Hey, Coney Island beach bums: find a new parking lot this summer!
The Brooklyn Cyclones and the Parks Department announced last week that only a select few non-ticketholders will be able to park at the MCU Park stadium lot during weekend home games.
“Last year, many Cyclone ticketholders had to be turned away from the parking lot because the … lots were full,” said spokesman Philip Abramson, a spokesman for the Parks Department, which owns the lot outside the stadium, formerly known as Keyspan Park.
The lot will now be closed to beach-goers, New York Aquarium visitors and other non-baseball lovers for four hours before the 6 pm start of any Saturday game or 5 pm start of games on Sunday. Only 200 spaces will be set aside for vehicles that aren’t headed to see the boys in uniform.
As a result, the current parking rules — $20 for an all-day spot, with $10 refunded if you exit the parking lot more than two hours before game time — will remain in effect.
The decision came after Cyclones officials fielded angry ticketholders’ complaints that the beach bums were ruining their fun. Abramson said that the Parks Department is required to provide parking for Cyclones home games, which costs $5.
That will be a struggle for drivers in the area this summer — parking becomes a big hassle during the warmer months when other local lots charge an arm and a leg for parking. Plus, it is likely that the Ringling Brothers “Boom-a-Ring” circus will again set up its (pretty) big top on the parking lot of the Abe Stark skating ring just to the west of MCU Park.
And the return of a real amusement park on the former Astroland site to the east of the stadium will mean more traffic and more cars.
The Parks Department’s advice?
“We encourage New Yorkers to utilize public transportation to best enjoy Coney Island and the beach!” Abramson said.
