The family and I recently took a trip to the boardwalk at Coney Island. We had a very nice time while there. I hadn’t been down there in years so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The main attractions include the beach, the New York Aquarium, the rides, and the activity on the boardwalk. There is a new kids amusement park called Luna Park that offers modern rides for kids of all ages. At the new Luna Park they have more modern ticketing technology. You purchase a card with credits on it that is scanned at the ride. One thing that they did at Luna Park and the at Wonder Wheel Park that I liked was that they let parents ride with small children without charging for the parents.

For food and drink we consumed the standard greasy (but fun) boardwalk food including pizza, fried shrimp and onion rings. You can get seafood and a beer at places like Ruby’s and Cha Cha’s. The kids had some cotton candy. Sadly there was no one actually making cotton candy so all of the vendors were selling cotton candy in pre-made bags. You can’t win ‘em all! There are other newer attractions in the area especially the Mets baseball minor league affiliate the Brooklyn Cyclones. The Cyclones play at a stadium that is right next to the boardwalk.

Unfortunately some of the places I have mentioned may not be around next year. Recent stories have indicated that the new owners of the boardwalk buildings may not renew certain leases. The new businesses might be more family friendly and help to improve the overall image of the area. While that would be a good thing, folks nostalgic for old New York are certain to be disappointed.

Coney Island is accessible via car by taking the Brooklyn Queens Expressway to the Belt Parkway East if you are coming from north or west of Coney Island. Beware of afternoon and weekend traffic in both directions! You can take public transportation as well. The D, N, F and Q subway lines go to the Stillwell Avenue station in Coney Island which is very close to the boardwalk.

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