05/27/17 - Day 54 - NYC - Coney Island
Decided to take a day trip out to Coney Island to see what the beach scene is in NY.
Coney Island is less than 20 miles away from where I was staying in Queens. However, it's almost an hour drive by car and an hour and a half via the subway. I took the subway since I've been avoiding driving at all costs. Thanks to several delays, the trip took nearly two hours.
Coney Island really was an island before the 1920's when the city built a land bridge to Long Island, creating a peninsula. Until WW2 it was the host to the largest amusement park complex in America. However, for various reason all of the original parks have since closed and several have been replaced with housing development. Today Luna Park remains the only dedicated amusement park area, though there are some independently operating attractions nearby as well as an aquarium.
I walked up and down the boardwalk as well as the fishing pier to get a feel for the place. It wasn't really busy despite being Memorial Day weekend, probably because of the chilly and overcast weather. The beach was ok, but I prefer Florida's. The boardwalk is actually pretty nice and provides a good view of the ocean at all times due to the lack of any sand dunes on the beach. I didn't partake in any of the amusement rides or games nor did I eat one of those famous but disgusting hot dogs. I did see something unusual, elevated restrooms.
The most jarring aspect of the visit is what happens when you walk one block north of the beach. The neighborhood looks exactly like the my neighborhood in Queens, complete with elevated subway platform. It does not feel like a beach community at all; more like a part of the city that suddenly ends with a beach.
Eventually I saw all that I needed to see and headed back home. Another item off the checklist.
Coney Island is less than 20 miles away from where I was staying in Queens. However, it's almost an hour drive by car and an hour and a half via the subway. I took the subway since I've been avoiding driving at all costs. Thanks to several delays, the trip took nearly two hours.
Coney Island really was an island before the 1920's when the city built a land bridge to Long Island, creating a peninsula. Until WW2 it was the host to the largest amusement park complex in America. However, for various reason all of the original parks have since closed and several have been replaced with housing development. Today Luna Park remains the only dedicated amusement park area, though there are some independently operating attractions nearby as well as an aquarium.
I walked up and down the boardwalk as well as the fishing pier to get a feel for the place. It wasn't really busy despite being Memorial Day weekend, probably because of the chilly and overcast weather. The beach was ok, but I prefer Florida's. The boardwalk is actually pretty nice and provides a good view of the ocean at all times due to the lack of any sand dunes on the beach. I didn't partake in any of the amusement rides or games nor did I eat one of those famous but disgusting hot dogs. I did see something unusual, elevated restrooms.
The most jarring aspect of the visit is what happens when you walk one block north of the beach. The neighborhood looks exactly like the my neighborhood in Queens, complete with elevated subway platform. It does not feel like a beach community at all; more like a part of the city that suddenly ends with a beach.
Eventually I saw all that I needed to see and headed back home. Another item off the checklist.
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