| | Coney Island: Lost and Found, Charles Denson.
Growing up in Coney
Island in the 1950's and 60's, Charles Denson is a witness
to the changes the community on the southern tip of Brooklyn
has undergone. Part one of his book gives a history of the
place, from the first European settlers - when Coney was
still and Island - through to its heyday in the early to
mid 1900's. Part two is more personal, the author recounting
his youth on Coney Island: living in its first high-rise
housing project, scavenging the derelict amusement parks,
and spending valuable time with his secretive and mysterious
father, an important figure for Denson. Part three follows
the recent upsurge in Coney Island since its mid 20th-century
decline, when it became a testing ground for Robert Moses
and high-rise housing. The annual Mermaid
Parade and the recent opening of a stadium for the Brooklyn
Cyclones illustrate the renewed interest in "America's
Playground". While it isn't clear what the future holds
for Coney Island, its past indicates that it will survive,
no matter what hardships it encounters.
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