a place for fun and happiness.

Nelly Bly. The little oasis off the Belt Parkway, of which I practically called home as a kid. Every summer my family would take the trip to this amusement park for oodles and oodles of fun. I think I have had at least birthday parties there too and those times where the greatest. I got to wear a special hat and have hot dogs and birthday cake in my own private room. The best!

There are so many happy memories there for me. One of the most vivid memories is of me and my nanny riding the Whirl and waving at Poppy who always stayed on the sidelines. He was in charge of fun, never participated, but magically made every smile possible. Still does.

Ha, there was also the time when me, Jamie and PJ got stuck on the ferris wheel. Yeah, it was a rainy day and we were so scared we almost shit ourselves, but man, do we laugh about it now.

And the Fun House!! Does anyone remember the Fun House? With all of the silly mirrors and crazy slides. The best part was trying to climb out of the rotating, candy striped tube to get out.

I always thought that when I had kids, I would take them there for their birthday parties and give them such great memories. But no. Nellie Bly is closed. After decades, the original owners couldn't afford to run it anymore and now it has been taken over by someone who plans to change everything and call it something stupid like Adventure Amusement or Jolly Roger. Its just not going to be the same.

Even the Nellie Bly website is gone. I have been researching and researching and its almost like it never existed. I am so sad, I could cry.

Soon, Coney Island will be forgotten as well. A new development company has just bought that park and plan on giving it a crappy futuristic makeover.

What will happen to Nathan's? I wonder if they will host another Siren Music Festival in 2007? What about the film festivals and the mermaid parade? The polar bear club? And where oh, where, will I ever get to eat corn on the cob at the beach?

You know, I am not even going to mention Shea Stadium. Its just another piece of my life that i s being stripped from me. In just a few years, I will be looking through the archives of Forgotten NY to remember what it was like when I was a kid.

I know, I know, I am the first person to advocate new development in Brooklyn and the other outer boroughs, and I'm sure I sound like a hypocrit, but now people are messing with some of the happiest times in my life.