Zipper

Coney Island's Last Wild Ride

ZIPPER is a feature-length documentary about the rezoning of Coney Island. It’s the story of a small-time carnival operator caught up in the battle between a shrewd developer and the City of New York over the world’s most famous amusement park. What at first appears to be a familiar tale – real estate baron pushes out the little guy – morphs into the complex saga of how an economic development policy set off one of the biggest land grabs in decades.

On a small rented lot in the middle of Coney Island, Eddie Miranda proudly operates a 38-year-old contraption called the Zipper. Spinning its riders by boom, cable, and car, the Zipper is one of the most storied carnival rides ever made, and still one of the most popular.

Sometime in 2006, rumors begin to surface about an opportunistic mall developer acquiring parcels in the amusement district in anticipation of a lucrative zoning change. Visions of glitzy Vegas-style attractions appear in the media, and long-standing Coney Island tenants are bulldozed. By the summer of 2007, Eddie Miranda’s lot is sold out from under him and he faces eviction.

Behind the scenes, a power struggle brews between the developer and the City of New York. The City has hatched their own plan to “save Coney Island,” by building housing and retail stores, and initiates the first comprehensive rezoning of the neighborhood in more than half a century. Both sides see a revamped Coney Island as an important economic opportunity, but in order to execute their plan, the City needs control of the property. The developer refuses to sell, and the resulting standoff drives property values sky high.

The Zipper is driven away, a casualty of the fight. Eddie and his crew mourn the end of an era.

Described as “the nation’s last cheap, gritty place to go for fun,” Coney Island is a beloved cultural icon. Its beach and amusements have provided a much-needed escape for people of lesser means since the turn of the century. But Coney Island is also waterfront property, and until recently, it was one of the few neighborhoods in New York to be unaffected by a mayoral administration with an aggressive redevelopment agenda.

Can a place that has always provided an affordable outlet for the masses be reconceived and remain the People’s Playground? Will the zeal to capitalize on Coney Island’s carnival atmosphere ultimately suffocate it?

A story about politics, greed, land use and public policy, ZIPPER chronicles a critical period in Coney Island’s history and examines the impact of economic development on the faded seaside destination. Be it an affront to history or simply the path of progress, the spirit of Coney Island is at stake. In a market-driven world where growth often trumps preservation, Eddie and his Zipper may be only the beginning of what is lost.