27 Comments

"It seems that every seaside city neighborhood in the early 20th century had its own amusement park..." This would be a very interesting topic for any potential scholar in American history to take up. You have shown me that there is a lot more to this topic in NYC than just the very familiar ones at Coney Island.

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Barbara and Wesley Gottlock wrote a whole book on it that I frequently use as a reference. Lost Amusement Parks of New York City, Beyond New York City.

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Thanks- I'll look it up.

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Wait, an amusement park that didn’t burn down? Is this a first?

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Funny you should say that because the park actually had several fires in its history, though none of them burned it completely down. One fire I read about in the Wesley Gottlock book happened just a few weeks after the Ferris wheel accident. Onlookers cheered because the flames consumed a player piano that just played one song over and over and over again. I guess it wasn't a great song

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That's how I felt about 'Mustang Sally' after playing it so many times in a function band.

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Guess you better slow your Mustang down.

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Love reading about ANY of Moses' failings!

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This might be one of the cases where it was regrettable. The rendering of his proposal looks really good, if it turned out like Bay Terrace in Queens.

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Possibly, but knowing what I know now about Moses, I don't think I'd trust any of his proposals lol.

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Your increased readership is deserved. Glad more people are discovering your newsletter.

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Thanks Jenna!

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Jun 26·edited Jun 26Liked by Rob Stephenson

I live in the neighborhood, great to see it represented. Hopefully we'll have some quiet from construction once the city finishes all the infrastructure upgrades that have been going over the recent years and they're starting another one down the road, but we'll have brand new upgraded sewer lines to eliminate outflow into the river waters.

You caught the scars from the fire that hit the Maravillas restaurant a few weeks ago. Oddly enough, another fire hit a house on the next block just a few days later.

I've long wanted Soundview ave or Soundview Park to be renamed Snakapins, and possibly have some recreation of their village built if the national museum of the american indian could ever do an open-air exhibit

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Snakapins would be a great name for the park if only to get people talking and thinking more about the history. That is pretty suspicious about the fires. To be honest I didn't even notice the damage until looking back at the photos. I was too focussed on the giant Jack Skellington. Hope the building wasn't too badly damaged.

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Jun 21Liked by Rob Stephenson

We have, for sure, reached Peak Traffic Cone on this one. The last, sitting alone in the field, made me laugh very much.

Congrats on the Gothamist/WNYC!!!

Also Harding Park here I come!

Also, Snakapins Snakapins Snakapins Snakapins Snakapins!

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author

Thanks!

And we have come nowhere close to PTC.

You will love Harding Park, just as unique as Meadowmere and more people to talk to!

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Jun 20Liked by Rob Stephenson

Another great report. I took a ferry out to Clason Point last spring and walked around, found it very interesting neighborhood. One question: how do you pronounce Clason?

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I wish I had had time to take the ferry. It’s by far the best way to get around the city. I believe it is pronounced CLAW-son even though in my head I keep saying the other way.

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Excellent!I am very interested in the Lenape tribe, aka Delaware. Same people who were massacred at Gnaddenhutten, Ohio as they kept moving west.

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I believe it is spelled with two "s"es: Classon Point.

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I live near Classon Ave in Brooklyn and thought the same at first, but the Bronx neighborhood's namesake was Isaac Clason, hence the one s.

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Jul 9Liked by Rob Stephenson

It makes me wonder how who Classon Avenue was named after...

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author

Good question!

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Jul 9Liked by Rob Stephenson

Oh, too funny! So did I, on Lincoln Place. I suppose I was subconsciously thinking of Classon Ave.

I just subscribed to your Substance today, and really look forward to going through it!

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Thanks for subscribing!

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I believe you owe Garrison and all of the Keillor-Heads an apology.

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To be fair, he’s not getting any calls to host PHC either

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