This morning, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the opening of the city's beaches to a crowd of lifeguards, Naval personnel, journalists and locals on the Coney Island boardwalk. Bloomberg was joined by Marty Markowitz (Brooklyn Borough President), Seth Pinsky (President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation), Natalia Quintavalle (General Counsel of Italy in New York), Adrian Benepe (Commissioner for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation) and Alberto Zamperla (CEO of Central Amusement International).
Bloomberg started out by thanking the men and women of the Navy, Coast Guard and Marines that are in New York City for Fleet Week. The mayor spoke favorably of the jobs that Luna Park, Scream Zone and The Cyclone Rollercoaster create every year (about 450 for the summer of 2012). Coney Island is in the midst of a huge revitalization, according to Bloomberg. He credits Deno's Wonder Wheel and The Cyclone for keeping Coney Island's magic alive when it started to go downhill years ago. For the past few years, amusement parks have been expanding, new restaurants have come to the area and business is booming.
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz spoke fondly of Coney Island. The area has quirk, charm and a century-plus of history as a summer destination. Of the amusement parks in other areas of the country, Markowitz told the crowd to "fuhgettaboutit."
Kids from the Coney Island Generation Gap were suited up and ready to ride the Boardwalk Flight on its inaugural flight. Unfortunately, the threat of lightning kept them from flying across the boardwalk. After the threat lifted, some of the kids were able to take a swing in the harness as reporters took pictures.
The Coney Island Raceway and Boardwalk Flight will open to the public this Saturday, May 26 for Memorial Day Weekend. See you there!
