The Beacon of Brooklyn Shines in Coney Island

The historic Parachute Jump was lit last night in Coney Island, with Boro Prez Marty Markowitz presiding over the ceremony at a private "Marty's Party" he hosted on the Steeplechase soccer field. (Gowanus Lounge didn't have an invite and wasn't in the mood to grovel to get in, so we watched from the beach, which offered a nicer vantage point for the Friday Night Fireworks show that followed.) Late into the night, there were people with laptops under the Jump directing the light show.

All six lighting schemes were featured last night, and we have to say that while we wished the lights were brighter--they are a little dim from a distance--the overall effect is wonderful. Up close, the Jump looks stunning. The flashing LEDs that circle the Jump are definitely the crowd favorite. When all is said and done, it is a magnificent thing to see this Brooklyn landmark--that came so close to demolition so many times--finally restored and now lit up for all the world to see. We wish it many, many decades of lighting up the Brooklyn night sky and serving as the Beacon of Brooklyn and of Coney Island.