Hi, Just to add to the information on the "JUMP" at no time did I worked as an operator on the Parachute Jump for two seasons, 1961-62, when 16 and 17 yrs old. I sometimes tell younger people about my own childhood: Riding the subways all over the city before I was even ten years of age, going to the beach with other kids to swim (without adult supervision), swinging (and [20][92] According to Harrison, the last documented incident on the ride was on May 30, 1968, when a young girl was reported to have gotten stuck halfway through the drop. In February 2008, the city began planning a second phase of lights. If you're looking for Historic Sites & Landmarks in Coney Island, look no further than Parachute Jump, a popular Brooklyn attraction. We demand, irrationally, a world in which nothing bad ever happens to anyone under The Wonder Wheel debuted in 1920, and the Parachute Jump moved from the 1939 New York World's Fair to Coney Island in 1941. [135], The Coney Island Development Corporation and the Van Alen Institute held an architecture contest in 2004 to determine future uses for the 7,800-square-foot (720m2) pavilion at the Jump's base. There were never any accidents during the entire time the parachute jump was in operation, it did however require three cable operators per parachute. However, most of my family has moved or passed. My recollection of that incident was imprinted in my brain because our chute got stuck at the top of the structure for a time that seemed like an eternity. [27] He converted an existing observation tower in Chicago's Riverview Park into a six-chute amusement ride. Artist Ita Bullard worked for years with her husbandHoraceto build a world-class amusement park in Coney Island, only to have the project destroyed by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Walkways were above the top of the tower, as well as along each arm. c/o Deno's Wonder Wheel Park The Parachute Jump was an incredibly difficult ride to maintain and operate, and it had a perfect safety record. He was on the news and in the newspaper it was so embarrassing. This is the Coney Island Parachute Jump lit up on a great summer night when I was at the Coney Island Cyclones Game. Surf and Mermaid aces. sorts of food at bargain basement prices, an incredible boardwalk with its own miles of attractions (including a silent movie theater), penny arcades that took pennies, not quarters, the Half-Moon hotel where The six-sided steel tower holds twelve drop points, accessible by six-foot steel arms. I wouldnt like it to [7], In 2002, the EDC started renovating the Parachute Jump for $5million. The ride on the way up is filled with apprehension, but the release at the top took your breath away for about ten seconds. [87] A New York Daily News article in 1965 said the Parachute Jump was nonoperational and had "been stripped of its wires and chutes". [133] In 2004, STV subcontracted Leni Schwendinger Light Projects to develop a night-time lighting concept for the Parachute Jump. It was designated a city landmark in 1977. The 262-foot-high Parachute Jump at Coney Island was created by Strong purely as a ride for the World's Fair. [107] Two years later, on May 23, 1989,[3] the LPC restored city landmark status to the Parachute Jump. I very much try out the jump (who hasnt stared at that tall structure We would stand there with our Dad. Two years ago he collaborated, with the citys Parks Department and Economic Development Corporation, and the In short, the ride cannot be re-opened because it cannot be made safe under the Nader school of safety management, where there must be zero risk to someone jumping off a high tower The Strong designed a safer version of the tower, which included eight guide wires in a circle surrounding the parachute. Despite proposals to either demolish or restore the ride, disputes over its use caused it to remain unused through the 1980s. The upper floor of the pavilion has red, yellow, and blue walls. ", "U.S. The Parachute Ride in Coney Island closed down with the rest of the park in 1964. There is a thing called banzai skydiving. Then the thrill of being taken up, up, up, high into the These included a seat that could hold two people, a larger parachute for a slower drop, a metal ring to hold it open, and shock-absorbing springs to ease the final landing. [26][57] Relocation to Coney Island was considered as early as August 1940; both Luna Park and Steeplechase Park were interested in purchasing the ride during this time. Nick. The upper part of the tower was dismantled, about two-thirds of the original structure was taken down, some of it replaced, and the structure was painted red. [25][26], Strong sold military versions of the tower to the Romanian and U.S. armies, as well as installed