First Impressions of Coney Island

Jacob Kabariti

Professor Aries

IDC-3001H

2/23/15

After first getting out of the Coney Island train stop, I immediately saw a huge mural on the opposite end of the street. I think this mural was made at the time when this neighborhood wasn’t the safest place to be. However, now this area is flourishing with more and more attractions being built each year, which draws more people to the area. With more foot traffic, there is more money being spent, which allows businesses to flourish. We decided to make our way to Luna Park on Surf Ave since there is where all the action takes place.

We chose to start on West 10th street and I chose to draw the side opposite of

Luna Park. I realized that many of the businesses in the area has closed down and is now available for lease. This is maybe caused by the increase in rent for the stores in an increasingly flourishing area. The store at the start of the block reaffirmed my thought. It was this new hip place that opened up where one can throw birthday parties. Having a small peek inside, I saw this huge dance floor with flashing lights inside. This business is aimed toward the teenagers visiting the amusement park.

This I guess will increase the amount of teens in the area in the near future. Next door there is a huge furniture store that seems to have been here for a long time and is most likely family owned. This shows the change that is currently happening to this neighborhood. I’m guessing that these stores will close and be replaced with more cool and attracting businesses like an arcade or bar. Then there was another home décor business. The next two stores where a design studio and a dance/music businesses.

We arrived at this area before noon so the blocks were nearly empty with only a few people walking by. I believe if we return at night we will have a totally different experience. The streets would be lit up and there will be a huge increase of foot traffic in the streets. Hopefully we will return soon when the streets come to life at night.