Asser Levy Park is part of the Coney Island Complex. One of the earliest beach resorts, Coney Island began attracting visitors after the construction of the Coney Island House in 1924. A highly diverse crowd of luminaries joined the wealthy vacationers at this fashionable hotel. Writers Washington Irving and Herman Melville, politicians Daniel Webster and Henry Clay, as well as P.T.Barnum and Jenny Lind enjoyed its facilities.
The City of Brooklyn acquired the original parcel of land for a public park in 1875 by order of the Board of Estimate. Seaside Park, as it was called, attracted 200,000 visitors a day. In the 1880’s, when salt-water bathing became an acceptable activity, its popularity increased still further. With the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883 and the extension of BMT subway in 1920, Coney Island could expect up to a million visitors on a hot day. Eating establishments like Feltman’s and Nathan’s introduced the hot dog, making it synonymous with Coney Island and drawing additional crowds. In 1921, the City acquired title to the property along the beachfront and added another 2.5 million square feet to the beach area.
