Coney Island Food, Wellness & Workforce
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Coney Island continues to experience significant retail leakage, with residents consistently spending outside the neighborhood due to insufficient local access to essential goods and services.
2025 Studio retail leakage analysis found negative balance across all commercial categories, with the largest gaps in pharmacies ($33M), full-service restaurants ($30.4M), and groceries ($13.7M) — meaning residents are consistently spending outside the neighborhood due to insufficient local supply.
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Food access disparities further reinforce conditions of neighborhood inequity. Coney Island contains approximately 2,172 residents per food retailer, compared to 1,254 residents per retailer in Brooklyn overall — nearly double the citywide rate. This imbalance underscores persistent food insecurity risks and limited access to affordable, fresh, and culturally relevant food options within walking distance for many residents.
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In addition to housing and retail challenges, residents identified a decline in stable, year-round employment opportunities that provide sufficient wages for both youth and adults. Seasonal economies, limited local job diversity, and reduced access to career pathways have largely contributed to economic shifts.
Community feedback emphasized the need for strategies that expand local hiring, strengthen workforce development pipelines, and support economic systems that allow residents to both live and work within the neighborhood.
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63% Not satisfied with the amount of jobs
76% Available jobs are not in line with interests or skills
71% Not satisfied with the variety of local businesses
71% Not satisfied with the variety of food establishments
66% Not able to purchase necessities
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Grocery Stores (20)
Affordable
Fresh fish market
Healthy/Fruit/Vegetable
Variety of Restaurants (10)
Clothing Stores (4)
Pharmacies (3)
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All industries, with an emphasis on professional jobs:
Tech
Environmental
Finance
Retail
Hospitality
Not seasonal work
Land Use & Zoning
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Current Land Uses in Coney Island (excluding Seagate)
Source: NYC PLUTO 2024
This is a land use map showing each lot in Coney Island classified in different colors to show use types: residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, open space and public facilities.
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Land Vacancy by Ownership Type (excl. Seagate)
Source: NYC PLUTO 2024
46% of the vacant land use by area is open space, mostly due to the beachfront
14% of lots are multi-family elevator buildings and 12% of the land is used for transportation and utility.
There are 67 total acres of vacant land. This includes open parking facilities and actual vacant land with no current use.
24% of the vacant land is zoned for commercial use, 40% for manufacturing, and 36% residential.
47% of the vacant land is owned by the City, and 40% is privately owned.
Of the vacant land is owned by the City, 61% of the land is zoned for manufacturing uses, 26% commercial, and 13% residential. These lots highlight key areas for further use and for community vision from land transfer from the City.
The recently opposed casino in Coney Island aimed to boost tourism and generate revenue, creating jobs and attracting visitors. However, there were major concerns about potential gentrification, displacement of long-time residents, and the loss of the area's unique cultural identity. Critics worried that it could prioritize tourism over the needs of the local community and lead to further commercialization. Our survey revealed that 60% of locals strongly disagree with the casino project, citing these concerns as central reasons for their opposition.
Integrate Workforce Development, Food Justice, and Urban Agriculture to Nurture Neighborhood-scale Sustenance
Across engagement activities, residents consistently emphasized the importance of linking workforce development with environmental resilience — particularly through career pathways rooted in green infrastructure, urban agriculture, and community stewardship. These themes collectively point toward a neighborhood future where economic stability, ecological health, and community self-determination are built through interconnected, hyperlocal systems.
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Residents and stakeholders identified a growing need for accessible career preparation and workforce training programs aligned with emerging green economy opportunities. This includes training pathways in environmental remediation, landscape maintenance, climate resilience infrastructure, horticulture, and community-based sustainability work.
Community feedback emphasized the importance of locally rooted programs that provide youth and adults with practical skills, paid training opportunities, and clear pathways into stable employment that contributes directly to neighborhood improvement and environmental stewardship.
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Community members highlighted community gardening within NYCHA and other public housing green spaces as a critical tool for advancing food sovereignty, strengthening neighborhood cohesion, and improving access to fresh, culturally relevant food. These spaces were consistently described as more than recreational amenities — functioning instead as sites of care, cultural continuity, and intergenerational knowledge exchange.
Residents emphasized the importance of expanding support for resident-led gardening initiatives that enhance both environmental quality and everyday food access within housing communities.
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Residents also expressed strong interest in expanding hyperlocal urban agriculture networks that connect private, public, and community-managed growing spaces across Coney Island. These networks were envisioned as systems that strengthen local food distribution, support small-scale economic activity, and reinforce ecological stewardship at the neighborhood scale.
By linking existing gardens, vacant lots, school gardens, and housing-based growing spaces, community members identified opportunities to build a more resilient and self-sustaining local food ecosystem rooted in shared stewardship and neighborhood collaboration.