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Photo Album: Coney Island Library’s Comeback from Sandy

Posted in News, Photo Album, Photography, tagged Brooklyn Public Library, Coney Island Library, library, Sandy, Superstorm Sandy on October 24, 2013| 6 Comments »

Brooklyn Public Library Coney Island Branch Library on Mermaid Avenue. October 23, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

The Coney Island Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library reopened on Wednesday for the first time since it was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy almost a year ago. The lobby and interior have been decorated with photos of Coney Island’s landmark Wonder Wheel, Cyclone and Parachute Jump from the library’s Brooklyn collection. The Jump itself is just down the block and can be seen from the Mermaid Avenue library’s plate-glass windows.

Vintage photos of Coney Island’s landmark rides adorn the walls of the Coney Island Library. October 23, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

A few weeks after Sandy, the Daily News reported that five Brooklyn libraries wrecked by Sandy would require $10 million in repairs with the Coney Island location being one of the most seriously damaged. 35,177 books and DVDs were lost. The photos were horrific. Built in 1956, the library not only has new books and DVDs, it was beautifully redesigned to reflect the history of the neighborhood and meet the 21st century needs of the community.

Computer stations, comfy chairs, and the Parachute Jump. October 23, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

The children’s books and the computers, which used to be on the second floor, are now located on the main floor. The new computer stations, comfy reading chairs, and kid-sized tables equipped with iPads were already popular on opening day. The second floor is now designated “the quiet room” for studying and its auditorium has been replaced by two meeting rooms on the first floor.

Recycled boards from the Boardwalk on the ceiling at the Coney Island Library. October 23, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

Recycled boards from the Coney Island Boardwalk are incorporated into the design of the ceiling. The $2.5 million rebuilding effort was supported by public and private funding. You can make a contribution to the Coney Island Library on the Brooklyn Public Library’s website. Make sure to select “Additional Options – I would like to direct my donation to Coney Island.”

Photo of the Day: Children’s Eye-View of Coney Island

Posted in art, Photo of the Day, tagged children, Coney Island, drawings, library on December 2, 2011| 2 Comments »

This delightful children’s eye-view of the neighborhood is on display at the Coney Island Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library on Mermaid Avenue. Don’t you just love the way the Wonder Wheel, Cyclone and Brooklyn Flyer are stacked atop a theater building in defiance of perspective? It reminds us of circus acrobats balancing on each other shoulders. But it really does look that way in Coney’s amusement zone, where 62 rides and other attractions are jam-packed into three city blocks.

Also depicted are the Aquarium, Gargiulo’s Restaurant, Dunkin Donuts and a pizzeria. There’s a shopping mall too! Nope, Joe Sitt didn’t open a mall in Coney Island while you were sleeping. Not yet. The kids managed to squeeze Century 21, which happens to be in neighboring Bay Ridge, into their mural. The art is the work of children from the YWCA at P.S. 90 Edna Cohen School After School Program, which serves 120 students from kindergarten to fifth grade.