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Posts Tagged ‘Zamperla’

SkyCoaster Under Construction in Coney Island

Posted in amusement park, Amusement ride, Photo of the Day, Photography, tagged Bruce Handy, Central Amusement International, Coney Island, Scream Zone, SkyCoaster, Speed Zone, Zamperla on May 12, 2012| 1 Comment »

Zamperla’s plans for Go Karts and a SkyCoaster on City-owned “Parcel C” in Coney Island were unveiled last November and on Friday the launch tower of the new thrill ride was put into place with a crane. Coney photographer Bruce Handy’s stunning photos juxtapose the SkyCoaster with the great-granddaddy of vertical thrill rides– the 250-foot tall tower of the landmark Parachute Jump. From the 1940s until it closed in 1964, the Jump was the high thrill in Coney Island and to this day it has supporters who clamor for it to be retrofit and made operable again. Will the new high thrill ride on the Boardwalk win them over?

The Coney Island SkyCoaster will be called Boardwalk Flight, according to Luna Park’s website: “Take flight over the Atlantic Ocean at heights of over 200 feet. Not thrilling enough? Try it at over 60 mph! This Sky-Coaster will propel you mid-air giving you a sky-diving sensation.” A SkyCoaster combines elements of skydiving and hang-gliding. Riders are harnessed into “flight suits,” winched to the top of a tower and then swing through the sky as they drop towards the ground. From the time you’re strapped in to the finish, each “flight” lasts about five minutes. At Scream Zone, the cost of the new ride will be 25/20/15 credits, which at $1 per credit equals $25/$20/$15, though bonus credits are available with the purchase of a Luna Card. (Update: When the ride opened on Memorial Day Weekend, the charge for riding was a flat fee of $20.)

A spokesman from Luna Park told ATZ the price of riding the SkyCoaster depends on the number of riders–one, two or three–since up to three people can ride at a time. A solo skydive over the Boardwalk will cost you $25, but if you ride with two friends you’ll each pay $15. Manufactured by SkyCoaster Inc., the ride debuted in 1993 and can be found at over 75 parks around the world, from the Jersey Shore to Brazil and South Korea. In gated amusement parks, it’s typically an “upcharge attraction,” meaning that an additional fee is charged to riders who have already paid general admission to the park. Here’s the official video. And here’s a vid of three guys riding the 180-foot SkyCoaster at Six Flags Darien Lake.

Along with the Coney Island Raceway–as the Go Kart track will be called–Boardwalk Flight will be part of an expanded Scream Zone. Earlier this year Central Amusement International, the park division of Zamperla, shelved the idea of creating a third Coney Island park called “Speed Zone” on Parcel C. In March, Scream Zone manager Beau Berni told ATZ that the new rides will instead operate as part of Scream Zone, which is just across Stillwell Avenue and has four rides, including two Zamperla coasters. The SkyCoaster and Go Karts are scheduled to open on May 25th.

Zito’s Sandwich Shoppe Eyes Spot in New Coney Island

Posted in Food, tagged Coney Island, Italian food, Jones Walk, Luna Park, Marcello Bucca, sandwich, Zamperla, Zito's Sandwich Shoppe on April 22, 2012| 1 Comment »

Coming to Coney Island this Summer? 'Best traditional Eggplant Hero on the street' as quoted by a very satisfied patron via email. Photo and caption via Zito's Sandwich Shoppe, Park Slope, Brooklyn

On Sunday Zito’s Sandwich Shoppe tweeted to their followers that they were “working on a Coney Island Luna Park collaboration-more to come-looking to be part of the New Coney Island.” When we phoned to get the scoop, co-owner Marcello Bucca confirmed it was true but declined to say more until the lease is signed. ATZ is delighted by the possibility of having an Italian-American sandwich shop in Coney Island’s amusement area. During the summer, tourists often ask where they can buy the delicious sandwich we’re eating. We have to say, uh, you can’t. We brought it from home.

