Coney Island, NY
Greetings from Coney Island! Special thanks to a local sign painter, Tommy Holiday (a friend of Victor's from the graffiti and Polo days) who helped organize and paint this wall with us in Brooklyn. This opportunity came to us last minute right before we were about to leave NYC for the road. We were glad that we were able to make it happen!
The wall is located at the main intersection of Surf Ave. and Stillwell Ave. right outside the Coney Island subway station and by the famous Nathan's. Needless to say, the locals of Coney Island that stopped by are all a bunch of unique characters. Be sure to stop by and check it out during summer when Coney Island comes alive if you have the chance.
This wall size was pretty wide so it wouldn’t be the greatest for photo ops but it was located in such a prime location that we had to do it. Being a local historian of this part of Brooklyn, Tommy came up with great ideas for what to include within the artwork. Lisa captured some original photos of our ideas. We divided up the imagery to paint and got right to work.
Needless to say, we enjoyed full experience of Coney Island during our breaks and after painting. From lunch breaks at Nathan’s while people watching on the boardwalk to riding the Cyclone with friends, we had a blast. We ran into friends randomly from all the boroughs and really felt the community connection here. Even though New York is such a large city, it’s amazing how often you run into familiar faces everywhere.
Tommy’s energetic and positive attitude kept us going. He had no shortage of stories to tell with his strong Brooklyn accent. It was fun to sneak in some graffiti tags from friends onto the roll down gates within one of the boardwalk scenes. Being that Victor & Tommy come from graffiti backgrounds, it was only fitting to pay tribute.
Erik Knapp aka Mr. Cyclone is a local who rode the roller coaster over a thousand times stopped by to say hello! He even had a tattoo similar to the scene in the “N” that we painted. There was no shortage of fun local characters stopping by during the few days we were painting.
We travel a lot and often see guides and websites about what to do as a “local.” When we paint, we get to meet so many locals at work and doing their chores. Our dialogue with them gives us a true sense of the community. For that reason, we get so much more insight into a community that just going to the most popular restaurant. We learn so much more from the chats with the local postman and neighbor walking their dog. These are the moments that get us excited about a life on the road painting community at throughout America.
This was one of the last murals we painted in NY before leaving for the trip of a lifetime. We’ll forever cherish our last moments with friends and family as true New York residents. It was a great way to say goodbye (for now) to New York and start a new chapter of our life on the road. Thank you, Coney Island & Brooklyn for the memories!
Press:
Amusing The Zillion – Greetings From Coney Island
Letter Guide:
C - Coney Island Boardwalk
O - Eldorado Auto Skooter "Bump Your Ass Off"!
N - “The Face of Steeplechase”
E - Wonder Wheel & Spook-A-Rama Cyclops
Y - Luna Park Entrance
I - Parachute Jump
S - Childs Building on Boardwalk
L - Lunatics Ice Cream
A - Nathan's Neon Sign
N - The Cyclone Rollercoaster
D - Coney Island Circus Sideshow Banner
Year: 2015
Mural Size: 10'H x 40'W
Location: 1224 Surf Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11224