towers in New Jersey and Fort Benning, Georgia. I remember the sadness I felt when the Thunderbolt was torn down, and felt the parachute jump was left alone. Sometimes it seemed that the parachute jump was closed more often than it was working due to bad weather, high winds etc. There is also a sequence called "Kaleidoscope" for other holidays. lighting designer Leni Schwendinger, to re-light the dormant Boardwalk ride, promoting it as a beacon to draw eyes toward Coney Island. [141][142][143] Officials said the lights were to be left on from dusk to midnight during summer and from dusk to 11:00p.m. the rest of the year. Local Coney Island historian Charles Denson explained that the Jump closed in 1964 but that many publications give an erroneous date of 1968. I too got to "drop" on the PJ in the early 60's as a young child. [136][138][139], The first night-time light show was held on July 7, 2006. Nutty bunch of guys. [74] The planned renovation would have cost $20,000,000 (equivalent to $31,470,500 in 2021), excluding the high insurance premiums that would need to be paid on the attraction. Anyway I was a Cyclone fan but as a freshly minted Marine I had a duty to take the plunge on the Parachute Jump. Yes, bring it back. Bathing in Coney Island as a kid in the late 40s and early 50s (yes the water was not clean), I would witness the chutes getting stuck often sometimes for hours for hours. [16] The 4-inch-thick (10cm) concrete platform surrounding the pavilion is several steps beneath the boardwalk level. She shares memories of coming here with her friendsevery Friday night and sometimes every day in the summer. In the years during and after World War II, riders were hoisted to the top of the tower in a canvas seat attached to a closed parachute. You can find the latest entries at nytimes.com/diary and on our New York section online. [140] The installation contained six animations and used most colors except for green, which would not have been visible on the tower's red frame. [74][77], Coney Island's popularity receded during the 1960s as it underwent increased crime, insufficient parking facilities, and patterns of bad weather. A circular structure runs atop the subframes, connecting them to each other. any ride circle around the base of this ride. down to the crowd below. You can also receive it via email. parachute jump has suffered, Mr. Kernacs said, there is a lower public tolerance for real danger. And yet no one I knew was [20][61] The park was recovering from a September 1939 fire, which had caused $200,000 (equivalent to $3,896,172 in 2021) damage and injured 18people. this amazing ride already. [7][9] The New York Daily News compared the structure to an Erector Set toy,[15] while a writer for City Journal said it resembled a mushroom. Only safety belt was a rather loose strap draped across the lap. Roy Omori. I would do it again tomorrow, even though I'm not 18 anymore. Believe me, the public really would like to see it operational again. [68][69] Unlimited rides on the Parachute Jump were initially included within Steeplechase Park's single admission fee, which cost $0.25 (equivalent to $4.61 in 2021) at the time of the ride's relocation. Local politicians enjoy spending money on giving the city a makeover meanwhile the people who live in Coney Island are low-income residents who will have no community to fall back on once the restoration of Coney The Polar Born in 1940, Jerry Omanoff lived in Coney Island from the late 1940s to the mid-60s. I dont know if this is the incident you experienced, but we were stuck for hours, i think 3 or 4 hours. [111][112][113] Despite the city's reluctance to designate the structure as a landmark, the Parachute Jump was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Twelve cantilever steel arms radiate from the top of the tower; when the ride was in operation, each arm supported a parachute attached to a lift rope and a set of guide cables. turn into muggers paradise. I agree strongly that it help revive Coney Island as a tourist attraction. The animations were based on events in the local calendar, including the boardwalk's operating and non-operating seasons, the lunar cycle, the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, and national holidays such as Memorial Day and Labor Day. Growing up Japanese American in Coney Island in the 1950s and '60s. Coney Island (Parachute Jump) Stephen Salmieri. NYC - The Official Guide. An interesting aside that is somehow always overlooked is that the Parachute Jump was originally in Flushing as part of the 1939 New York Worlds Fair. Recently, though, city officials reached out to him anew, and he met 13) hit the nail on the head. The first sprained ankle would bankrupt the park. Originally, the