“Manhattan Beach”. The Manhattan Beach march echoes in my mind. It was composed in 1893 by John Philip Sousa to commemorate this very beach resort.
Welcome to Manhattan Beach Park. This park started as the most upscale of Coney Island’s three major resort areas. The other two were Brighton Beach and West Brighton. Manhattan Beach Park has a rich history. It is a place where luxury and leisure once reigned.
Austin Corbin developed Manhattan Beach in the late 19th century. He was the president of the Long Island Rail Road. Corbin Place is named for him. In 1877, Corbin built the Manhattan Beach Hotel. It became famous. Then he built the even grander Oriental Hotel in 1880.
The Coney Island Jockey Club horse racing track also opened near the Oriental Hotel. These three places brought thousands of visitors to Manhattan Beach. The hotels hosted daily concerts. Famous conductors led them. Names like Conterno, Gilmore, and John Philip Sousa graced the stage. Elaborate fireworks displays lit up the night sky. Tens of thousands of visitors came on summer nights. Manhattan Beach became a renowned seaside resort.
Corbin was an anti-Semite. He barred Jews from the resort. In 1895, Corbin built a cycling track behind the hotel. It cost $30,000. It could hold 12,000 people.
During World War II, the U.S. Coast Guard ran a training station here. The Manhattan Beach Hotel deteriorated over time. The site became a residential area and Manhattan Beach Park. The New York City Parks Department developed it. Manhattan Beach Park opened in 1955. It was meant to ease crowding at Coney Island and Brighton Beach.
From 1954 to 1959, the neighborhood hosted the Manhattan Beach Air Force Station. From the 1980s, Manhattan Beach became home to many middle-class Russian Jews.
The streets here have interesting names. They are in alphabetical order from A to P. Amherst, Beaumont, Coleridge, Dover, and Exeter are a few. They run from west to east. Shore Boulevard and Oriental Boulevard bound them.
Corbin Place was renamed M. Corbin Place in 2007. It honored Margaret Corbin. She was a patriot in the American Revolutionary War. Austin Corbin had restricted Jewish guests at his hotel. After his death, the policy was canceled. The neighborhood then attracted many Jewish residents.
Many notable people have called Manhattan Beach home. Marv Albert, the sportscaster, grew up here. Darren Aronofsky, the filmmaker, spent his childhood here. Jack Kirby, co-creator of Captain America, lived here too.
Manhattan Beach Park continues to serve the public today. It offers a place for recreation and relaxation. Take a moment to imagine the grand hotels. Picture the concerts and fireworks. Feel the energy of this vibrant neighborhood. Manhattan Beach Park is more than just a park. It is a place with a unique and fascinating story.