Coney concert series moves to Ringling site

Marty Markowitz’s summer Coney Island concert series will move to a West 21st Street lot once used by the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus this year after being ousted from its performance space of 20 years. According to the New York Times, the Brooklyn borough president, who had held the free concerts at Asser Levy/Seaside Park since 1991, announced a one-year relocation deal yesterday with site landlord Taconic Investment Partners. The concert series was kicked out of Asser Levy earlier this year, when the city’s corporation counsel ruled in favor of two synagogues across the street from the stage that had sued over noise violations. The synagogues and other locals had also opposed a new $64 million amphitheater being planned at the park because they said it would bring too much traffic to the area. In his announcement, Markowitz slammed his opposition: “All of this hard work was necessary because a spiteful minority oppose a renovation that would provide Asser Levy Park with a full refurbishment and a state-of-the-art band shell with covered seating for use during the summer,” he said. “If these few opponents have their way, the park will lay unused all summer long.” [NYT]