A lifetime resident of Coney Island
Barbara was born in Coney Island and has lived there are her life. She describes riding the Parachute Jump in the early 60's and remembers other rides and attractions.
Content type: Oral History Item
Lived through the Great Depression in Coney Island
The History Project returned to an 85-year-old Goldie Durlester in July of 2010. In this interview, Goldie recalls more of the details of her daily life as a child during the Great Depression and as a teenager at the start of the World War II era....
Content type: Oral History Item
Coney Island game operator
Cesar came to Coney Island from California and began working for various amusement operators in 1979, running their games and rides and managing their operations. Eventually he struck out on his own with games on Jones Walk and later operated games...
Content type: Oral History Item
Rode the Steeplechase horses
Billy came to Coney Island as a child with his brother and specifically remembers the terror of riding the Steeplechase horses because they were very fast and there were no safety regulations back then. He recalls riding next to a woman who fell off...
Content type: Oral History Item
Loved growing up and raising children in Coney Island
Vivian Palo remembers that as a girl growing up in Coney Island, she would eat breakfast in her swimsuit and then head out to the beach until sunset. Vivian lived in Coney Island until the mid-1970's when crime and the destruction of her home...
Content type: Oral History Item
Relatives lived under the Thunderbolt
Harold Kramer's great aunt and uncle, Molly and George Moran, owned the Thunderbolt roller coaster and lived in the house under its tracks. Harold remembers Molly and George just laughing when the coaster shook their house since it was "...
Content type: Oral History Item
Co-founder of the Brownstone Revival Coalition
Everett Ortner, 87-year old former magazine editor and co-founder of the Brownstone Revival Coalition in New York City, shares his Coney Island experience as a little boy in 1925. Listen to Everett reminisce about trolley rides to Coney Island and...
Content type: Oral History Item
Grew up in Luna Park Houses in the 1970's and worked at Nathan's
Maria and Gwen grew up in Luna Park Houses and recount with great joy and pride what it was like to live in Coney Island during the 70's. Maria tells in extraordinary detail her job selling food at Nathan's. Saying that she was among the...
Content type: Oral History Item
Grew up in a Coney Island bungalow
Tommy Smith grew up with thirteen brothers and sisters in a Coney Island bungalow. Their father worked at a number of bars around town and Tommy began working around town at an early age too. He learned to make egg creams and frappes at Dick'...
Content type: Oral History Item
Roller coaster aficionado
Bobby talks about being a young "urban explorer" in the 70's when Coney Island was "dirty and scary and rough" but still alluring. He remembers many of the attractions that no longer exist in Coney Island such as the bobsled...
Content type: Oral History Item