Guest Post: Amy Nicholson

by Amy Nicholson

In the run-up to the most recent midterm elections, there was an article in the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/05/nyregion/grimm-vs-recchia-a-race-to-remember-that-staten-islanders-would-sooner-forget.html?_r=0  stating that the Applebee’s in Coney Island was “the jewel of [Domenic Recchia’s ] legislative legacy.” Recchia ran for Congress on his ability to get results, trumpeting to reporters after his last debate, “Who would think that an Applebee’s would open on Coney Island?”

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/nyregion/grimm-and-recchia-spar-in-final-debate-of-a-bitter-campaign.html?_r=0

Let’s pretend that question was a rhetorical one. Who would have thought? Indeed. Many years after the rezoning of the amusement district – a rezoning that was sold to the public both as a way to “save” the amusements and as a benefit to the community – at- large – Coney Island has an Applebee’s. Is this saving the neighborhood? That depends.

It depends on your taste, mostly. Hey, Applebee’s is a welcome alternative to an empty lot. There are still plenty of those in Coney Island – many of them the direct result of the land grab that preceded the rezoning – but let’s not get sidetracked.

Last weekend there was a “Lunch Mob” for the old-school, much beloved coffee shop Cafe Edison in Midtown. It wasn’t losing it’s lease to a massive rent hike (as oceans of New York’s great small businesses have) to allow a chain to replace it (as so many have). In this particular case, the owners of the hotel just want something more “fancy.” Therein lies the issue: it’s a matter of taste.

For a lot of people, getting a big national chain in their neighborhood is “fancy.” If you like Applebee’s, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bubba Gump, etc., you’re in luck! New York City is now chuck full of them. A phenomenon that can be attributed to all the other Bloomberg rezonings that drove up the price of real estate, paving the way for the flood of deep – pocketed corporations.

But for those of us who moved here for places like Smith’s Bar, La Luncheonette, Colony Records, the Mars Bar, Florent, the Chelsea Hotel, the West Village before it was a mall, the Meatpacking District before it was a mall, Cafe Edison, and yes, Coney Island before the NYC Economic Development Corporation set out to organize and sanitize it, the sight of an Applebee’s in the heart of a place that used to have a very distinct soul is heartbreaking.

I do believe that, as councilman, Recchia intended to help his district. Is Coney Island better off now? New rides have replaced the old ones, new jobs have replaced jobs lost, the city finally did something with a lot they let sit empty for decades (welcome Thunderbolt), the B&B Carousel was saved, and yes, you can go to Applebee’s. You can go to Applebee’s and enjoy the exact same mozzarella sticks you can get in Anywhere, USA.

Who would have thought?

 

Amy Nicholson is an NYC filmmaker. Her documentary, ZIPPER: Coney Island ‘s Last Wild Ride toured the country at film festivals before screening at the IFC Center. It also qualified for Oscar consideration and was broadcast on PBS / Channel 13.

Available on DVD at

http://zipperfilm.com or

download on itunes:

http://www.itunes.com/zipperfilm  

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