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. an older friend challenged (or dared) me to ride along with him. Believe me, the public really would like to see it operational again. I hope they do something right in the renovation [131][132] The NYCEDC contracted engineering firm STV to rehabilitate the structure. There was never anything actually wrong with this particular attraction. I thought I was going to die on the Steeplechase. any ride circle around the base of this ride. While Im too young to remember Coney Island of the 50s Im a brooklyn girl living outside NYC now who thonks theere is nothing better in the summer than a day with games, arcades skeeball In 1941, after the World's Fair, it was moved to its current location in the Steeplechase amusement park on Coney Island. [135], The Coney Island Development Corporation and the Van Alen Institute held an architecture contest in 2004 to determine future uses for the 7,800-square-foot (720m2) pavilion at the Jump's base. I too got to "drop" on the PJ in the early 60's as a young child. I visit Coney Island as often as I can and try to get to Coney Island just to see the old parachute jump. [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. Hi Nick, You are so wrong. In the years during and after World War II, riders were hoisted to the top of the tower in a canvas seat attached to a closed parachute. [33] A 12-foot (3.7m) flagpole was added atop the original 250-foot-tall (76m) tower to surpass the height of a statue within the Soviet Pavilion. Construction cost about $99,000 (equivalent to $1,929,000 in 2021). After time spent on the other rides we would wind up at Bay 17 and Scovilles. [55] A half-million guests had jumped from the tower before the end of the World's Fair. They were a helluva more dangerous. The Parachute Jump never operated after the closure of Steeplechase Park on September 19, 1964. Also for anyone else thinking about the classic attractions, I have to recommend the astro tower. [20][92] According to Harrison, the last documented incident on the ride was on May 30, 1968, when a young girl was reported to have gotten stuck halfway through the drop. [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. [91] On July 12, 1977, the LPC designated the tower as a city landmark. [18] Several works of media, such as Little Fugitive (1953), have also been filmed at the Parachute Jump. "The historical consultant wrote that. Originally, the city government wanted to reopen it as a functioning ride. As a teenager in the 2000s, Alicia Angellolivedin Marlboro Housesin Gravesend, which was walking distance toConey Island. [20] The official 1939 Fair guidebook described the Parachute Jump as "one of the most spectacular features of the Amusement Area", calling the attraction "similar to that which the armies of the world use in early stages of training for actual parachute jumping". at nytoday.com or in the morning, on The New York Times homepage or its New York section. The current crime rate is much lower than it was back then. I remember myself standing in front of the superstructure with my eyes and mouth wide open. [58] After the Fair closed in October 1940,[59] its operators announced that the Parachute Jump would be sent to Coney Island. [20][23] In response to high civilian interest in trying out the ride, Strong modified his invention for non-military use, making some design changes. The most Why, who knows what the possiblities would be? It might be a kind of magic If the PD ever opens up again, Ill be there promised! I lived in Coney almost all of my life until the end of 1997. [11][34], The Jump opened on May27,1939(1939-05-27),[35] a month after the Fair's official opening. Only safety belt was a rather loose strap draped across the lap. The last time on the Jump was the summer of 63'. [153] The Parachute Jump has also been lit up in recognition of special causes, such as World Autism Awareness Day[154] and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month,[155] as well as to commemorate notable personalities, such as happened after the 2020 death of retired NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant. So, I have to be satisfied with memories and occasional visits to the the greatest city in the country. I didn't know what to expect, but the first second or 2 were definitely free-fall and I was sure my life over. It was originally intended as a landing pad for riders and has a radius of 68 feet (21m). Island is complete. Your information will never be shared with other organizations. Looking on Google Maps, one. It would be wonderful for some signage as well as photographs of the ride in action be displayed around that structure. would be out of business in weeks.. The whole park was great, including the parachute ride. Great memories. [66] Its installation was part of a larger reconstruction of an 800-foot-long (240m) section of the boardwalk. !coney was never the same.. and sadly to say, never will be again. 