Lynn Kelly | Amusing the Zillion

Posts Tagged ‘Lynn Kelly’

ATZ’s Guide to Coney Island’s Honorary Walks and Places

Posted in amusement park, Visitor Info, tagged Denos D. Vourderis Place, Dewey Albert Place, Granville T. Woods Way, Jones Walk, Lynn Kelly, Milton Berger Place, People's Playground Paparazzi Plaza, Polar Bear Club Walk, Ruby Jacobs Place, Tricia Zenobio on November 18, 2014| 4 Comments »

Dewey Albert Place and Milton Berger Place, Surf Ave and W 10th St, Coney Island. November 16, 2014. Photo © Tricia Vita

Have you ever looked up at the names immortalized on the street signs in front of the Cyclone roller coaster and wondered– who are Dewey Albert and Milton Berger? ATZ’s compendium of Coney Island’s Honorary Walks and Places, both official and unofficial, includes Coney Island luminaries of the past as well as the present-day paparazzi of People’s Playground Paparazzi Plaza. While there are no streets in Coney named after women, two powerful women in the Bloomberg administration had the rare honor of having new rides named after them.

Dewey Albert Place, Surf Ave and W 10th st, Coney Island. November 16, 2014. Photo © Tricia Vita

Honorary street namings are sponsored by New York City Council members, voted upon by the Council and signed into law by the Mayor. “Proposed honorees must be individuals who are deceased and of significant importance to New York City,” according to the City Council. In June 1997, in recognition of the work and life of Dewey Albert, founder of Astroland, and in celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Cyclone Roller Coaster, 10th Street between Surf Avenue and the Boardwalk was named Dewey Albert Place. (more…)

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Coney Island and the EDC Say Bon Voyage to Lynn Kelly

Posted in Coney Island Redevelopment, tagged CIDC, Coney Island Development Corporation, Lynn Kelly, NYCEDC on October 29, 2010| 1 Comment »

Lynn Kelly in front of Lynn's Trapeze in Luna Park Coney Island. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Last night at Lynn Kelly’s Bon Voyage Party at Vig Bar in Nolita, men in suits and blue wigs were spilling out onto the sidewalk by the time we arrived. The invite had said “Leave Your Everyday Hair Color at Home.” The guest of honor was clad in the pink wig and sequined dress that have been her signature costume for Coney Island’s Mermaid Parades and Galas.

After four years as vice president of the City’s Economic Development Corporation and president of the Coney Island Development Corporation, Kelly is leaving for a new career as president/CEO of Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island. But we think she has sand in her shoes and will come back to Coney to visit Lynn’s Trapeze, which was named in her honor, and bring a Snug Harbor float to the Mermaid Parade.

Now just a sec, while we order a drink from the customized menu. What’ll you have? Lynn Fizz….Kami-Kelly….Lunapolitan? How about a Coney Island Iced Tea…

Cheers and Congratulations!

Is Lynn’s Trapeze Still Lynn’s? What about the B & B?

Posted in amusement park, Amusement ride, Redevelopment, tagged B & B Carousell, Coney Island, Luna Park, Lynn Kelly, Lynn's Trapeze, naming rights on October 11, 2010| 6 Comments »

Sign for Lynn's Trapeze at Luna Park. October 10, 2010. Photo © Eric Kowalsky

UPDATE… October 11, 9:20 am…Yes, Lynn’s Trapeze will remain Lynn Kelly’s even though she’s leaving Coney Island for Staten Island! We received word on Monday morning from Zamperla CEO Valerio Ferrari: “A customer broke the sign. It will be replaced once we decide to renew or not all safety signs.” The altered sign was the object of intense speculation over the weekend…

On Sunday, ATZ received a flurry of messages from the Coney Island Rumor Mill about the sign on Lynn’s Trapeze in Luna Park. Something had happened to it overnight: The name of the ride had been sawed off the top! Take a look at the photo of the Mermaid Parade Kiddie flume below, for an example of intact signage.

Lynn’s Trapeze is a Wave Swinger with a center pole graced with historic images of Coney Island. It was named after Lynn Kelly, the president of the Coney Island Development Corporation, when the park opened in May. Kelly oversaw the redevelopment of Coney Island and was fond of referring to Luna Park as her park. But last week she resigned to take the job of CEO with the Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island. Our sources wondered if Kelly lost the naming right to the ride when she left her job with the City?

ATZ contacted Luna Park CEO Valerio Ferrari to ask about the sign, but we haven’t heard back yet. We can only speculate that Luna Park is about to add a commemorative plaque thanking Lynn Kelly and the flying carousel is not about to be renamed for somebody we’ve never heard of.

Or should naming rights to Luna’s rides be put up for sale to generate revenue? After all, stadiums like Coney Island’s former Keyspan, now MCU Park, aren’t the only ones to sell naming rights. Westchester County- owned Rye Playland offers annual naming rights for the park’s Dragon Coaster and other rides. The new Luna Park is a partnership with the City of New York, which owns the land and receives annual rent plus a percentage of the gross; the arrangement represents a new model for government-owned amusement parks, which are a rarity.

This brings us to a related question on the minds of Coney Island Rumor Mill members. When the restored B & B Carousell is set up in the new Steeplechase Plaza next year, will it still be called the B & B Carousell? Or will naming rights be sold? The initials belonged to Bishoff and Brienstein, who owned and operated the carousel from the 1930’s through the early 1970s. The ride was sold to Jimmy McCullough, who sold it to the City of New York in 2005. Carousell with two “L’s” was the spelling favored by Coney Island ride designer and builder William F. Mangels.