city government wanted to reopen it as a functioning ride. It occurred at a small go-kart track that circled the base of the abandoned Parachute Jump until 1971. [131][132] The NYCEDC contracted engineering firm STV to rehabilitate the structure. Part of the reason can be traced to its location. [144] In observance of the "Lights Out New York" initiative, which sought to reduce bird deaths from light pollution, the tower lighting went dark at 11:00p.m. during the bird migratory seasons. Some balance needs to be kept. I did ride it once in the 50s with my grammar school friends and fortunately it went well. He also said, in an interview for that story, that the plan to make the ride into a beacon of light came only after he was advised that making it operational was not a Although it's possible that the Parachute Jump could operate again, the ride's landmark designation would require it to be restored to its original form: a free fall with real chutes. bringing the parachute jump up to modern safety standards, is possible, but will cost money. Looking on Google Maps, one. Never went to a single beach in the Bronx. At the end of 1963 and early 1964, I was home from Boot Camp leave and took one more trip to Coney Island. And a night on the boardwalk. There was indeed as stated above a go-kart track. it to working order in a city that so often shows no regard for anything but the interests of greedy developers who have a complete disdain for protecting the past would be a real and seldom achieved coup. Ahh..the Steeplechase horse race! I hope they do something right in the renovation I personally would be happy to see the PD operating again. who wants to go there anymore with promises that they are not going to keep. Does anyone remember the area at the exit to the steeplechase ride where you could watch the clowns chase people around and blow air up the ladies' dresses? There are multiple cables on each chute, As a kid with a younger brother living in Coney Island. Unfortunately, the garden and building in the photo have been demolished and are being replaced with a high rise residential building. [46], The Parachute Jump's popularity was negatively affected by its secluded location away from the World's Fair's main entrance. They are deprived of the opportunity while on the train) and hope that as they change coney around they keep its very Brooklyn and very unDisney enviroment. [89], Several sources state the Jump operated until 1968. [43][44] At least two other groups of people became stuck on the Parachute Jump in its first year: a deputy sheriff and his sister-in-law later in July 1939,[45] and two female friends that September. I rode the parachute jump in the summer of 1959. of the Kansas Fried Chicken chain who planned to build a new Steeplechase Park, resurrecting not just the City Room, a news blog of live reporting, features and reader conversations about New York City, has been archived. I'm glad to see its revival. [22] The tower, which was designed to train airmen in parachute jumping, was first publicly used on June 2, 1935, when Amelia Earhart jumped from it. We will continue to publish one item each weekday The trip to the top took about a minute and the drop took between 10and 20seconds. Each parachute had a seat for two hanging beneath it; riders were lifted by a cable to the top of the tower, then dropped, floating gently to the ground. It was so much FUN and offered great views from way up there before the release. [49] The movement of the Parachute Jump and the consolidation of concessions at that location helped improve business for the World's Fair's 1940 season. any circumstance and when something does, politicians scramble to stumps to pass new laws to guarantee that [fill in unfortunate event] never happens again.. The information in the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Designation Report, claiming that the Jump operated until 1968, is inaccurate and is based on a newspaper article that the commission's researcher read about an accident at the site. The lighting was spectacular to see and now you go there and cant even see the jump lit up in the evening. closing of the fair, the Parachute Jump was purchased by the Tilyou brothers and moved to their Steeplechase Park, Coney Island's most famous and longest enduring amusement park. 262 feet (80 m) tall and weighing 170 tons . petelush and Elle Stern, those are some great, evocative descriptions. We lived in Levittown so it was a haul. [33] A 12-foot (3.7m) flagpole was added atop the original 250-foot-tall (76m) tower to surpass the height of a statue within the Soviet Pavilion. His name was Timmy and lived across the street from my family on 92nd street in Bay Ridge. Thankfully I did but I must admit when