October 22, 2019

Remembering Action Park for Its Thrills and Dangers

By Azi Paybarah

It's Tuesday. The city's public advocate, Jumaane Williams, is seeking re-election on Nov. 5. Mr. Williams, a Democrat, will debate his Republican challenger, Joe Borelli, a councilman from Staten Island, tonight at 7 on NY1.

Weather: Cloudy with a chance of showers. Expect a high of about 60.

Alternate-side parking: Suspended today for the Jewish holiday Simhat Torah.

Astroland Park on Coney Island in 1975. Chester Higgins, Jr./The New York Times

In the late 20th century, few amusement park rides were more inviting to youthful thrill seekers than those at Action Park in northwestern New Jersey.

But the park also had a deservedly ominous reputation. In the 18 years that it operated (before closing in 1996), six people died from injuries they suffered there.

People called it "Class Action Park," and the park seemed to have served as inspiration for "Action Point," the 2018 film starring Johnny Knoxville.

["People were bleeding all over": America's most dangerous amusement park]

But it was those thrills — and yes, even the broken bones, chipped teeth and bloody noses — experienced at Action Park that make "a lot of people look back fondly on it as a coming-of-age experience," Seth Porges, a co-creator of a new documentary about the park, told my colleague, James Barron. "How do you reconcile the fun of it with the human toll?"

The pining for that which also hurt so many is at the heart of the documentary.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that in 2017, the latest year for which it has data, there were about 29,400 emergency room visits nationwide for injuries suffered at amusement parks.

A spokeswoman for the commission said that figure is not a statistical increase from previous years.

Over the decades, there have been serious injuries and deaths at other amusement parks in the New York area. But such incidents are rare, and the parks continue to bring joy to many visitors.

On Friday, Nickelodeon Universe will open its doors at the American Dream mall at the Meadowlands. It has been described as the Western Hemisphere's largest indoor theme park.

Also at that site: The DreamWorks Water Park will open in late November, with the aim of becoming North America's largest indoor water park. Indoor ski and snowboard slopes will follow in early December.

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The Mini Crossword: Here is today's puzzle.

What we're reading

The Bronx staircase featured in the "Joker" film is drawing crowds. [New York Post]

The giant Sbarro in Times Square has closed. [Gothamist]

The group that helped elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is endorsing a slate of progressive challengers to congressional incumbents. [BuzzFeed News]

Coming up today

Join Helene Dunbar, author of "We Are Lost and Found," for a book release party at the Housing Works Bookstore in Manhattan. 7 p.m. [Free]

WNYC's new series "Very Biggest Questions: Does Marriage Need an Update?" kicks off at the Greene Space in Manhattan. 7 p.m. [$25]

Learn about Sichuan cuisine at a MOCATalk with the author of the cookbook "Land of Plenty" at the Museum of Chinese in America in Manhattan. 6:30 p.m. [$15]

— Julia Carmel

And tomorrow: The food personality Rachael Ray will be in conversation with Times food correspondent Kim Severson at 7 p.m. at the New School in Manhattan. Ms. Ray has a new book, "Rachael Ray 50," that celebrates turning 50 and includes stories about her loves, her life lessons and her favorite things to cook. [$20-$40; use code FOOD for $10 off the ticket price]

Events are subject to change, so double-check before heading out. For more events, see the going-out guides from The Times's culture pages.

And finally: A quiet place of your own, on 42nd Street

Ever wish you could have your own personal seat at the library, where nobody would disturb you — or the mountain of material you need to examine?

For a lucky few, the main New York Public Library on 42nd Street provides such a luxury. The historian Robert Caro is effusive in his appreciation of the library, where he spent crucial, uninterrupted hours working on his famed first book, "The Power Broker." (Mr. Caro says he likes to get his hands on a large stack of documents and "turn every goddamn page.")

Now, a few more people may get that chance.

This week, the New York Public Library announced it was expanding the number of seats it has "dedicated to quiet research."

In the library's new Center for Research in the Humanities, there are several rooms where people can research practically anything, or consult with library staff for guidance.

The center has "56 seats exclusively for use by authors, scholars, students, and others engaged in extensive research," according to a library announcement.

You can learn more about those seats, and the center, at the library's website.

It's Tuesday — grab a book.

Metropolitan Diary: Short Bronx ride

Dear Diary:

I was on a Metro-North train going into the city. At some point, I noticed two boys get on.

When the conductor came through to collect tickets, one of the boys asked sheepishly how much it cost.

"Where are you going?" the conductor asked.

Yankee Stadium, the boy said. It was two stops away.

The conductor asked how much money they had.

One dollar, the boys said.

With a straight face, the conductor said he was not sure that would be enough. He said he might have to stop the train and put the boys off for lack of funds.

Then he smiled.

"Keep the dollar," he said. "And buy yourself something at the ballpark."

— Maggie Loewenwarter