Beautiful haunting video. I must have ridden the Bobsled 50 times ... miss Skeeball, handball and my adventures riding my bicycle down Ocean Parkway from Flatbush to Coney Island.
My family emigrated from Italy in the mid 50’s to Coney Island. By 1959 they moved to Mill Basin just 5 miles away as the crow flies. I was 9 when this film was produced. My earliest memories of coney Island are faint. I remember the Steeplechase building and the parachute jump. By the 70’s Coney Island was an example of urban blight. Now in my mid 60’s I go there quite often as it’s much safer now. The film is a lucky glimpse into the past regardless of the quality.
The music is very fitting for this. It was meant to give you that winter feeling, but it really captured the feeling of that time in Coney. Steeplechase closed 4 years prior and with that Coney lost the last bit of its heart and soul. The video show the shell of Coney's greatness, that while a lot is still standing, most would be destroyed and lost to time over the next two decades while the neighborhood slips into very dark times.
Antique trains no longer in service, antique buses retired, rollercoasters living only in memory (Bobsled, Tornado), five ghostly figures walking on a wintry beach ... this video gave me chills.
@@Sunshine-do3yv how was Cleon… Here’s a plot twist I have always said that Cleon had something to do with Cyrus‘s death. I say this, because he actually fought back the crowds to see him dead… He would think that the leader of the warriors would take his people and get out of there as soon as possible but he didn’t… it’s something I have always pondered! That could be the beginning of a good plot for warriors too but unfortunately that type of movie wouldn’t work today…
@@brandontylerproductions2202 also the New Thunderbolt (2015) stands where the original thunderbolt (with same Cyclone design) until 2000. The empty lot was occupying an old arcade building called 'Playland' saw images of the inside on the internet it told me a long time wonder what was inside before it was demolished
I watched a video of Coney in 1958 and it looked clean, like an actual amusement park-here this is ten years later and it had already slid down into despair. My Dad took me there around 1973, in the Summer, although as a little kid it was magical with the rides and attractions even I could see how dirty & decrepit it was. He took me to the pier and parts of the railings were missing and it had holes so you could look straight down into the water. It started to come back to life in the 1990s, in the 2000's it was a fun place again, unfortunately here in 2024 (& for the past 7 years) its on the slide again.
Freeze 7:33 you will see a block of slums. Coney had many streets like that. I walked down a street in April 77 the entire block had boarded up tenements. During the blackout of 77 many of these buildings were set on fire.
Believe it or not that was the part of this video I appreciated the most because I would love to see more of what CI looked liked BEFORE the rehab started and well there just isn't much. There is TONS of footage and photography out there of the SB snd Bushwick...yet little to nothing that preserves the urban blight of CI's residential community. I fell in love with Charles Denson's book because he was there and photographed much of the neighborhoods. For fiction writing reasons, I want to better understand the landscape and what day to day life would have been like for someone having grown up and living in CI during the 70s- other than the beach/boardwalk.
@@discobean54 Actually I have not found more than two videos of footage in Bushwick in the 1970s or 80s. Just the B&W video of "Wally Savage and the Rebel Gang 1975" and a one minute home movie of a gang in 1976.. People were rightfully afraid to film openly back then..you would get your equipment stolen easily. I used to go to an optician';s office on Stillwell Ave back then walking the streets basically most of the buildings were burned out tenements with boarded up windows and usually a painted X Boxed on the front indicating no one lived there anymore. I managed to get around on my own without fear for some reason. Took over 10 years for these buildings to actually be demolished. but yes-there is little video to surface of the local streets back then.
I lived 10min away from Coney Island at the time by train and still do. Coney Island empty on a cold winter day a mere few months away from Woodstock . This was interesting yet very depressing at the same time. This was the tail end of the end of Coney Island. by the mid 70s it was filthy with drugs and prostitution and unsafe at nigh. it has been fixed up and cleaned up quite a bit today but will never be what it was even in the 50s. Please use more upbeat and pleasant music for the background of the video, the music here is very morbid and depressing kinda ruins the video for me. Make it more happy feeling please..
I wish it kept going... like I just want the camera to keep rolling and walk down each street and see it all. I would love to go back in time.
Beautiful haunting video. I must have ridden the Bobsled 50 times ... miss Skeeball, handball and my adventures riding my bicycle down Ocean Parkway from Flatbush to Coney Island.
Haunting indeed!! I love every minute!!!!
The real Coney Island Rides will definitely never be the same again !! 😢😢
My family emigrated from Italy in the mid 50’s to Coney Island. By 1959 they moved to Mill Basin just 5 miles away as the crow flies. I was 9 when this film was produced. My earliest memories of coney Island are faint. I remember the Steeplechase building and the parachute jump. By the 70’s Coney Island was an example of urban blight. Now in my mid 60’s I go there quite often as it’s much safer now. The film is a lucky glimpse into the past regardless of the quality.
The music is very fitting for this. It was meant to give you that winter feeling, but it really captured the feeling of that time in Coney. Steeplechase closed 4 years prior and with that Coney lost the last bit of its heart and soul. The video show the shell of Coney's greatness, that while a lot is still standing, most would be destroyed and lost to time over the next two decades while the neighborhood slips into very dark times.
omg I was like 5 months old born in 67 love to look at vintage NY and the five boughs 👏👏
Beautiful
I wasn’t even thought about. Thanks, for sharing.