it reached "The historical consultant wrote that. Coney Island still doesnt realize that reviving the amazing one and only refurbished, thrilling Parachute Jump would really jumpstart the revitalization. a pervert if one stops to help a child. Every year on the Sunday before Steeplechase opened he would take my sister and I and two of our friends to go on the new rides of the season for publicity photos. These difficulties were exacerbated by competition from the 1964 New York World's Fair, also in Flushing MeadowsCorona Park, which led to a record low patronage at Steeplechase Park. [20][61] The Parachute Jump originally used the multicolored chutes from the World's Fair; by the mid-1940s, these had been replaced with white chutes. The Parachute Jump never operated after the closure of Steeplechase Park on September 19, 1964. One operator could handle the chute but it was tiring so usually two split the job. Naval Commander James H. Strong along with Switlik, inspired by early practice towers Strong had seen in the Soviet Union,[23][24] where simple wooden towers had been used to train paratroopers since the 1920s. I dont know why they just dont operate At this point, if it is rebuilt, I would love to introduce my two grown children Omori's Japanese-American parents moved to Coney from California in the 1940s, during World War Carlos Quinones, 72, is alongtime Coney Island resident whos well known for his collection of classic cars. Today covered in a coat of red paint, the steel tower of the Parachute Jump is the only remaining sign of Steeplechase Park. We had the whole park to ourselves! Stuck on Parachute Jump I think it was the 60's. ", "Coney Island's Parachute Jump gets $2million upgrade and 8,000 LED lights", "Streetscapes: The Coney Island Parachute Jump; For the Boardwalk's 'Eiffel Tower,' Restoration or Regulating a Ruin? Its a shame Bloomberg wasted everyones time with the Westside Highway stadium and other Olympic boondoggle accoutrements, instead of actually developing to the needs of a thriving city. I thought I was going to die on the Steeplechase. The closure of Steeplechase was a very sad day. The cost of restoration might prove to be prohibitively expensive, as the ride would require a highly trained and experienced crew to maintain it in the manner that the Tilyou family did until its closure in 1964. the rides landmark character. Its open-frame steel structure measures 250 feet tall and weighs 170 tons. [9] The upper floor housed mechanical structures and hoisting machinery, while the ground floor contained ticket booths and a waiting room. It could never happen. I rode the PJ with my dad & lost a shoe during the drop! Being the youngest guess who got stuck more often than not. [20] Most riders reached the top of the tower in just under a minute, whereas their descent took 1115 seconds. The commission's report also lists Norman Kaufman as the Parachute Jump's last operator. an amazing spectacle it must have been. There was a elephant & in the mahout box atop would control barrels that would shake, a floor that would drop down and handrails that wouldsink into the floor. I rode the parachute ride in 1939 as a three year old toddler with my older brothers. And, plunge it was. [86] The Guide to New York City Landmarks also mentions that the ride closed in 1964,[34] while the Brooklyn Paper says the Jump was shuttered in 1965. [94] For a time Trump rented out the base area as a concession and it was encircled by a small go-kart track. It was in fact the Life Saver candy ride. [84] Sources disagree on whether the ride closed permanently or continued to operate until 1968. [74][76] The ride was subject to shutdowns on windy days, especially when breezes exceeded 45 miles per hour (72km/h). Good memories. It was crazy how fast that chute would descend and people bouncing all over the place!! mob turncoat was kept for security (as they said when his body was scraped off the sidewalk, he could sing but he couldnt fly). of safety have changed drastically in 50 years. Brooklyn, NY 11224, info@coneyislandhistory.org(347) 702-8553. [20][21] Accordingly, Stanley Switlik and George P. Putnam built a 115-foot-tall (35m) tower on Switlik's farm in Ocean County, New Jersey. [52][53], The Parachute Jump reopened in June 1940, over a month after the Fair's reopening. Sometimes it seemed that the parachute jump was closed more often than it was working due to bad weather, high winds etc. An access ramp was at the northeast corner of the platform. An additional chute and new foundations were added. [8], Functional parachutes dangled from each of the twelve sub-frames and were held open by metal rings. The ride required some modifications in its new, windier, shore-side location, including the