Ruby Tuesday

I guess I have to call the paintings here at Coney Island "graffiti."

Looking at the Sky on Friday

It was overcast that day but the Coney Island Parachute Jump stood there like a giant.

The Parachute Jump was bought by Edward Tilyou from the 1939 New York World's Fair. The ride was run at the Lifesavers exhibit and opened for the 1941 season. I Although tame by the standards of today's rides, the experience of sitting 250 feet in the air on a small seat was unnerving.

From Wikipedia:

The Parachute Jump is a defunct amusement ride in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, whose iconic open-frame steel structure remains a Brooklyn landmark. 262 feet tall and weighing 170 tons (150 tonnes), it has been called the "Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn". It was built for the 1939 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, and moved to its current site, then part of the Steeplechase Park amusement park, in 1941. It is the only portion of Steeplechase Park still standing today. The ride ceased operations in 1968. The ride was based on functional parachutes which were held open by metal rings throughout the ascent and decent. Twelve cantilevered steel arms sprout from the top of the tower, each of which supported a parachute attached to a lift rope and a set of surrounding guide cables. Riders were belted into a two-person canvas seat hanging below the closed chute, then hoisted to the top, where a release mechanism would drop them, the descent slowed only by the parachute. Shock absorbers at the bottom, consisting of pole-mounted springs, cushioned the landing. Each parachute required three cable operators, keeping labor expenses high.

Tisha of Crazy Working Mom hosts LATSOF. Go over and have a look at who else participates in this meme. Thanks Tish for hosting!

Coney Island - May 2008

Spent the day down at the New York Aquarium at Coney Island. Thought you'd like to see some photos of the Ferris Wheel, the Cyclone, Nathan's, and some graffiti. Stay tuned for more...

theteach