City Considers a Little Tivoli for Coney Island

Ooh. The Post reports that Economic Development Corporation president Robert Lieber flew to Denmark to met with representatives of Tivoli Gardens, the 164-year-old Copenhagen amusement park, about the possibility of some Tivoli Gardens action in Brooklyn. The Post's headline? "TASTY APPLE DANISH FOR CONEY IS."

Lieber says that Tivoli management is interested in Coney Island and that he and other EDC officials wanted to from Tivoli's success.

He said a Tivoli branch in Coney Island could work without giving up the area's famous freakiness, adding Tivoli officials promised a future visit.

"We aren't trying to create Disneyland in Coney Island, but we're trying to create a demand-oriented model that maintains the neighborhood's character and economic interests," Lieber said.

The visit also reveals Lieber's feelings about Thor Equities' billion-dollar plan for Coney Island. Lieber "pointed out that Tivoli is successful year-round without the onsite condos, time-shares or hotels that Sitt has pushed for, despite Denmark's cold winters and the park's many outdoor rides and attractions." But the city and Thor will need some sort of agreement to move ahead, or else Coney Island's health could be jeopardized if planning drags on.

Would you welcome the touch of elegant Tivoli Gardens (here's a Wikipedia entry on it) at Coney Island to prevent too much Thor-ification?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on July 30, 2007 9:26 AM

Comments [rss]

guest

Tivoli is awesome. I visit every year.

MT

It would look equally wonderful directly across t he street from the projects, don't you think?

Offbalance

I kind of like the idea of Tivoli being involved. After all, this is reminiscent of Coney's glory days, and would look wonderful close to the beach.

As long as thor can hold off on what's bound to be a load of ugly condos, I'm cautiously optimistic.

guest

look at those photos above and tell me you wouldn't love to see this again!

guest

http://www.captainbob.8k.com/images/coney_island_dreamland_69kb_entrance.jpg

guest

http://www.captainbob.8k.com/images/coney_steeple_chase_park_entranre_59kb.jpg

Reality Czech

wait a second, isn't this what Coney Island USED TO look like?

JMH

I hate Post and Daily News headlines.

guest

If these condos do go up, I can only imagine what the people in the pj's literally 2 blocks away are going to do.

I wouldn't wear anything expensive after dark.

Open season.

guest

Right on #1. Researching Coney Island and learning about the fates of these parks -- as well as general public apathy -- makes me want to break things. Tivoli Gardens would be only a close second to Luna Park, but at least it's something.

- Ri L.

guest

don't worry new york. most of this land will turn into ugly condo's and no one is going to get mad over it until after the fact.

Tim N.

Has the Post gotten Yoda to write their headlines?

Forgetting periods at end of abbreviations, they are.

guest

#2 continued: Comment got cut off mysteriously in the middle of the text.

Tivoli is not open year-round as reported in the post. It closes in September, reopens for a short pre-Halloween schedule, reopens again for a short pre-Christmas schedule, and then closes for the rest of the winter until April.

guest

#2 beat me to it

guest

... Robert Lieber flew to Denmark to me[e]t with representatives of Tivoli Gardens...

... Lieber says that Tivoli management is interested in Coney Island and that he and other EDC officials wanted to [learn] from Tivoli's success...

It's worthwhile to note that Tivoli is >NOT

Tivoli is also literally in the center of Copenhagen (which may be one reason why condos/hotels are not necessary to fuel demand). I'd be careful drawing parallels to CI which is somewhat peripheral to New York.

guest

why don't they just recreate dreamland, luna park, astroland, and steeplechase park? this just seems like it would be an obviously beautiful and great thing to do and it would make everyone happy.