows to Migrate from Fair Midway to Coney in 1941", "Coney Area Swept by Fire; $200,000 Damage; 18 Hurt", "$500,000 Fire Perils All of Coney Island", "Coney Figures Itself in for an Old-Fashioned Summer With Plenty of Fun for Everyone", "Send 'Em Away with a Smile, Is Philosophy of Jim Onorato", "Beaches Crowded for the Holiday; All Resorts in Metropolitan Area Report Near-Records for Their Attendance", "Coney Island Dolls Up, Winks at Service Men", "Steeplechase Dolls Up to Mark its 50th Year", "Coney Has a War Boom; There Are Priorities, Shortages and the Dimout, but the Subway Is Convenient", "2 Girls in High Suspense As Parachute Jump Sticks", "2 Dangle 90 Minutes on Coney Island Jump", "Coney Island Slump Grows Worse; Decline in Business Since the War Years Has Been Steady", "Leaps of Imagination for the Parachute Jump", "Steeplechase Park Planned as the Site of Housing Project", "Steeplechase Sold; Loses Race to the Sands of Time", "A 160-Foot-High Pleasure Dome Is Proposed for Coney Island", "Answers About the Preservation of Coney Island, Part 2", "The Parachute Ride goes black wasting the city's spruce-up effort", "Future of Coney's Parachute Jump is Up in the Air", "City Wants Site of Steeplechase For Seafront Coney Island Park; Planning Board Sets Oct. 19 Hearing to Bar Area for High-Rise Homes", "Park Usage Voted For Steeplechase; City to Seek $2-Million Aid to Buy Coney Island Tract", "Coney Parachute Jump is About to Go Down", "New York, After 10 Years, Finds Plan to Create a Coney Island Park Is Unsuccessful", "City, in a Shift, Says Coney I. this amazing ride already. jump could possibly be made to work again. Hopes have been raised before, most notably by Horace Bullard, a developer and the founder In 1954, Lois McLohon posedfor a Daily News photographer as a bathing beautyagainst the backdrop of Coney Islandbeach andits famous skyline. I didn't know what to expect, but the first second or 2 were definitely free-fall and I was sure my life over. Its a shame Bloomberg wasted everyones time with the Westside Highway stadium and other Olympic boondoggle accoutrements, instead of actually developing to the needs of a thriving city. It seemed that Coney Island was being turned over to fish and renters. Nutty bunch of guys. His family lived first in a bungalow on West 32nd Street,then in an apartment in a three-story house on West 33rd Street, and finally in Sea Gate. In no way will anybody ever see Coney Island again. Reel #: 9018 TC In: 001811 TC Out: 002352Summer on the beach at Coney Island, NY 1950s. Terrifying & exhilarating all at the same time. Despite proposals to either demolish or restore the ride, disputes over its use caused it to remain unused through the 1980s. The parachute jump is emblematic of what is perhaps the greatest loss we have suffered as a people: Our willingness to take risks. The most interesting part of this story is that when I took that ride as a paratrooper, it was only my second time on the parachute ride.
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