A Rare Look At Coney Island, Brooklyn in the 1970s with Photographs

In 1964, Coney Island’s last remaining large theme park, Steeplechase Park, closed. The rides were auctioned off, and the property was sold to developer Fred Trump, the father of Donald Trump. Trump, convinced that the amusement area would die off once the large theme parks were gone, wanted to build luxury apartments on the old Steeplechase property. He spent ten years battling in court to get the property rezoned.

By the 1970s, with the popularity of Coney Island dwindling, the neighborhood rapidly deteriorated. Old standouts like Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs, The New York Aquarium, and Astroland remained, but the surrounding properties collapsed. At one point Trump organized a funeral for amusement parks in Coney Island. In all honesty, he probably wasn’t that wrong in his assumption that Coney Island would have to die in order to be reborn. Coney Island of the 1970s was rundown and needed a major facelift. Crowds of locals still came to the beaches in the Summer, but paled in comparison to those of decades earlier. Trump invited the press to the funeral where bikini-clad girls first handed out hot dogs, then handed out stones which Fred invited all to cast through the stained-glass windows of the pavilion. Then, pronouncing the amusement park dead, he had the pavilion bulldozed. Nice guy right? He really cared about history.

After a decade of court battles, Trump exhausted all his legal options and the property was still zoned only for amusements. He eventually leased the property to Norman Kaufman, who ran a small collection of fairground amusements on a corner of the site, calling his amusement park “Steeplechase Park.”

These are photos of Coney Island in the 1970s. Almost all are taken in the off-season (winter), so things do look even more dilapidated than perhaps they should. I’ve always been a fan of Coney Island in the winter. Most things are shut down, but the combination of the cold beach air, crashing waves, and winter gulls make for a peaceful, serene experience. Plus, it’s nice to go to Nathan’s in February when there are no long lines! Take a look at these beautiful photos.

Barri Anne Brown

I congratulate Nathan’s on the proper use of hyphen in take-home. I think my Mom had a date with my Dad there, as well. It’s all good.
- James Scully
  
  Nathan’s has always been known for their impeccable hot dogs and their impeccable grammar :).
  - Barri Anne Brown
    
    Although it seems the hyphen was too expensive to add to the neon sign.
    - James Scully
      
      Times was tough! lol.
    - TheLexiphane
      
      Maybe the neon sign was an imperative and didn’t need a hyphen.
      - James Scully
        
        Agreed, could have also literally meant “take home food” instead of “take-home food.”
      - Barri Anne Brown
        
        Times was demanding!
      - James
        
        That they was!
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Xerocky

So…it’s….kind of the same.
Kim

I wish there were more pictures of the rides. I’m trying to recall what it looked like in the 1970’s. I was only a child. The Coney Island I remembered was an exciting place. Fireworks every Friday night over the beach. the Astro- land sky ride. The Music Express with the guys jumping on and off while it was spinning. The Wonder Wheel which was the only on of its kind for decades until Disneyland stole the idea and build their own. The food and the many many rides that were spread out throughout the park.