Coney Island Highlights
1. B & B Carousell
Surf Avenue & 10th St
A good site for info and pictures: http://history.amusement-parks.com/bandb.htm
A great site for restoration images: http://www.thecidc.org/Planning/BBCarousell.html
2. The Wonder Wheel
The Boardwalk & 12th St
http://www.wonderwheel.com/
Info and history: http://history.amusement-parks.com/wonderwheel.htm
3. The Cyclone - probably still the single greatest roller coaster ever built
834 Surf Ave &10th St
http://www.coneyislandcyclone.com/
4. Nathan's Famous - birthplace of the hot dog
1310 Surf Ave & Stillwell
http://brooklyn.citysearch.com/profile/7373329/brooklyn_ny/nathan_s_famous.html
5. Sideshows by the Seashore - nonprofit theater showcasing the bearded lady, sword swallowers, contortionists and more
12th St & Surf Ave
(Open Memorial Day to Labor Day)
Seasonal Schedule and pictures: http://www.coneyisland.com/sideshow.shtml
Check out their Side Show School!
6. New York Aquarium
Boardwalk & 8th Street
http://www.nyaquarium.com/
7. Bumper Cars
In various locations: Astroland, Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, and Eldorado's Arcade on Surf Avenue.
8. Haunted Houses
In various locations: "Dante's Inferno" at Astrolan, "Spook-a-Rama" at Deno's and the Ghost Hole
9. The Parachute Jump Towers
Now inoperational, people used to drop down in parachutes from this tower, built by Amelia Earhart's husband.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute_Jump
10. The Mermaid Parade - fun yearly festival, everybody comes out in their best mermaid costume. There's a contest for best costume and the judges can be bribed.
This year: June 19th
On Surf Avenue
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island_Mermaid_Parade
11. Coney Island Film Festival
Movies by the beach
Check seasonal schedule here: http://www.coneyisland.com/
12. Coney island Polar Bear Club
Oldest winter bathing organization in the United States, and still going strong: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island_Polar_Bear_Club
19 Comments
So... which one do you guys want to do first during our summer outing? I think we'd better get the rides out of the way before we head to Nathan's.
I second that. And then digest at the Aquarium.
Can you swim in the water over there? Or is that not recommendable?
How do you like your Nathans? Me, nothing like a good swath of mustard over everything!
I prefer no roller coaster. If it is a slow ride, that is okay. As for Nathan's, that sounds great. I like to eat mine with nothing on them.
@ Everybody Coney Island is featured in the "Essential New York pick-up spots" from Time Out NY! That's right, everyone, I bet you didn't think of Coney Island as the number one meat market in the city.
http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/features/80201/essential-new-york-pick-up-spots
@ Uraniumfish I wouldn't go in the water. I'd stand BY the water, but I wouldn't go in the water. There's a whole stretch of beach though, so people do swim.
I've never liked ketchup on dogs OR burgers, @hhusted. Not a huge fan, except every now and then with some fries.
@DBlack I don't know about that TimeOut pick up spot list. I mean, has anyone ever really met someone awesome at the Apple store? Or walking around Soho?
@Ajadedidealist: I'm allergic to tomatoes. This means anything that is made with tomatoes, I can't eat it. Thank goodness for that.
@ NeverSleeps Fair enough. I'm not exactly checking out the women when I'm in the apple store. Also, I don't buy the claim that you can meet someone on the rides at Coney Island. Say what? I'd mostly try not to puke on the roller coaster, not chatting up random person X sitting next to me. For that matter, how does one guarantee random person X is in the least bit appealing? It's not like at a party where you can walk over to someone else. You're literally buckled into the seat.
I was just milking that Coney Island publicity. I admit that.
@DBlack, NeverSleeps I also don't know about the Cake Shop because "all the good people go there." Yeah, okay.
@Uraniumfish Ha! Cake Shop makes me picture the type of hipster dudes that have long scraggly beards. No thanks!
@DBlack Is it possible for random people to cling to each other on the roller coaster? Is it that kind of roller coaster where you sit side-by-side without a bunch of metal seat belts to separate you? But you're right, two random people who are actually attracted to each other would be really lucky to find themselves sitting next to each other on a ride. Way to milk the publicity, though!
Sometimes those TimeOut lists just seem to be about filling some kind of quota than actually giving New Yorkers helpful information about where to do what. I mean, how do you list the best hook up spots in the city, anyway, what kind of research could they possibly be doing, if they actually are?
Haha, @DBlack, I just had this mental image of this guy crawling over a rollicking upside-down roller coater to try and get closer to a hot girl...
@NeverSleeps Now that I'm thinking of the Cyclone, it's actually really scary. It's so old and creaky and unstable. You'll seriously get whiplash from it. And yeah, it's true that you're next to one other person in a seat that feels really intimate, except...then the ride starts and snuggling is the last thing you'll want to do. More like screaming for your life.
Here's a great blog post about it:
http://www.latestcoolthing.com/2009/01/the-end-of-astroland-coney-island/
@DBlack But you could cling to each other and experience a shared sense of dread? And then when it's all over it'll be as if you made it through something together. It could be the start of a beautiful friendship, if you know what I mean.
@NeverSleeps Right. It's a perfect plan except for the part about miraculously being seated next to someone you find appealing in the first place. What are the chances of that? The plan would only work if you are out on a first date with someone you're already interested in...then you scream, jump in each others arms...etc...But it can't work as a meat market concept for actually meeting people.
I think just being there to enjoy the scenery will be great, considering I have never been there before. Eating a nice Nathan hot dog and watching people ride the roller coaster is not a bad experience.
@DBlack Miracles happen every day! Though like I said before, I find that TimeOut list of pick up spots a little bit suspect.
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