On the Beach

Coney Island - our excursion on Sunday morning meant a 1:30 hour or 20 mi (32 km) ride on the subway line D. We were invited to join the new Coney Island Nostalgia Tour created by our friend Dom with Made in Brooklyn Tours. It was a good decision to go for it! We met in front of Nathan's (below), famous for its hot dogs for over 100 years (later, we had to have one, of course!).

Don't ask about the snowman, please!

Dom, our tourguide, and the group

 

In front of Parachute Jump

On this walking tour with Dom, we got to know a lot about the history of this neighborhood, about entrepreneurs, inventions and entertainment. Coney Island was traditionally the entertainment area in the southwestern section of Brooklyn. By the mid-19th century it had become a seaside resort, later in the century, amusement parks came up and reached their peak during the first half of the 20th century. There were several big entertainment parks: Sea Lion Park opened in 1895, Steeplechase Park followed in 1897, legendary Luna Park in 1903 on the site of Sea Lion Park. Dreamland opened one year later. These parks made Coney Island famous around the world.

 

Coney Island Cyclone, a wooden roller from 1927!

Luna Park today

Wonder Wheel

Coney Island Museum & Bar

Steeple Chase Ride

The Riegelmann Boardwalk (Coney Island Boardwalk, photos left & below) is a 2.7 mi long (4.3 km) trail on wooden planks, and, it was very lively and vibrant on this warm, sunny Sunday. Lots of vendors, lots of people, mostly New Yorkers, were out, enjoying the ocean breeze - many of them Jewish. Quite a few were still swimming in the ocean! Wish we would have had time to really enjoy the beach, sit there, swim, read a book, watch people,,,

Ultra-orthodox Jews on an excursion

A Jewish Boy (right) and an old man

We walked over to Brighton Beach, known for its high population of  Russian-speaking immigrants and a corresponding infrastructure. Our friends Paula & Gail always drove over to buy caviar and wodka! On the picture a couple of shops at Brighton Beach Avenue and the subway line (high up) is to be seen.

 

 

 

From there we took the subway back to Manhattan, to Central Park. Central Park on a Sunday afternoon is packed, especially with the weather we had! Leaves were just starting to change color and it was beautiful.

Back in Sugar Hill, at our apartment, we cleaned up and got ready for a nice dinner with our landlord to The Edge Harlem, a wonderful Jamaican restaurant. We had braised oxtail with plantanes and rice, and jerk chicken, and all was very good! What a great end of a long, interesting day.