Coney Island 1960s Guide

The 1960s were a turning point for American cities, and Coney Island was the canary in the coal mine.

Would you like a comparison to Coney Island in the 1950s or 1970s? coney island 1960s

Post-WWII white flight was well underway. The neighborhood around the amusements (Sea Gate, West Brighton) was still largely white, working-class Italian and Jewish. By the late ‘60s, Black and Latino families were moving in, but the amusement area remained a “day trip” destination for outer-borough whites. Tensions occasionally flared (especially after the 1964 race riots in nearby Harlem/Bed-Stuy), but Coney’s public space stayed surprisingly integrated on crowded summer days. The 1960s were a turning point for American