Daycation: Coney Island
The death of Coney Island, it seems, has been greatly exaggerated. We took the train to the end of the line last weekend to see how one of our favorite New York City getaways, old-school division, had fared both the ravages of winter and the promises of massive redevelopment (of which, by the way, we are total fans... if they do it right). And though the weather out there was far more foggy than would have liked, it was heartening to see that plenty of our favorite attractions are doing just fine, thank you very much, AND that the construction of the shiny-new, ballyhooed Luna Park--with 19 rides!--actually seems to moving along. The Mayor promised Luna Park would be open by Memorial Day. We'll see.
But even if Luna Park is delayed, there are still plenty of reasons we'll be going back out to the Coney's this summer. For instance...
The legendary Cyclone, open on weekends until May 13, and every day through Labor Day after that, is still the great old wooden monster she's always been. Consistently picked on any decent "Top 10 Scariest American Rollercoasters" list, the Cyclone is fast, steep, and loud, with just enough ricketyness to make it feel dangerous. A New York City must.
Deno's Wonder Wheel and Kiddie Park is also open on weekends until Memorial Day, and every day until midnight all summer long. Though our children have long outgrown the kiddie rides here--the Sea Serpent roller coaster, the Flying Elephants, and even, sadly the mini-flume--this was an annual treat when they were little, and we still jump on the landmark ferris wheel that gives the park its name every once in a while (and have at least one cherished memory of a certain Fourth of July here), though we definitely skip the to-us nausea-inducing teenager rides like the Thunderbolt, and the Super Shot.
The big, wide beach. True, the ocean here isn't what you'd call "pristine." And by early afternoon on weekends it does get crowded, especially near the lifeguards (we always spread our towels in the "Russian section", heading toward next-door Brighton Beach, so even if we do have to overhear our neighbors' conversations, we can't understand what anyone's saying). But they do a good job of cleaning the sand early every morning, and the sun works just fine, and it's free, and, you know... it's a big wide beach a hundred yards or so from the subway, which is very cool indeed.
The Coney Island boardwalk, and its environs, with all of its questionable fried food (we are NOT fans of Nathan's Famous either), silly drinks in those big go-cups, carny games of "skill", the Sideshows By the Seashore, and, by the way, all of that excellent hand-painted signage: even with the demolition and construction, there's still plenty of the Coney's fabulously seedy side here... though even the indefensible but always popular Shoot the Freak pit received a new, surprisingly pastel, paint job!
Getting to Coney Island: Take the N, Q, D, or F train to the last stop, Coney Island / Stillwell Avenue. The boardwalk, rides, and beach are all right there. Also steps from the subway: The New York Aquarium, with more than 300 marine species, from "alien stingers" (aka freaky-looking jellyfish), to pacific walruses, open year-round; and there's baseball in Brooklyn, as the Class-A Cyclones, a New York Mets farm club, start their season on June 10.
Posted at 10:35PM Apr 07, 2010 by Scott in Families |