addition of 30-foot-deep (9.1m) foundations. [6] The frame has about 8,000 lighting fixtures, which are used for night-time light shows. A jury in federal court in Manhattan refused to award Mr. Bullard damages in the case, The Daily News reported realistic goal., But talk of reviving the jump, closed since 1968, as a working ride has been hard to quash over the years, and [156], This article is about the defunct amusement park ride. Aside from the years and neglect and exposure to the elements that the The Parachute Jump was built for the 1939 World's Fair in Queens, but was moved to Coney Island in 1941. would be out of business in weeks.. What about The Cyclone? [123] The city government stabilized the structure in 1993 and painted it in its original colors, although the structure still suffered from rust in the salt air. for injuries to thieves. reformers did with Times Square, turning it into Times Square, Coney Island will be scrubbed for tourists who are more interested in cleanliness than godliness. And while visiting NYC for the first time in 2004, I enjoyed a sunny day at Coney [78] On September 20, 1964, Steeplechase Park closed for the last time,[79][80] and the next year, the property was sold to developer Fred Trump. The trick, he said, should involve very little change to the rides outward appearance, but a substantial overhaul of its inner structure. Situated in Steeplechase Plaza near the B&B Carousell, the structure consists of a 250-foot-tall (76 m), 170-short-ton (150 t) open-frame, steel parachute tower. Restoring New York Today is still going strong! For the less fortunate young people of my generation, Coney was an oasis,it provided us escape! "No, I never operated the Parachute,"he said in 2003 when asked about the flawed report. [54] During the Fair's second operating season, a couple were married on the Parachute Jump in what was described as the first-ever "parachute ceremony". I 've been to both Disneys and I just came across this article and people's comments. For the film, see, 2002 restoration and first lighting project, 2013 restoration and second lighting project, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York City Economic Development Corporation, List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Brooklyn, National Register of Historic Places listings in Brooklyn, New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, Dolkart & Postal 2009, "Coney Island Parachute Jump No climbing allowed! My grandfather George Siebert assigned to NY City Rescue Squad, it might have been you he climbed up for the rescue. The whole park was great, including the parachute ride. But I would also like to be able to see who is in the park and on the street too. Im so happy to read these snippets. [33] Elwyn E. Seelye & Co. designed the steelwork, Bethlehem Steel manufactured the tower pieces, and Skinner, Cook & Babcock assembled the pieces onsite. [14] The Parachute Jump ultimately became the Fair's second-most popular attraction, behind the Billy Rose's Aquacade stage show. Probably a few million dollars, Mr. Karnacs said. [55] A half-million guests had jumped from the tower before the end of the World's Fair. [87] Concurrently, starting in 2011, the 2.2-acre (0.89ha) site around the tower was redeveloped as Steeplechase Plaza. [114] The cheapest option, simply maintaining the structure, would have cost $10,000 a year (equivalent to $28,000 in 2021). And so we have traded the zest of challenging and overcoming our fears for the pablum of safety. [136] More than 800competitors from 46countries participated. !coney was never the same.. and sadly to say, never will be again. Easier if there are still extant aset of the original engineering drawings, but doable even without. The Cyclone was 50 cents. the best ride, as you hurtled on a track, holding on to a cast iron horse, with no safety apparatus at all! roller coasters, the wonder wheel, bob sled, virgina reel & many many more rides and attractions. It might be a kind of magic If the PD ever opens up again, Ill be there promised! It seemed as if we were at the top of the world. Sources disagree on whether the ride closed permanently or continued to operate until 1968. Even the voluntary assumption of risk is gradually being legislated away. [58] After the Fair closed in October 1940,[59] its operators announced that the Parachute Jump would be sent to Coney Island. for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month", "Coney Island pays tribute to Kobe Bryant", New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, Historic Structures Report: Parachute Jump, Oral histories about the Parachute Jump collected by the Coney Island History Project, "New York World's Fair 19391940 records", Coney Island, Parachute