6. The Nickel Empire evolved in New York in the 1920s
Until 1920, the New York seaside resort at Coney Island attracted mainly the well-to-do. Those less well-off financially simply could not afford the amenities offered by the resort’s restaurants and places to stay. In 1920 the New York Subway System reached Coney Island. Suddenly, the city’s poorer classes could reach the resort for the price of a nickel, and return to their homes later on the same day. They wore swimming attire under their street clothes, enabling them to avoid paying the fifty cents required to change in a beach house. Rather than incurring the expenses of purchasing food from vendors they carried baskets of food prepared at home. By 1921, Coney Island welcomed up to 1 million visitors per day during holidays and weekends.
The influx of new visitors to Coney Island changed the area forever. It led to the construction of the boardwalk, which police used to monitor the crowds on the beaches. Peddlers roamed the crowded beaches selling their wares to vacationers. Illegal, beach peddling received such support from the public the ordinance prescribing the activity eventually was withdrawn. The growing mass of the public arriving via the nickel subway fare eventually forced out the wealthy and forced Coney Island vendors to lower prices and products offered. The era became known as the Nickel Empire, and saw the birth of iconic American names, including Nathan’s, where a hot dog could be had for the price of a nickel.