NPR report on the billion-dollar effort to completely rehab NYC's Coney Island.

Apparently developers are eyeing the area for condos and such cacooning a vest-pocket art of today's tacky seaside show

some folks say that today's many empty lots and buildings beg for redevelopment - locals and habitues fear the loss of what Coney Island stood for for eons - low-brow entertainment and even though the seaside Freak Show will be saved, as will two famous rides the Cyclone and Wonder World and the Parachute Jump - the 'island's' most famous ride lots will go away - the lesser rides. AstroWorld's fate is said to be still up in the air.

Thus longtime New Yoh-kers have been flocking to Coney Island this summer as they fear by next summer all will be changed.

And thus the British guide who was quoted that he came here to see "IF IT WAS TACKIER THAN BLACKPOOL?

And i'd say, having been to both several times, yes Coney Island as we know it now is EVEN TACKIER THAN BLACKPOOL (Traditionally England's top blue-collar seaside resort, near Manchester and Liverpool)

Comments please if you've been to both.
onder World rides still here

Nobody seems to recognize "tacky" quite as fast as those who pretend they don't know a thing about it.

well like the Supreme Court justice who could not define pornography but said he recongized it when he saw it

same here - Blackpool is the definition of tacky? (Have you been there - or else you perhaps cannot relate to that analogy?) and ditto for Coney Island

it's just a matter of which is more tacky - no one would deny that they exude tackiness, whatever it's definition.

Not been to either, however, Blackpool sounds like a larger version of Cleethorpes which I did see last Winter.

Cleethorpes?

I collect faded 'tacky' (basically all of them except Torquay and Bournemouth IMO) seaside resorts - not heard much about Cleethorpes - is it still thriving - where is it - can i get there by train?

thanks roger for that info.

I was at Coney Island years ago and loved it. Great old rides, tacky shops, people enjoying themselves. I'll be in Blackpool in a week to compare. I'm hoping not as much of Blackpool is boarded up, though.

I would call Coney Island seedy rather than tacky....I can't explain the difference in a few words.

More interesting than Coney Island is Brighton Beach, Brooklyn's Russian outpost next door to Coney Island. The beach at both of these is great, if crowded on weekends. Brighton has some interesting Russian restaurants and great food shopping in Russian markets. I had some terrific pastry a few weeks ago that I b ought from an old lady with a stand on the street..no English spoken and no English signage.

Yes, I've been to both but so long ago. Coney in the '50's and Blackpool in 1971. I loved the parachute and steeplechase ride and buying corn on the cob at a stand in Coney Island. The best was on the ride through Brooklyn and seeing the gushing fire hydrants and kids dancing around them in their bathing suits! Now that looked like fun!

I was in Coney Island at the age of 19 so my memories are too long ago lol...but I have no memory of tacky..( I was visiting from Ca..what did I know?)
But I would LOVE to go to Blackpool...the tackier the better in my opinion

Yes, I saw the movie- <b>Funny Bones</b>

Cleethorpes <i>in the winter</i>? Did you have a book deal or was it just for a bet?

Cleethorpes in winter and yes by train.As a retired guy I enjoy my winter train/bus trips. Last winter I took the train from York to , I believe, to Doncaster, the Transperrine train to Cleethorpes. It is just one of the things I like to do. It was mostly boarded up for the winter, but still fun to just to walk around for a bit. If you would like to read my trip report, let me know and I can e-mail you a copy. Roger aka uktm