Coney Island, the home of one of the oldest (and most painful) roller-coasters in America, the original Nathan’s, the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, and the Brooklyn Cyclones. Needless to say, from The Cyclone to Joey Chestnut, there’s a lot of history here. There’s plenty to come see at Coney Island, from the tastefully dilapidated boardwalk to the tastefully campy art houses, but as of this weekend, Coney Island has announced plans to add even more history to it’s small patch of land by erecting statues of resident legends, Stephon Marbury and D. Chamberz.
The statues will be the first step in Brookyln Borough President Marty Markowitz’ Coney Island renovation project. The goal is to make the area more touristy, and apparently Nathan’s and the NY Aquarium don’t have the national pull that they used too. The plan also included revamping The Cyclone (Preferably with padding. My neck still cracks when I turn left), the boardwalk, and adding new rides. With Brooklyn on the rise, definitely not a bad idea.
Stephon Marbury was an easy choice. Although the B-Baller is now an Expatriate living in China and playing for the Foshan Dralions (whatever that means), he will always be a part of New York sports history, Coney Island specifically. We’ll attempt to forget what he did to the Knicks, given he had enough class to leave the country shortly afterward. The short stint on The Celtics not withstanding.
But the Statue we’re really excited about is up and coming rapper D. Chamberz. If you don’t know Chamberz, you can check out all his tracks via his Facebook Page. His track “Coney Island Warriors” is available on iTunes. Ever since his “Warriors” mix-tape released this year, Chamberz has gotten national recognition for his talents as a rapper. His #WarriorsWednesdays weekly freestyles have been a huge hit, and he has done some tracks with big time rappers like Jadakiss. Growing up on the streets of Coney Island allowed him to create the hard-hitting personal lyrics that have made him a star, and Coney Island will now honor him by immortalizing him in stone.
