SAVE THE SIGN
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This is where it all began for me. The Playland arcade located just a few blocks from the New York Aquarium in Coney Island. The building is still standing for now, but will probably be demolished in the spring, 2007. The original neon sign is all that's left. I would like to see this sign saved from the wrecking ball, restored, and put in a museum. I contacted http://www.coneyisland.com and they said to contact someone with economic development in Coney Island. If anybody reading this feels they can save the sign, and is serious about it, I can give them the name of the guy that owns this building. I myself don't have the space to store this sign or the know how to restore it. If nobody pitches in to help, the sign will be demolished like in September, 2000 when the Thunderbolt in Coney Island was demolished, just across the sidewalk from the old Playland building. I took these pics in November, 2005, around 8 am, as a cold front was coming through, and my fingers froze, had to stop taking pictures and find a small restaurant to grab breakfast. Email me at pingeek@pingeek.com if you feel you can save the sign. |
CLICK ON ANY PIC TO ENLARGE
Well, there she is. I sure hope somebody can save the sign. |
I remember like it was yesterday. Cotton candy late one Saturday night, the bumper cars, then time to hit the arcade. It was an exciting time, because pinball was just becoming legal again in NYC, thanks to Roger Sharpe. There were those cool gun games, like Sea Devil, Killer Shark, and even racing games, like Sprint 2. |
You can barely see the moon still visible in the distance. The flag still stands, not in the best shape though. Click on the pic, and you'll see the flag moving. I'd like to see the flag rescued too. |
Another view of what's left the building. |
The front of the building, which upon first glance could be mistaken as an abandoned warehouse, filled with games long forgotten. |
At first glance, I thought those were lights and maybe the building was painted just so it wouldn't be torn down, maybe be declared a landmark? Well, hate to say this, but I got a closer look peeking between the boards and saw a totally collapsed roof and nothing inside. I do, however, remember a fortune teller machine that was on Ebay a few years ago and the auction said it came from the back storage room of Playland. |
Not much left here. I wonder who got the sign on the front? |
Another glance tells me this really could be a warehouse filled with the games I played when I was a kid. |
Another side view. |
So there it is, Playland, an empty shell of a building, and as you can see, located just a block across the street and over from the old Shore hotel, which by some miracle still stands. |
