Hurricane heroism at the New York Aquarium

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:24:00 +0000

Among the casualities of Monday's Hurricane Sandy was the New York Aquarium. The Wildlife Conservation Society confirmed Thursday that the beloved seaside venue sustained "serious flood damage" and will be closed "indefinitely." The WCS went on to add that "Staff have established temporary life support for the aquatic systems, are pumping flood waters out of basements and mechanical areas, and are working to restore filtration and other life support essentials for the exhibit and holding tanks. We have a short window of time to get these systems re-established. If this cannot be accomplished in this critical period, we will temporarily relocate the collection to other AZA aquariums in the region."

The aquarium's severe damage is yet another painful setback for the city, and the decimated boardwalk region of Coney Island, which was pummeled by massive waves. But it's also yet another one of the stories only now emerging, days after Sandy, about the generosity and bravery displayed during the storm. The WCS announced Thursday that 18 aquarium staff workers stayed on duty all throughout the hurricane to protect the animals. You're free to start crying now.

Remaking Coney Island

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

A “new” Coney Island exists — if only on paper, in developers’ colorful renderings of bustling boulevards and in lengthy rezoning plans, The Brooklyn Bureau reports.

In 2003, New York City rolled out a 30-year plan to remake the once-grand beachfront on the southwestern tip of Brooklyn.

From the early 1800s through the early 20th century, Coney Island was widely regarded as the world’s greatest urban amusement park. Though Coney Island’s amusement zone has shrunk with every passing decade since the Great Depression, the area remains a relatively popular destination — nostalgic, easily accessible and cheap.

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Hurricane heroism at the New York Aquarium

Remaking Coney Island