Brooklyn is an
incredible mosaic of the human experience. Within this New York
borough’s crowded city blocks, there are infinite stories of
success and failure, hope and despair, euphoria and suffering.
Gravesend, one of Brooklyn’s most historic neighborhoods,
possesses a rich heritage that is, at once, typical of the
American spirit in its ambition and energy, yet is also unique
with its colorful pageantry of luxury hotels, pleasure parks, and
larger-than-life personalities.
Gravesend: The Home of Coney
Island takes readers on a fascinating journey from the town’s
first settlement in the 1640s by Lady Deborah Moody, an intrepid
and visionary leader of religious freedom, across four centuries
of progress, conflict, and change. Containing over 120
black-and-white images, this stunning illustrated history brings
to life early figures and events that shaped Gravesend’s past
and initiated Coney Island’s prominence as the world’s
playground. Like a visitor of yesteryear, readers will stroll
along the busy boardwalk, taste the world-famous hot dogs from
Nathan’s Restaurant, explore the renowned dance halls, race
tracks, and casinos, and thrill at the kaleidoscopic assortment of
roller coasters and other breathtaking rides, such as the
Parachute Jump, at the celebrated Dreamland, Luna, and
Steeplechase Parks.
Local historian Eric J. Ierardi,
president of the Gravesend Historical Society, has composed an
engaging narrative of Gravesend that chronicles major episodes in
the community’s history and remembers the characters who added
color and life to its politics, industries, and culture. Appealing
to both readers who recall Coney Island’s glory days as the
premier pleasure resort in the country and those who have only
recently called Gravesend home, this comprehensive work serves as
fitting testimony to the grandeur and importance of Gravesend in
America’s story.
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