End of an era in San Diego

Yesterday at 1:15 PM PDT The Broadway Flying Horses, a San Diego landmark for nearly a quarter century, was sold at auction. the sale was ordered by the bank managing the trust that owns it, U S Bank. The winning bid for the 1890 Looff/Mangels carousel was $650,000 to an unidentified person from back East. The likelyhood of it reamining at it's present location is not good.

Where is it located at now?

It's locked up in the building where it has been operating for the last 24 1/2 years at Seaport Village.

Hmmmm...maybe Holiday World is finally getting their carousel?

I would think someone, especially at that cost, is going to buy it to operate it and preserve it somewhere.

Actually it came in rather low. Norton kept tossing the $800,000 figure around. There is the possibilty that the bank and the judge overseeing the trust might overide the sale. The judge has final say in the matter. My understanding is that there is a person that can sweeten the pot considerably. The only hitch is that the landlord is only writing two year leases. That makes continuing the business there a risky endevour. A suitable location for a machine this size is not the easist thing to find. In the meantime I'm back in the job market for the first time in 32 years.

Ouch...sorry to hear that, Dutchman. I hope you find a new gig soon..

Sorry to hear that Dutchman. I heard rumors about it going to Old Town. Hey, didn't the Bazaar Del Mundo just get leased by some company in New York?

Let's just hope it isn't sold on horse at a time.

Yes, Diane Powers lost the lease to the Bazaar Del Mundo. The carousel was being considered for instalation in Heritage Park, up off of Juan St., across the street form the Hacienda Hotel. There was a former San Diegan who is now living in New Hampshire that offered to buy it and GIVE IT to the county. The county declined. The people in Mission Hills (the neighborhood above the site) objected strongly to the installation of the machine citing the "litter and noise" problems it would produce. In other words potentially lowering their property values. Another one for the NIMBYs.

Sheesh...I think they'd get more noise from the airport. Whatever.

So do they need someone at Balboa Park?

Problem is that one's for sale ,too. Guess I'll put my resume in at Seaworld, Legoland et al and see if they need an experienced mechanic.

If you are an experienced mechanic in the amusement park industry, you won't have any problem landing a job at a park.