Good old fun with new rides at Coney Island

I have to admit it. I am giddy about the new park announced in Coney Island. I remember my grandma telling me about the rides and sideshows she went to during the depression. When I moved out here, my mother insisted that I had to go straight to Nathan's. I also, for some odd reason, wanted to clink some bottles together on the boardwalk while screaming for warriors to come out and play.

Having been to Coney Island numerous times a year, I have grown quite fond of the place. True indeed, it has it's needs. Some things are beyond repair. For a while, I was worried that it would soon turn into another playground for the rich with the developments proposed within the last few years. Many other people shared the fear that condos and expensive parks would soon over shadow the place.

The announcement from the mayors office the other night lifted that feeling a bit. I almost immediately started to think of the different rides that are to come. I looked at the renderings offered but it was my imagination that thrilled me. I thought of the twists that could be added to those old Luna Park rides.

In thinking about the new proposal, some worries did spring up. I thought about the pricing of the new park. If it is too high, will the place not attract as good an amount of traffic. If it doesn't, the projected economic impact will be off. The park will create a few hundred jobs but if people explore the area outside the park, it could see a renaissance. I just hope for the sake of the residents that it does.