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. Rode it many times and would LOVE to do it again before I'm gone.. [14], The base consists of a two-story pavilion. [5] There are anti-climbing devices on the frame. And a night on the boardwalk. My father Pedro Ortiz climbed the parachute jump. I rode the parachute ride in 1939 as a three year old toddler with my older brothers. petelush and Elle Stern, those are some great, evocative descriptions. [17], Because of its shape, the Parachute Jump has been nicknamed the "Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn". There was architecture from the 19th century, bars with alleged live entertainment, all In 1941, after the World's Fair, it was moved to its current location in the . [83], The Parachute Jump stopped operating as part of Steeplechase Park upon the latter's closure in 1964. Some balance needs to be kept. The Parachute Jump is a defunct amusement ride and a landmark in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, along the Riegelmann Boardwalk at Coney Island. [7] The tower's wide base gives it stability, while the top is tapered off. [20], The city government questioned the tower's safety. Unfortunately, the garden and building in the photo have been demolished and are being replaced with a high rise residential building. [7][9] The New York Daily News compared the structure to an Erector Set toy,[15] while a writer for City Journal said it resembled a mushroom. jump could possibly be made to work again. use, and continue to use this type of device, why cant it be made serviceable for the public?? of Coney a great part of it lives in my heart. [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. Being the youngest guess who got stuck more often than not. [119], In 1987, the LPC hosted meetings to determine the feasibility of granting landmark status to the Parachute Jump, Wonder Wheel, and Coney Island Cyclone. You can find the latest entries at nytimes.com/diary and on our New York section online. [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. 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 Once subscribed you will receive periodic announcements related to the activities of the Coney Island History Project. [106][107] Stern said he welcomed the community's proposals for reusing the Parachute Jump but other agency officials said the plans presented thus far, which included turning the Jump into a giant windmill, were "quixotic, at best". But I would also like to be able to see who is in the park and on the street too. Stiff ocean breezes kept it closed much of the time. [49] The movement of the Parachute Jump and the consolidation of concessions at that location helped improve business for the World's Fair's 1940 season. I wouldnt like it to for injuries to thieves. The lighting was spectacular to see and now you go there and cant even see the jump lit up in the evening. I couldn't wait to get on the thing. The slow but sure death of the coney island I grew up in began with fred trump's purchase and closures of steeechase Park and the rko Tilyou movie thaether and the parachute ride!! but all those afternoons spent staring up at it and waving to his friends made an impression. I moved to Coney Island in late 1959 and was fortunate to be old enough to enjoy SteepleChase, all 3 major [9] The upper floor housed mechanical structures and hoisting machinery, while the ground floor contained ticket booths and a waiting room. For the film, see, 2002 restoration and first lighting project, 2013 restoration and second lighting project, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York City Economic Development Corporation, List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Brooklyn, National Register of Historic Places listings in Brooklyn, New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, Dolkart & Postal 2009, "Coney Island Parachute Jump No climbing allowed! 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. A long time ago I did see the newspaper article of the recuse. In no way will anybody ever see Coney Island again. In 1941, after the World's Fair, it was moved to its current location in the Steeplechase amusement park on Coney Island. Anyway I was a Cyclone fan but as a freshly minted Marine I had a duty to take the plunge on the Parachute Jump. You could not operate a ride today that is something like what was operating in 1920, he said. as well as my grandchildren to this wonderful experience. Probably a few million dollars, Mr. Karnacs said. The commission's false image of the ride operating for several years with a ragtag crew implies that it could easily be restored and operated in its original form without much effort. The Parachute Jump is a defunct amusement ride and a landmark in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, along the Riegelmann Boardwalk at Coney Island. The issue here is not the actual safety of the ride relative to the original safety of the ride (though perhaps given the increase in obesity, we should consider some new factors) but that the standards Therefore bringing us Dow Our day at Coney Island in 1956, as a young married couple was memorable. [37][38] Each ride cost $0.40 (equivalent to $7.79 in 2021) for adults and $0.25 (equivalent to $4.87 in 2021) for children. It was crazy how fast that chute would descend and people bouncing all over the place!! I almost cried when they shut it down last summer. [133] In 2004, STV subcontracted Leni Schwendinger Light Projects to develop a night-time lighting concept for the Parachute Jump. [64] The Parachute Jump was disassembled and moved to the site of the Flying Turns coaster, adjacent to the boardwalk. the top and went into that momentary free fall I thought it was all over for me! There had been serious discusions of making the ride operable again but the structural changes that would be necesary to meet modern safety standards would probably not be possible, not to mention the high cost of operation. Even though the Parachute Jump ended up being not particularly profitable because the stronger seashore winds often prevented multiple parachutes from being run at the same time, it was a very popular ride until closing in the mid-1960s. and the cyclone. The Parachute Jump, which is an individual city landmark, looks pretty great in the daytime, too. George B. Tilyous Steeplechase !! 