The Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace

A PARISH MINISTRY OF THE VOCATIONIST FATHERS

2866 West 17th Street

Brooklyn, New York 11224

Phone: (718) 266-1612

FAX: (718) 946-3651

REV.  ARMANDO M. PALMIERI, S. D. V., Pastor

REV.  SHIJU CHITTATTUKARA, S. D. V. , Associate Pastor

Our Coney Island Neighbors

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MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones, an affiliate of the New York Mets in the Single-A New York-Penn League. Built on the site of Steeplechase Park.

The Brooklyn Tribute Walk and the Wall of Remembrance, which honor the civil servants who perished while saving and attempting to save the lives of others as the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center collapsed after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.  Located on the west side of MCU Park.

MCU Park from the Boardwalk. In the foreground is Steeplechase Park, an athletic field complex that serves as one of the home fields of the Our Lady of Solace Baseball League.

MCU Park - A monument to one of the most touching moments in Major League baseball history relived as Brooklyn Dodger shortstop Pee Wee Reese gave his open support to his teammate, 2nd baseman Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s notorious color barrier in 1947.

The Parachute Jump, the “Coney Island Eiffel Tower” is the last remnant of the original Steeplechase Park. Originally a paratrooper training device at Fort Dix, it became the Life Savers Parachute Jump at the 1939-40 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows.  Riders were strapped into canvas seats, pulled up by rope-wires 250 feet and then dropped with the parachutes opening at 175 feet.  It was purchased by the Tilyous after the Fair for Steeplechase Park in 1940 and closed as an independent ride in 1978.

Through feast and famine, Coney Island has always has its famous beach, often attracting so many people that very little sand is visible.

In the background is the Steeplechase Pier, a longtime fisherman’s delight.  When it was originally built, the pier was ¼ mile in length .  A disastrous fire reduced it to its current length.

The world-famous Riegelman Boardwalk was built in 1923. Original and new reproduction cast iron lamp posts were installed starting in 2000 and the pavilions are external reproductions of the 1924 originals.  

Although there are nearly 1,500 Nathan’s Famous locations throughout the world, for many, only Nathan Handwerker’s original will suffice on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues. This side was once featured prominently in an NBC “Saturday Night Live” opening in the 1970’s.  

The Coney Island Museum is located in the second of two former Child’s Restaurant  locations in Coney Island, the main restaurant being located on the Boardwalk next to Steeplechase Park. Here visitors can relive Coney Island’s first glory days.

Shuttered for 35 years, the magnificent 2,387-seat Coney Island Theatre (later Loews Coney Island and the Shore Theatre) still stands remarkably intact. It has been landmarked by the City of New York and is now up for sale by its owner.

The Ghost Hole is one of several independent ride attractions still operated in Coney Island.  The El Dorado bumper car ride still operates on Surf Avenue and has seen many changes over the decades to match the times. (How many of you may remember the “Bumping Disco” of the 1970’s?)

The sparkling 2004 Coney Island subway terminal pays a great tribute to Coney Island’s past while creating a pleasant and modern transportation facility for the future. The facade from the 1908 BMT terminal has been preserved; the tower recalls old Luna Park; the lights running along the exterior at night recall Dreamland, and the large window recalls the old Steeplechase Pavilion of Fun.

In addition to recalling the great covered BMT covered elevated stations at Sands Street, Brooklyn and Park Row, Manhattan, the great dome is functional in other ways. Covered in solar panels, it provides 25 percent of the power for the station’s lighting and utilities.

Gargiulo’s Restaurant opened in 1907 and in 1965 was acquired by its present owners, the Russo family.  Offering the best and most delectable Neapolitan cuisine and seafood, not to mention superior service that makes the dining customer welcomed like one of the family, it is truly the “Basilica of Italian Dining.” It is located on West 15th Street between Mermaid and Surf Avenues.

Kaiser Park on Neptune Avenue provides a peaceful atmosphere and scenic vistas. It is also the other home field of the Our Lady of Solace Baseball League.  For information about Kaiser Park events, click here:

Friends of Kaiser Park.

Tranquil Coney Island Creek looking from Kaiser Park toward the Narrows and Staten Island.  At one time it was part the Coney Island Canal, a natural canal that separated Coney Island from the mainland. Originally,  Coney Island really was an island and consisted of the Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach and Coney Island areas. The shallow canal was filled in from Sheepshead Bay to Shell Road for the Long Island Rail Road’s long-defunct Manhattan Beach branch as well as residential development.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE AMUSEMENT PARKS OF CONEY ISLAND.