Results tagged “parachutejump”

Get ready to groan: "I look forward to 'Phase Two' of the 'blinging up' of the Parachute Jump," said inveterate cornball Marty Markowitz during his recent State of the Borough speech. The 262-foot Coney Island landmark was retrofitted with a lighting system two years ago, but borough president Markowitz and others deemed the effect too subdued and “artsy.” Now the city is soliciting proposals from companies to create a flashier effect.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: smoke inhalation victims at Centre and White Sts. in Manhattan, a shooting on Neptune Ave. in Brooklyn, and a truck vs. overpass at 155th St. and South Rd. in Queens.
• Design firm EDAW was chosen to plan the Steeplechase Plaza for a now-vacant lot near the Coney Island boardwalk. The development beneath the Parachute Jump may include a water park and a platform for viewing Cyclones minor league baseball games.
• A large brokerage firm in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is saying the Corcoran Group's report claiming an 8% increase in average condo prices in the neighborhood during 2007 is incorrect. Aptsandlofts.com says that it's seen a 10-12% retreat in condo prices since the market's peak in early 2006.

Another over-the-top Coney Island development proposal is in the works. Mayor Bloomberg unveiled a plan today to build the nation's biggest urban amusement park there, including 4,500 residential units (20 percent are set-asides for low- and middle-income housing) and some retail establishments. The proposal basically spells doom for Thor Equities' $1.5 million Vegas-style entertainment complex that can only get built if the city provides zoning for it. Don't worry, the Cyclone isn't going anywhere....

Today, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will be kicking off another year of "Lighten Up Brooklyn" with a walk around Brooklyn Heights. "Lighten Up Brooklyn" was started a few years ago to encourage Brooklynites to lose weight and make their lifestyles healthier. And since he had stents put into his arteries last year, Lighten Up Brooklyn is a big deal to Markowitz. From his office's press release:

Markowitz, who underwent a stent procedure last summer, vowed to transform and lengthen his life through healthy eating and a committed fitness regimen. The borough president’s frequent energetic strolls through Prospect Park have helped him lose 26 pounds since last summer, and he kicks off the Lighten Up Brooklyn 2007 not only talking the talk, but also walking the walk!

Markowitz will apparently show off his newly "svelte" look (though we think he showed it off at the opening of the Floating Pool the other week) at Columbus Park (Borough Hall Plaza - Court & Remsen Streets) at noon today to lead a walk to the Promenade. The other events include a Saturday walk along the Bay Ridge waterfront, a tour of Victorian Flatbush, a tour of Crown Heights and a Sunday walk from the Parachute Jump to Brighton Beach and back with Al Puma, a 77-year-old triathlete (earlier this year he participated in the Empire State Building run-up).

Controversial plans for high-rise luxury condos at Coney Island have now been scrapped, with developer Thor revising its plans to instead include a glass enclosed water park and hotel space. The city's planning department was very concerned with condominiums being included in the plan, but Thor had argued condos would be critical in keeping the project profitable. Now Thor CEO Joseph Sitt explained, "This is our way of being responsible and putting out an olive branch to the community and city administration."

With Astroland making way for Thor Equities' development of Coney Island, the amusement park is selling off its rides in an auction. Amusement ride broker Ital International is handling the sale of about two dozen rides. The Daily News is reporting that while many rides are expected to garner bids in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, rides like bumper cars or little boats could be had for under $15,000. The rides are low-priced because apparently it's a buyers' market in carnival rides right now, with a surplus of available amusements. The attractions, ranging from the Astro-Tower to the kiddie-boats, are all on sale now, but will remain at Coney Island until the end of the summer.

Design nerds won’t be disappointed by the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s 2006 triennial.

