Amusing the Zillion

Steeplechase Pier, Coney Island. October 6, 2013. Photo © Bruce Handy

Last Wednesday, Steeplechase Pier, which was closed for reconstruction after Sandy, reopened nearly a year after the storm. Over the weekend Coney Island photographer Bruce Handy and his friends returned to their gathering spot to take their first photos of sunset from the new pier. “Last August we started taking photos from the pier. I picked out a spot and returned to take the same photo, to watch how the sun moved across the sky from the same spot,” he says. “Sandy changed our plans but did not stop us. The pier is back and so are we.” The one posted here is a beauty!

The redesign for the reconstruction of the pier, including the fabulous wave-shaped lounger seen in the picture, is by LTL Architects and won Special Recognition at the 31st Annual Awards for Excellence in Design by the New York City Design Commission. The wood on all the benches as well as the handrail wood is reclaimed ipe from the old decking that was on the pier. Vibha Agarwala of LTR Architects told ATZ the construction is complete but there will be some final touches, including bait cutting stations. “We have noticed that people have been cutting on benches and railings but bait cutting stations are in the process of being installed,” Agarwala said. The construction was carried out by T.B. Penick & Sons/Triton Structural, which worked on a number of projects to refurbish New York City’s storm-ravaged beaches. Kudos to all!

Related posts on ATZ…

October 2, 2013: Photo Album: Coney’s Rebuilt Steeplechase Pier Opened Today

April 16, 2013: Photo of the Day: Coney Island Sunset by Bruce Handy

March 14, 2013: Photo of the Day: Repairing Sandy-Damaged Steeplechase Pier

October 31, 2012: Photo Album: Hurricane Sandy’s Aftermath in Coney Island