Thursday, March 18, 2010

Astroland Owner to Sell Rides, at Last

By: Chris Rovzar
Ever wanted to buy a giant swinging pirate ship? Some bumper cars for your Williamsburg loft, perhaps? A Tilt-A-Whirl? Well, you may get your chance.
The former owner of the Astroland amusement park out in Coney Island has finally given up on seeing her fantasy land rise again. Carol Albert, who will return to Coney this summer to run the Cyclone roller coaster as always, tells the Post that it's finally hit her that the incoming Luna Park, selected by the city to replace Astroland when they bought the land under it in 2008, is inevitable, and she's not likely to find another place in the city to erect the 22 rides she's kept in storage just in case.
"It seems unlikely" that the city will help her find another spot along the boardwalk out there to rebuild the park, she said.
Astroland was built in 1962 as a "space age" theme park, but anyone who'd been there in recent years knew it as a blast straight to the past.
The new Luna Park, which features nineteen state-of-the-art rides designed by Italian Antonio Zamperla, will open to the delight of children and freaks all over the city on Memorial Day.
Astroland Amusement Park has closed to make way for developers, but fortunately the legendary Cyclone roller coaster still stands strong. The landmark (and wooden) ride may take a mere two-minutes-and-30 seconds to experience, but don’t let that fool you. Its 80-foot 60-degree jaw-dropping drop was described by Charles Lindbergh as "more thrilling than flying solo across the Atlantic.


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