The History Channel is creating a wild, NYC-centric float for this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. According to its press release:

Designed to mirror a child's tin wind-up toy, The History Channel float will feature a giant replica of New York City's most famous skyscraper, the Empire State Building. In addition, the float will reveal through its wind-up motion, iconic dates, celebrations and locations, tracing the history of New York City. Through the artistry of the Macy's Parade Studio team, the float will feature landmark events throughout history from the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty to Babe Ruth's defining moments at Yankee Stadium, to the world-famous World War II "Kiss" in Times Square, all helping to bring history to life.

And it looks like the 1964 World's Fair Towers are included, as is the Parachute Jump.

-- The City Council has decided to open up the cable market to more competition. It's about time-- Time Warner cable has been having a major outage across Manhattan since 10am! It's been more than 12 hours with no updates, and we missed Project Runway tonight. Vendetta!

With the mercury rising to high for the city's liking, Mayor Bloomberg held a press conference at the Office of Emergency Operations in Brooklyn to emphasize what the city is doing during the heat wave. We suspect he's trying to be extra visible and genially authoritative (check out the plaid shirt!) in order to salvage public opinion after the Queens blackout, but his words are important:

“The heat wave affects New Yorkers in all five boroughs, and that’s why the City is aggressively moving to protect New Yorkers from Tottenville to Co-Op City from this week’s oppressive heat and promote energy conservation. Hundreds of people have already tragically passed away due to the heat wave in other parts of the country, and I urge New Yorkers – especially seniors – to take the danger of high temperatures and humidity seriously. You can beat the heat by drinking plenty of water, staying out of the sun, avoiding strenuous activity, and taking advantage of City cooling centers and public pools. The City is also actively taking large energy users such as wastewater treatment plants off the grid and conserving energy at City buildings across the five boroughs to help cope with the increased demands on the electrical grid.”

Of course, he reiterated all the things you should do to stay healthy during the heat. When asked about Con Ed handling public information better during the next (let's hope not) blackout, NY Times reports that the Mayor says he's "confident we will ask a lot more questions.” Yes - joined by all the Queens politiicans and residents who have experience asking basic questions like "what the hell is going on.

And the march towards a "revitalized" Coney Island continues!

- The development of affordable housing on City-owned property in the residential area.So there will be a lot of rezoning, but the city seems, so far, to be committed to making sure there are affordable options for residents as well as creating jobs.

Something to look forward to this fall: The reopening of the observation deck at Rockefeller Center. The deck was closed in 1986, to accomodate a renovation of the Rainbow Room, and will now be the second highest, after the Empire State Building (the World Trade Center had been the highest). Reporter David Dunlap had this description of the view from Rockefeller Center:

Coney Island is still visible, marked on the southern horizon by the T-shaped profile of the Parachute Jump. Near the northern horizon, the Tappan Zee Bridge can be glimpsed at a turn in the Hudson River. Even during the snowstorm on Tuesday, there was a majesty to this place, lost in a howling whiteness through which Midtown's familiar spires and plateaus were recognizable only as ghostly gray shadows.

Tickets will cost $14, which is competitive with the $14.50 the ESB charges for adults (or maybe we're getting our facts wrong, because the NY Times says the ESB is $1 cheaper, but when we attempt to buy ESB tickets online, they seem to be $14.50), and Tishman-Speyer, the company that manages Rockefeller Center, is looking for ways to make sure visitors aren't waiting for too long, which, again, is what the ESB is also doing - films for people to watch while in line, advanced ticket purchases; plus they are bringing back pedestal-mounted binoculars. And for those of you who work at Rockefeller Center, there will be a separate entrance for the observation deck.

- First date advice and what happens when non-Jews use JDate

As part of an ongoing effort to revitalize Coney Island and its waterfront, the Coney Island Development Corporation and the Van Alen Institute have organized a design competition for a Parachute Pavilion. Architects and designers worldwide are invited to submit their visions for the site of the landmarked Parachute Jump. The icon stands on the site of the former Steeplechase Park, where at one time visitors would enjoy the amusements at the Pavilion of Fun, a gigantic Art Nouveau pavilion of glass and steel.