On the walls hang a few ancient Coney Island photos which shake along with the rest of the office each time another subway train rumbles by on the elevated tracks just outside his window. Coney Island Chamber of Commerce. During the summer months, the chamber's rotary phone rings off the hook. Today, most of the calls come from nostalgic retirees down in Florida, just checking in on old Coney Island. Matt Kennedy, a cigar perpetually clenched between his fingers, fields each call happily.
People call and they want to know the temperature of the water.
Then I go out and take a wiz and come back and tell them 60 degrees or 70 or 68 or whatever number comes to mind, and they seem to be satisfied and thank me. Of course Coney Island still exists. It's bigger and better than ever. Thank you very much. Despite the fact that today's Coney Island may look like little more than a dingy five-block long stretch of rundown amusements, disco bumper cars, and video arcades, Matt Kennedy has made it his mission to let the world know that there's a lot more to Coney Island than meets the eye.