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Is Coney Island (New York) Worth Saving?


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Yes, I know that he meant KI, but just to prove a point-

Coney Island would much better fit the "legendary" status than Kings Island does.

Legendary-

–adjective

1. of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a legend.

2. celebrated or described in legend: a legendary hero.

–noun

3. a collection of legends.

Kings Island is not legendary at all. There is no doubt on anything attraction or show that ever existed at KI, and you can find pictures of almost any ride or attraction that ever existed there, easily. (Wikipedia has descriptions of all the rides to ever exist at Kings Island)

Coney Island is much more a legendary park. A large number of Coney Island rides are not even documented. A little known fact, Coney Island has had 14 roller coasters in its history. (http://www.rcdb.com/4740.htm) I have one extensive book on Coney Island's history, one called "Goodbye Coney Island, Goodbye", and have old videotapes of Coney from when my dad was 5 years old. But even after reading and watching all these books and old tapes, I have only seen pictures of Clipper, The Shooting Star, Scenic Railway, Galaxi, Teddy Bear, Pepsi Python. (Clipper isn't even included on the Roller Coaster Data Base, due to the fact the chain lift and final helix were reused in the construction of The Shooting Star)

My point, Coney being legendary is due to how forgotten it's past is. Historians (or lack thereof) failed to document most of Coney's old rides and past events... There are many legends that exist about Coney Island's past, some very pleasant, some horrific, even. All of the uncertainty that exists on the subject of Coney Island's past makes Coney Island Legendary. (I'm not trying to say the former Coney Island was a great park; I never got to experience it; but I'm distinguishing the difference between fame, nostalgia, and legend.)

With all the modern day data storage systems, and the internet, any modern day amusement park would not get forgotten as fast as Coney was. Kings Island won't become legendary for quite some time.

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But a place that inspires legends is considered legendary. There are many, non-verifiable (in many cases not even true) legends about Kings Island, from "Is Kings Island Haunted?" to the Tower Johnny stories (not just of his death, but events allegedly occurring thereafter), to the many stories of how rides were/were not planned for Kings Island (Addams Family, anyone? Rye Aeroplane?) to the untrue stories of deaths galore on rides from Bat to Son of Beast. Then there are the stories of who worked there in their younger days...many true, others not. And on and on and on.

Kings Island is now more than 37 years old. It definitely inspires legends.

Also, take a World War II hero...definitely would be considered by most to be legendary, right? One can be legendary without having an undocumented history or being the source of stories of dubious origin or that are untrue.

Terpy, just sayin'

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