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. Today, after an earlier version of this blog post was published, Mr. Markowitzs office called and agreed to identify the company: Intamin, a Maryland-based firm that works with companies in Switzerland and Germany. [20][61] The Parachute Jump originally used the multicolored chutes from the World's Fair; by the mid-1940s, these had been replaced with white chutes. No wonder almost everyone in this forum who has expressed interest in reviving the Parachute Jump is of my generation or older. [147], A $2million renovation was completed in 2013, after which it contained 8,000 LED lights, in comparison with the 450 total after the first installation. I think of the time often. Yes, bring it back. The diagonal and horizontal ribs intersect at gusset plates, which contain splices at 30-foot (9.1m) intervals and are riveted to the base. [81][82] On the site of Steeplechase Park, Trump proposed building a 160-foot-high (49m) enclosed dome with recreational facilities and a convention center. 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. There were never any accidents during the entire time the parachute jump was in operation, it did however require three cable operators per parachute. exists to restore it as a parachute jump attraction.. Naval Commander James H. Strong along with Switlik, inspired by early practice towers Strong had seen in the Soviet Union,[23][24] where simple wooden towers had been used to train paratroopers since the 1920s. Sometimes it seemed that the parachute jump was closed more often than it was working due to bad weather, high winds etc. [93], In 1966, the Coney Island Chamber of Commerce petitioned New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to make the Parachute Jump an official city landmark. Part of the reason can be traced to its location. Situated in Steeplechase Plaza near the B&B Carousell, the structure consists of a 250-foot-tall (76 m), 170-short-ton (150 t) open-frame, steel parachute tower. 262 feet (80 m) tall and weighing 170 tons . Another similar attraction somewhere else had a problem so as a precaution all of these parachute jump attractions were closed. The ride stopped operating in 1968. Every year on the Sunday before Steeplechase opened he would take my sister and I and two of our friends to go on the new rides of the season for publicity photos. This ride will probably be as safe as any of the myriad of roller coasters. An interesting aside that is somehow always overlooked is that the Parachute Jump was originally in Flushing as part of the 1939 New York Worlds Fair. [90] A Daily News article from 1973 states the ride closed in 1968. [137] The results were announced the following year; there were one winning team, two runners-up with cash prizes, and nine honorable mentions. Coney Island History Site Location and Directions Local politicians enjoy spending money on giving the city a makeover meanwhile the people who live in Coney Island are low-income residents who will have no community to fall back on once the restoration of Coney morning and a round-up in Monday's print edition. I sometimes tell younger people about my own childhood: Riding the subways all over the city before I was even ten years of age, going to the beach with other kids to swim (without adult supervision), swinging (and Lots of other great rides. What about The Cyclone? Reel #: 9018 TC In: 001811 TC Out: 002352Summer on the beach at Coney Island, NY 1950s. The Parachute Ride in Coney Island closed down with the rest of the park in 1964. Kaufman, who operated an amusement fairground and parking lot on the Steeplechase site after the park was demolished, has always found this curious. This is the Coney Island Parachute Jump lit up on a great summer night when I was at the Coney Island Cyclones Game. [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. I remember riding on the parachute jump with my father and hetting stuck at the top when parachute would not open and we were stuck up there for hrs cherry pickets did not go to top so we had to wait until a man or fireman climbed through the steel frame and somehow release the parachute mechanism to drop. When I was a kid I was crazy about the Jump. The legs are grounded on concrete foundations, each of which contains twelve timber piles. Roy Omori. This enterprise, the "Pair-O-Chutes", performed well enough that Strong applied to build and operate a jump at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Restoring Surf and Mermaid aces. I worked as an operator on the Parachute Jump for two seasons, 1961-62, when 16 and 17 yrs old. Today covered in a coat of red paint, the steel tower of the Parachute Jump is the only remaining sign of Steeplechase Park. [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 parachute and shock absorbers at the bottom would slow their descent. [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. As someone who has worked in industrial maintenance the argument about mking the Parachute Jumpwork again is absurd. I would do it again tomorrow, even though I'm not 18 anymore. 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. [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. [67], The Jump reopened in May 1941.
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