Morgan Memories – Sunrise Over Brooklyn

I always knew that Coney Island was on the other side of the bay from our house on the bluff.  On clear mornings, there would be a warm sunrise.  On clear days, with binoculars, you can still see the 262 foot tall iconic Parachute Jump tower on Coney Island (“Coney” is a derivative of the Dutch word for rabbit).  This tower was originally built for the 1939 New York World’s Fair which took place in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens (also the site of the 1964/65 NY World’s Fair).  It was moved to Steeplechase Park amusement park in 1941 and, sadly, ceased operating in 1968.  The Parachute Jump, along with the Cyclone Roller Coaster and Wonder Wheel Ferris wheel are now protected structures and remain Coney Island icons.

It took me a while to get used to the idea that in California, the sun set over the ocean and the ocean was to the west.  In Morgan, NJ, it is just the opposite.

To this day, I have never been to Coney Island.  It is on my “To Do” list for some future trip to NJ.  Like so many other things leading up to the creation of this web site, it was only in the last few years that I realized Coney Island was actually part of Brooklyn.  In fact, Coney Island is no longer an island though it is part of Long Island which is.  Even better, it wasn’t until I originally wrote this post that I measured how far away the Coney Island buildings in the photo are from Morgan, NJ – 15.25 miles!  I always wondered.

Originally posted on November 24, 2011.