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NYC: BEFORE & AFTER
@nyc.beforeandafter

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#tb 1948 & today: Facing north on Steeplechase Pier in Coney Island, Brooklyn. . The Parachute Jump, alongside the Cyclone & the Wonder Wheel, truly falls into the category of landmarks we couldn’t imagine Coney Island without. The 250-ft-tall tower’s origins actually lie at Queens’ Flushing Meadows-Corona Park as part of the 1939 World’s Fair. The ride worked by having 2 passengers board a 2-person chair at ground level before being pulled up 250 feet off the ground by cables. Once at the top, the seat would drop & a parachute would deploy as the passengers floated back down to earth. The Parachute Jump proved to be immensely popular during the World’s Fair between 1939 & 1940. After the Fair, the Parachute Jump was bought by the owners of Steeplechase Park in Coney Island for about $150,000 and moved to Brooklyn. . The Parachute Jump reopened in 1941 would see relative success throughout Coney's twilight years right up until its decline in the 60’s. It was shut down after Steeplechase Park was sold to Fred Trump (Donald’s father) in 1964 after years of unprofitability. Trump planned to redevelop the site & build high-rise apartments & so set about demolishing much of the park (including the Pavilion of Fun which can be partly seen in the ‘48 photo) before he even got approval by the city to begin construction, which he ultimately never did. He later ended up selling the land. Thankfully, the Parachute Jump had managed to escape demolition . The Parachute Jump, dubbed Brooklyn’s Eiffel Tower, stood abandoned & deteriorating for the next few decades but it always remained a centerpiece of the local community. It was added to the N.R.H.P in 1980 & awarded city landmark status in 1989. After undergoing several restoration efforts during the 2000’s, the tower still stands proudly today & now even lights up at night & during special events. . . . #coneyisland #brooklyn #coneyislandparachutejump #oldnyc #1940snyc #nychistory #thewaywewere #coneyislandpier #brooklynny #coneyislandnyc #oldnewyork #nyc1940s #oldbrooklyn #newyorkhistory #coneyislandusa #brooklynnyc #1940s #nyclandmark #vintagenyc #nycnostalgia #1940sstyle #brooklynhistory #nycbeforeandafter