Steeplechase Pier | Amusing the Zillion

Posts Tagged ‘Steeplechase Pier’

Photo of the Day: Sunset at Coney Island Pier by Bruce Handy

Posted in Photo of the Day, Photography, tagged Bruce Handy, LTL Architects, pier, Steeplechase Pier, sunset, Triton Structural on October 8, 2013| 2 Comments »

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!

Photo Album: Coney’s Rebuilt Steeplechase Pier Opened Today

Posted in Photo Album, Photography, tagged Charles Denson, Coney Island, Coney Island History Project, LTL Architects, pier, post-Sandy, Steeplechase Pier, Superstorm Sandy, TB Penick, Triton Structural on October 2, 2013| 4 Comments »

Steeplechase Pier reopened today with a wavy new lounger and other amenities. October 2, 2013. Photo © Charles Denson, Coney Island History Project via flickr

Coney Island’s Steeplechase Pier, which has been under construction since March, was inspected and reopened today to the delight of visitors enjoying the summery weather. The reopening happened without any official fanfare nearly a year after the pier was damaged during Superstorm Sandy. Today, the construction workers simply left for the last time and the sunbathers, fishermen and photographers returned to their usual spots and found some new ones, including the wave-shaped bench seen above. Among the first to set foot on the sleek new pier was the Coney Island History Project‘s Charles Denson, who shot these amazing photos.

View from newly reconstructed Steeplechase Pier, Coney Island. October 2, 2013. Photo © Charles Denson, Coney Island History Project via flickr

New amenities on the 1,000 foot long pier include a communal lounger made of wave-shaped wood and a variety of seating options. The wood on all the benches as well as the handrail wood is reclaimed ipe from the old decking that was on the pier. There’s also a shade structure with letters spelling out CONEY ISLAND that cast an elegant shadow on the pier and can be viewed from above by seagulls, helicopters and the gods of the air.

LTL Architects custom designed the benches as well as the overhead screens. Their redesign for the reconstruction of the pierwon Special Recognition at the 31st Annual Awards for Excellence in Design by the New York City Design Commission. Vibha Agarwala of LTR Architects told ATZ the construction is complete but there will be some final touches, including bait cutting stations. The work was carried out by T.B. Penick and their New York division Triton Structural. The construction company was awarded projects totaling $120 million for repairs to New York City’s Superstorm Sandy damaged beaches.

Coney Island’s Reconstructed Steeplechase Pier. October 2, 2013. Photo © Charles Denson, Coney Island History Project via flickr

Over the weekend, word on the Boardwalk was that Steeplechase Pier, which has been under reconstruction due to damage sustained last October during Superstorm Sandy, would reopen this week. The Parks Department confirmed the pier would open soon but did not announce a date. October 29, 2013 will be the anniversary of the storm surge that devastated Coney Island. Steeplechase Pier had to be completely reconstructed post-Sandy and was originally expected to be finished by July. The rebuilt pier and the landmarked Parachute Jump are the sole survivors of Coney Island’s Steeplechase Park, which closed in 1964.

Workers leaving as reconstructed Steeplechase Pier reopened today. October 2, 2013. Photo © Charles Denson, Coney Island History Project via flickr

Coney Island’s Steeplechase Pier to Reopen in October

Posted in News, tagged Parks Department, pier, post-Sandy, rebuilding, Sandy, Steeplechase Pier, Superstorm Sandy on September 30, 2013| 2 Comments »

Workers at Coney Island’s Sandy-damaged Steeplechase Pier, September 28, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Over the weekend, word on the Boardwalk was that Steeplechase Pier, which has been under reconstruction since March due to damage sustained during Superstorm Sandy, would reopen on Tuesday. Work is almost complete and will be finished this week, according to the workers who were heading off the pier.

ATZ checked with the Parks Department today and the pier will indeed reopen sometime in October, though not on October 1st. The pier will need to be inspected first, a Parks Department official told ATZ. The 1,000-foot-pier is a popular spot for fishermen as well as for photographers, who were already making plans to return to their favorite spot tomorrow and will now have to wait a little bit longer. The pier had to be completely reconstructed post-Sandy and was originally expected to be finished by July.

Update: The pier reopened on Wednesday, October 2nd. Here are the first photos!