It’s History

Step into the twisted past of Coney Island, New York, as this episode uncovers the corruption and captivating tales that shaped this legendary amusement hub — from its early days under Native American control to its rise, scandals, and modern revival.

Chapters
00:00 - Introducing Coney Island, New York
00:31 - Coney Island under Native American control
00:51 - The early development of Coney Island
03:11 - Coney Island’s corrupt politician (John "Boss" McKane)
05:15 - Coney Island’s insanely corrupt property laws
05:37 - Sea Lion Park
06:28 - The downfall of John "Boss" McKane
06:58 - Paul Boyton’s Water Chutes
07:13 - The rise of Coney Island rollercoasters | The Fearless Frogman
08:34 - Paul Boyton’s Water Chutes | Coney Island’s first amusement park
09:05 - The Flip-Flap Railway — the first looping rollercoaster
10:07 - The grand opening of Paul Boyton’s Water Chutes
12:02 - Steeplechase Amusement Park
13:19 - Why Coney Island is not an island
13:40 - How Steeplechase Park transformed the amusement park industry
14:23 - Luna Park (formerly Astroland)
15:06 - Why Coney Island amusement parks don’t last
15:47 - When Astro Tower almost collapsed
17:11 - Coney Island during the global shutdown
18:12 - Coney Island in the modern day

Credits
Scriptwriters: Neve Brown, Bex Weinstein, Imana Schoch, Gregory Back
Editors: Piotr Kubiak, Karolina Szwata, Kamil Krawiec, Sebastian Ripoll, Patrycja Klimczuk, Karolina Pleskot, Oliwia Tracz
Host: Ryan Socash

Series
IT’S HISTORY — Weekly tales of American urban decay, presented by host Ryan Socash.

Disclaimer
Some media elements in this video are used under the fair use provisions of U.S. copyright law (Title 17, Section 107) for purposes of commentary, criticism, and education.

Notice
Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only, reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Corrections or retractions for factual errors, mispronunciations, or misspellings will be published in this section.

#ConeyIsland #AmusementParks #History
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IT’S HISTORY — Weekly Tales of American Urban Decay
Host: Ryan Socash

00:00 - What is the Brooklyn Army Terminal?
01:57 - Construction of the Brooklyn Army Terminal
04:55 - Brooklyn Army Terminal’s post‑WWI use
06:03 - The Brooklyn Army Terminal during WWII
08:19 - The Brooklyn Army Terminal post‑WWII
08:55 - The downfall of Brooklyn’s Army Terminal
10:28 - The modernization of Brooklyn’s Army Terminal
11:24 - New York’s other uses of the Brooklyn Army Terminal
13:41 - The legacy of Brooklyn’s Army Terminal

Credits:
Scriptwriter — Brent Sapp
Editor — Karolina Szwata
Host — Ryan Socash
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The North River Tunnels are a pair of rail tunnels carrying Amtrak and New Jersey Transit lines under the Hudson River between Weehawken, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan. Constructed in 1910, they remain a critical travel option for commuters on NJ Transit and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. The tunnels are active—allowing about 24 crossings per hour each way and operating near capacity during peak hours. The tubes run parallel with centers separated by 37 feet; the two tracks fan out to 21 tracks just west of Penn Station.

Chapters
00:00 - Why the North River Tunnels are a critical travel option for commuters
01:11 - The origin of the name “North River”
02:08 - Why crossing the Hudson River proved to be an obstacle
03:11 - Albert Gallatin’s report of proposed locations for transportation of national importance
04:29 - PRR & The Long Island Rail Road Company develop the New York Tunnel Extension Project
04:52 - The North River Tunnels awarded to O'Rourke Engineering Construction Company
06:16 - The issue of “The Behavior of the Subaqueous Tunnels”
10:17 - Incorporation of additional cast-iron plates in the North River Tunnel
11:26 - The North River Tunnel opening in 1910
12:54 - The ARC program designed to restore public transportation in NYC
14:33 - How Superstorm Sandy damaged the North River Tunnels
15:53 - The Hudson Tunnel Project to rehabilitate the North River Tunnels

Credits
Scriptwriter — Camrin Dekis
Editor — Kamil Krawiec
Host — Ryan Socash

#NorthRiverTunnels #HudsonRiver #PennStation #Amtrak #NewJerseyTransit #InfrastructureHistory
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IT’S HISTORY — Weekly tales of American urban decay, presented by Ryan Socash.

The Embarcadero Freeway (State Route 480) was a double-decked elevated highway in San Francisco built in the 1950s. Running along the waterfront from the Bay Bridge to northern neighborhoods, it was criticized for cutting the city off from its historic waterfront and obstructing views. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the freeway, public sentiment favored demolition rather than repair. Its removal in the early 1990s transformed the Embarcadero into a pedestrian-friendly boulevard, reconnecting the city with the waterfront and sparking redevelopment.

Some media elements in this video are used under the fair use provisions of U.S. copyright law (Title 17, Section 107) for purposes of commentary, criticism, and education. Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only, reflecting the appropriate time frame and content.

Credits
- Scriptwriter: Ryan Socash
- Editor: Karolina Szwata
- Host: Ryan Socash
- Music/Sound Design: Dave Daddario
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Rockefeller Center is one of New York’s most iconic landmarks—but it began as a planned new home for the Metropolitan Opera. After the stock market crash the project collapsed, leaving John D. Rockefeller Jr. with a six‑million‑square‑foot lease. In the depths of the Great Depression he instead built an audacious complex of office towers, broadcast studios, and underground infrastructure that reshaped Midtown Manhattan. This episode of IT’S HISTORY — weekly tales of American urban decay — uncovers how that gamble became a new blueprint for urban America.

Scriptwriter: Ryan Socash
Editor: Karolina Szwata
Host: Ryan Socash
Music / Sound Design: Dave Daddario

#RockefellerCenter #NYChistory #ItsHistory
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