Coney Island Hot Dog Stand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Coney Island | |
 Re-opening on July 4, 2007 in Bailey, Colorado. |
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| Building Information | |
|---|---|
| Name | Coney Island |
| Location | Bailey, Colorado |
| Country | United States |
| Architect | Lloyd Williams |
| Completion Date | 1966 |
| Structural System | ironwork |
| Style | Programmatic novelty architecture |
Coney Island Hot Dog Stand (commonly The Coney Island) in Bailey, Colorado is a hot dog stand shaped like a giant hot dog, with toppings. The building has been called "the best example of roadside architecture in the state".[1]
The diner, which seats up to 10 people[2], is a concrete structure over an ironwork frame.[3] The bun is 35 ft (11 m) long, and the hot dog 42 ft (13 m); the entire building weighs 14 tons.[3] By one account, "the line usually stretches out the door, and the tables are filled."[3]
It was originally built in 1966 on Colfax Ave. in Denver, named The Boardwalk at Coney Island. The first owner, Marcus Shannon and intended to start a chain of eateries around the concept, and obtained a patent for the design[4], but they had gone under by 1969.[5]
In 1970, under new ownership, the stand was moved to the Rocky Mountain town of Conifer, along U.S. 285 [2]. Initially called Coney Island Dairy Land, it later dropped the last part of the name.[2] Despite initial opposition, when it was put up for sale in 1999, a local campaign began to designate it a landmark and save it from destruction. The present owners purchased it for about $150,000. The popularity of the stand was such that its last day open, "the waiting line extended literally for miles".[5] On March 18, 2006, to make way for a bank, the stand was moved again, 20 miles down U.S. Highway 285 to its present location in Bailey, close to Pike National Forest. Now, the giant hot dog is so popular that the bridge servicing the stand gets approximately twice the traffic that it is rated for.
Contents |
[edit] Appearances in Media
It appeared in the 1999 television documentary A Hot Dog Program and on the 2004 television program Hot Dog Heavens. On September 22, 2003 it was featured in the nationally syndicated newspaper comic Zippy the Pinhead. [1] There is a 1/6 scale model of the Coney Island stand at Tiny Town, a railroad with 1/6 scale buildings in Morrison, Colorado.
[edit] Further reading
- Barge, Chris. "Giant hot dog set for move", Rocky Mountain News, March 17, 2006. Accessed July 26, 2006.
- Clark, Colleen. "10 great places to feel dwarfed by kitsch", USA TODAY, October 19, 2006.
- Lawson, Pamela. "A Dog's Tale", Canyon Courier, March 8, 2006.
- Lawson, Pamela. "Moving Day for the Dog", Canyon Courier, March 22, 2006.
- Lawson, Pamela. "I thought it would be fun to restore Dog", High Timber Times, March 22, 2006.
[edit] References
- ^ Thomas J. Noel (1997). Buildings of Colorado. Oxford University Press. Noel is Professor of History at the University of Colorado in Denver.
- ^ a b c Jerome Pohlen (2002). Oddball Colorado: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 1556524609.
- ^ a b c Brian Butko, Sarah Butko (2005). Roadside Giants. Stackpole Books.
- ^ RESTAURANT BUILDING. United States Patent Office (April 12, 1966). Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
- ^ a b Pam Grout (2006). Colorado Curiosities. Globe Pequot. ISBN 0762739783.
[edit] External links
- Bailey Colorado - Hot Dog Diner entry at Roadside America
- Comin' Round The Mountain, photos from the Park County Bulletin, March 18, 2006.
- Coney Island Hot Dog Run, photos of the move by Rick Gonzales.
- Dogs, Craig's Picture of the Day, April 30, 2003.