Beautiful film work
AGREED !!! 10O%
Wow, I went to Conly Island in the early 60s. I was about 7 in 1968. What great memories.
this is important historical footage!
Too bad the person who shot this had a lousy camera, no visual talent, and couldn't even hold the camera steady.
The End Stewart Avenue Incredible!!!
Antique trains no longer in service, antique buses retired, rollercoasters living only in memory (Bobsled, Tornado), five ghostly figures walking on a wintry beach ... this video gave me chills.
Great video. I was born on Jan 24. Nice to see what kind of day it was in Coney Island on my 6th birthday. Thanks for posting
I was only 2 at that time but now you cannot walk under the boardwalk like back then.
Pictures and memories of days gone by sad😰
At 3:48 was the scene from the movie The Warriors. It’s gone now.
Thanks for sharing this video more videos to comr
The beginning of a tumultuous year
Wow...I was born in 71-remember my first visit in 74-75 has some similarities....my favorite movie is STILL-The Warriors!
at 3:45 ... WARRIORS!.....Come Out To Playyyyeeeayy!*.....WARRIORS!.....COME OUT TO PLAYYYYEEAYY!* *LOL*
Hello...I was a extra in The Warriors movie...filmed in prospect park, park slope Brooklyn, New York!!!😎😎😎😎
@@Sunshine-do3yv how was Cleon… Here’s a plot twist I have always said that Cleon had something to do with Cyrus‘s death. I say this, because he actually fought back the crowds to see him dead… He would think that the leader of the warriors would take his people and get out of there as soon as possible but he didn’t… it’s something I have always pondered! That could be the beginning of a good plot for warriors too but unfortunately that type of movie wouldn’t work today…
No. Your right..on almost all accounts..!!🤘I will always miss my Brooklyn,..plot twist and all.thank you brother for writing....🤕🙏😇🎇😎
My childhood home. Miss it. And bonus of the black & white Brooklyn street signs. I miss when the boros had the different signs for each boro.
Just 4 yeas after Steeplechase closed and was razed, painful to see that empty lot & defunct tower .......
It’s sad to watch because this was when coney really started to decline right after steeplechase Park was demolished
Coney Island needs love again and needs more then wasted open space that occupies nothing
Cross yes it does well now coney is gaining that back a lot of new stuff is there and it’s safer then it was
@@brandontylerproductions2202 Luna Park was revived but smaller compared to the original
Cross yeah the original was so beautiful but Luna park is getting bigger this year they are adding attractions next to the empty thunderbolt lot
@@brandontylerproductions2202 also the New Thunderbolt (2015) stands where the original thunderbolt (with same Cyclone design) until 2000. The empty lot was occupying an old arcade building called 'Playland' saw images of the inside on the internet it told me a long time wonder what was inside before it was demolished
No old video footage of the magic carpet ride with the creepy laughing fat lady. Scared me to death
Any further info on who filmed this, and why? Seems almost like a student film project - but 50 years on, glad it was done!
I watched a video of Coney in 1958 and it looked clean, like an actual amusement park-here this is ten years later and it had already slid down into despair. My Dad took me there around 1973, in the Summer, although as a little kid it was magical with the rides and attractions even I could see how dirty & decrepit it was. He took me to the pier and parts of the railings were missing and it had holes so you could look straight down into the water. It started to come back to life in the 1990s, in the 2000's it was a fun place again, unfortunately here in 2024 (& for the past 7 years) its on the slide again.
BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL THUNDERBOLT!!! Dig deep and bring back going UNDER the boardwalk !!! It’s time for The Warriors to fight!!!!
it was 26 degrees that day
Unbelievable...this is home before I was born !
The theme music is perfect.
Freeze 7:33 you will see a block of slums. Coney had many streets like that. I walked down a street in April 77 the entire block had boarded up tenements. During the blackout of 77 many of these buildings were set on fire.
Believe it or not that was the part of this video I appreciated the most because I would love to see more of what CI looked liked BEFORE the rehab started and well there just isn't much. There is TONS of footage and photography out there of the SB snd Bushwick...yet little to nothing that preserves the urban blight of CI's residential community. I fell in love with Charles Denson's book because he was there and photographed much of the neighborhoods. For fiction writing reasons, I want to better understand the landscape and what day to day life would have been like for someone having grown up and living in CI during the 70s- other than the beach/boardwalk.
@@discobean54 Actually I have not found more than two videos of footage in Bushwick in the 1970s or 80s. Just the B&W video of "Wally Savage and the Rebel Gang 1975" and a one minute home movie of a gang in 1976.. People were rightfully afraid to film openly back then..you would get your equipment stolen easily. I used to go to an optician';s office on Stillwell Ave back then walking the streets basically most of the buildings were burned out tenements with boarded up windows and usually a painted X Boxed on the front indicating no one lived there anymore. I managed to get around on my own without fear for some reason. Took over 10 years for these buildings to actually be demolished. but yes-there is little video to surface of the local streets back then.
I lived 10min away from Coney Island at the time by train and still do. Coney Island empty on a cold winter day a mere few months away from Woodstock . This was interesting yet very depressing at the same time. This was the tail end of the end of Coney Island. by the mid 70s it was filthy with drugs and prostitution and unsafe at nigh. it has been fixed up and cleaned up quite a bit today but will never be what it was even in the 50s. Please use more upbeat and pleasant music for the background of the video, the music here is very morbid and depressing kinda ruins the video for me. Make it more happy feeling please..
Two years after Fred Trump destroyed Coney Island’s steeplechase building.