Jump, Coney Island, Kings County, NY, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Parachute_Jump&oldid=1149989923, This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 17:38. All 864 proposals for design of year-round pavilion at base of Coney Island's landmark Parachute Jump go on display at Van Alen Institute in Manhattan; submissions came from 46 countries and . The Parachute Jump has been renovated several times since the 1990s, both for stability and for aesthetic reasons. The 262-foot-high Parachute Jump at Coney Island was created by Strong purely as a ride for the World's Fair. exists to restore it as a parachute jump attraction.. [93][97] A study conducted in 1972 found the Jump was structurally sound. The most [39], Several incidents occurred within the first few months of the Parachute Jump's opening. With restoration of the ride being proposed, it's important to get the facts straight. Im too young to remember the Coney of the 1950s but youve painted a very vivid picture for all of us. at nytoday.com or in the morning, on The New York Times homepage or its New York section. The Jump was well-maintained. If the Army, who trains thousands of people in parachuting each year, Stiff ocean breezes kept it closed much of the time. Bensonhurst native Avella was sixteen years old when he began working on the landmark ride in 1961 after graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School. Why did they close the Parachute Jump in Coney Island? I got to ride the parachute jump just once with my father before it closed. Mr. Markowitz himself has raised the possibility of a revived Parachute Jump before. Mr. Markowitz would not name the company, but said it is sending a team to Coney Island in a few weeks to inspect the ride and see whether technology The commission's false image of the ride operating for several years with a ragtag crew implies that it could easily be restored and operated in its original form without much effort. Brooklyn, NY 11224, info@coneyislandhistory.org(347) 702-8553. jump could possibly be made to work again. [50] The reopening was delayed by disagreements between operator International Parachuting Inc. and James Strong. You could not operate a ride today that is something like what was operating in 1920, he said. I Rode the Parachute Jump as a child in the late '50s. Beside their famous rollercoaster installations, that amusement ride manufacturer has built several (modern) versions of the parachute-tower, I plan on doing the same with my parents on my next visit to NY. Kaufman, who operated an amusement fairground and parking lot on the Steeplechase site after the park was demolished, has always found this curious. [77][106][114] The survey estimated it would cost at least $300,000 to demolish the structure (equivalent to $842,000 in 2021), making demolition too costly an option. morning and a round-up in Monday's print edition. Then the city changed its mind about the status, and talked about. A friend tells me that near its end, there was a mishap a week after he rode it with friends. Flag at Fair Tops Russia's Star; Unfurled Atop the Parachute Jump Greatest Throng on a Weekday Present", "Boro Veterans Plan to Give Fair a Flagpole", "It's a 12-Second Fall at Coney's Big Jump", "Amelia Earhart Uses Her First Parachute; Flier Makes Her Initial Jump, With a New Device From a 115-Foot Tower", "Fair Amusements To Show A Profit; Net This Year Put at 'Nominal to Handsome' as Big Costs of '39 Are Eliminated", "Contracts Signed For Fair's Books; Exposition Publications Is to Put Out Guide, a Souvenir Volume and Daily Program", "Parachute Tower For World's Fair; 250-Foot Jump to Be Offered as a Novel Amusement", "Play Area at Fair Takes On New Life; Amusement Zone Starts To Boom", "Fair for Fair! When I was a kid I was crazy about the Jump. The ride stopped operating in 1968. We never got on it!! The awe I felt as we slowly floated down through the darkness, hearing the faraway sounds of the amusement park in the distance, floating slowly The Parachute Jump stopped operating as part of Steeplechase Park upon the latter's closure in 1964. Besides I've requested of my family for some of my ashes to be spread as close to it as possible. most other modern amusement parks but none of them will ever compare to the magic of old Coney Island! Your information will never be shared with other organizations. He said he had made clear to the representative that the city and borough cannot pay the company for its inspection. Once subscribed you will receive periodic announcements related to the activities of the Coney Island History Project. parachute jump, but also the Steeplechase horse racing ride itself.
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