Zito’s menu features 13 different sandwiches including chicken parm, eggplant parm, pork bracciole, and for all of you vegetarians–meatless with grilled portobello, roasted peppers, broccoli rabe and homemade artichoke spread. Meats are from Salumeria Beillese of Hell’s Kitchen and Applegate Farms Organic Meats. All sandwiches are made on bread from Bensonhurst’s Il Fornaretto Bakery, one of Brooklyn’s best for Italian bread. Bucca and co-owner Enzo Conigliaro are Bensonhurst natives influenced by an old country philosophy and the slow food movement, according to an article posted in the Park Slope Patch when the sandwich shop opened last August.

As for their Coney Island location, our best guess is that Zito’s is eyeing one or more of the soon-to-be-rehabbed stands on the east side of Jones Walk, which Zamperla is leasing from the City. While the majority of the booths are expected to be game concessions run by Zamperla, the rest were being offered a few weeks ago to select food vendors. The Walk would be the most likely spot for a sandwich shop since French food giant Sodexo has an exclusive contract to provide food service within Zamperla’s Luna Park.

In November, the City’s Economic Development Corporation issued an RFP (Request for Proposals) for the booths on the east side of Jones Walk, a 1,650 square foot space that was purchased along with a larger parcel in 2008. The RFP required renovating or completely rebuilding the existing booths, some of which are in poor condition. The leases of longtime tenants in City-owned booths on the Walk, including water race games and other games of skill, windows featuring the mechanical doll “Miss Coney Island” and animated toy rides, and a Pina Colada stand were not renewed. The majority of tenants were able to relocate to other City-owned or private property in Coney Island.

UPDATE April 27, 2012:

Yay! @ZitosSandwichSh says "Vegetarians will be fully supported at the Coney outpost- Even I can't eat pork bracciole every day #vegetarian"
— Amusing the Zillion (@AmusingZillion) April 27, 2012

UPDATE July 2, 2012:

Zito’s Marcello Bucca tells ATZ that Zito’s will not be opening in Coney Island this season: “Word on the street is correct,” he said. “They were not ready for us.” He said that Zamperla received financing at the end of June, later than they expected, thus delaying construction. The rehabbed Jones Walk stalls were originally slated to open on Memorial Day. Asked if Zito’s Sandwich Shoppe planned to open a location in Coney Island next season, Marcello said he hoped so, because so many people have been calling to ask about the new Coney Island location. “Ideally we’ll see what opens up. Right now it’s a no-go for this year.”
“Coney Island Update: New Arcade, No-Go for Zito’s, Tom’s Construction Saga,” ATZ, July 2, 2012

Last Coney Island 8 Holdout Sells Boardwalk Building

Posted in Food & Drink, Redevelopment, tagged Boardwalk, Coney Island, Grill House, restaurant, Steve Bitetzakis, Steve's Grill House, Zamperla on February 14, 2012| 5 Comments »

Steve's Grill House, Coney Island Boardwalk. Last day of season, Oct 31, 2010. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Steve Bitetzakis, the owner of Steve’s Grill House on the Coney Island Boardwalk since 1993, called off plans to have his modular building jacked up and moved down Stillwell Avenue. The move had been postponed till this week, but was called off after the restaurant owner made a deal to sell the building to Zamperla for an undisclosed sum. On Monday, workers were removing restaurant equipment and cleaning the place out.

Bitetzakis plans to relocate his grill house in Coney Island, possibly with a state-of-the-art concession trailer. Steve’s Grill House was the last holdout of the Coney Island 8, a group of Boardwalk Mom and Pops who banded together to fight their eviction by Zamperla in 2010. Late last year, Ruby’s and Paul’s Daughter were offered eight-year leases on the Boardwalk, but Steve’s was left out in the cold. The above photo, taken at sunset on the last day of the 2010 season, is one of our favorites.

The Grill House building is on land that the City bought from Thor Equities in 2009 and leased to Zamperla. It’s the site of the soon-to-be-constructed Speed Zone, where Go Karts and a Sky Coaster are part of the amusement operator’s plans for this season. Will the Grill House be transformed into a trattoria by the sea or an upscale redo of its former neighbor Beer Island? Stay tuned. Coney Island’s opening day is just six weeks away.