coney island

M and I went to Coney Island yesterday. Neither of us had ever been, so we figured we should check it out before Astroland closes for the summer. This might be its last year - some people are trying to re-zone it and build condos there. I hope it doesn't happen, but now, if it does, at least we can say we've been here:


That's Astroland. It's a neat old amusement park, and we enjoyed seeing it. The only ride we went on was the Cyclone, which is not actually inside Astroland. The Coney Island Cyclone is a famed old wooden roller coaster. It's a great roller coaster, but it is definitely that old brand of rickety wooden coaster!

We spent some time walking on the boardwalk. We enjoyed looking at the beach and the water, watching the fishermen on the pier, and drinking fresh-squeezed lemonade. Also on the boardwalk, we saw a few fascinating sights like this one:


Your eyes do not deceive you. This is an empty lot right off the boardwalk, decked out with graffiti and looking like a war zone. Note the sign at the back of the lot - "Shoot the Freak. Live Human Target." There is a young guy - assumedly, the "Freak" - right in the middle. You can pay $3 per 5 shots and shoot paintballs at him. Don't let anyone tell you carnie culture is dead.
We saw the original Nathan's hot dog stand:

But we did not eat any Nathan's hot dogs. This may be anti-New York, but I happen to think anyone spending money on a Nathan's hot dog is wasting their money. I ate one once and was not impressed. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even eat one if it was free.
Coney Island is a fun place to see, especially on a beautiful day like yesterday. I recommend you go check it out, if you can.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I used to really like Nathan's hot dogs when I lived in NY... yummm... :) Sorry I didn't actually send you an email for your birthday - I hope it was a great day and your dinner sounds great too!!! Happy Belated B-day :)
--Kat

anna said...

Nathan's hot dogs gross me out. Actually, hot dogs in general kind of gross me out, unless they're thoroughly burned. Floppy, boiled meat is not at all appetizing to me.

maresi said...

I have to agree with my sister - Nathan's hot dogs are good. But Grote & Weigel or Muckies with skin are much, much better, and I miss them a LOT down here in FL. So I have to make do with Nathan's until we move to a place that the sense to sell Grote & Weigel and Muckies.

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