August 24 2007 Coney Island Fireworks
There’s been quite a bit of chatter among the locals, talking about the eminent demise of Coney Island. I thought I’d go and visit the area, since I hadn’t been there for quite a long time.
Its a unique experience, a fond (or not so fond) reminder of entertainment provided by hearty (artery-clogging) food, carnies and the beach. There’s no need for expensive entertainment, specialty malls, or fine dining — we’re happy to lounge and drink by the sand on the boardwalk.
More thoughts and highlights under the cut.
Its easy to say that the place isn’t going away, some of the key points are protected by landmark status and there will always be a place to go. However, its hard to believe it when you walk by the huge empty lots, and multiple closed stores on Friday night.
Fishing remains a popular activity on the pier. All along the wooden slats there are people fishing or netting, often gutting their fish right on the pier. Some of them are fishing for fun, some are fishing for food on the table. Many bring their children. Fishing isn’t restricted to the daytime, later that night I returned to the pier with my flashlight, and shining the light along the water caused the water to ripple with activity as fish looked for food.
Ahh.. Young love.. Isn’t it just beautiful? Ummm… Humm.. Well, love hurts I guess.
Its not Hawaii, but it’ll do for now.
The Wonder Wheel has operated for 85 years accident free. A giant mechanism comprised purely of gears, pulleys and hard steel, this unique monster of a ferris wheel has good reason for its popularity. Most of the cabs on this thing swing — not just from one pivot but on wheels that sling you forward and back about 15 feet twice per revolution. Fun, but if you’re prone to motion sickness or afraid of heights DON’T get in those cabs!
What trip to Coney Island is complete without looking at the Cyclone?
Hot dogs, Cotton Candy, and Baseball games — If you want a good old fashioned way to fill you up, nothing satisfies like Nathans.
Coney Island and the Carnies on the Boardwalk still runs on a key function… Separate you from your money. One particularly amusing booth was “Shoot the Freak” - which was really a place to fire underpowered paintballs at some poor schmuck in a firing range. With a banana at his crotch and a large wooden shield to stand behind..
Of course, if you get bored of giving the carnies your money, you can.. give them more of your money — small arcades are scattered around, and the base of the wonder wheel has some classic games like this arm wrestling unit.. There are also the horror rides - including one very “stylistic” ride that features a wildly vomiting man with explosive anal leakage out front!
Of course, having gone down there on a Friday night, we were there to see the fireworks. The fireworks, while starting late, did not disappoint — showering us with sulfur and spraying color into the sky for about half an hour. There’s a huge difference in watching fireworks when you’re this close, you should definitely take the opportunity to do so if you can at least once.
Nighttime on the Boardwalk after the fireworks is definitely a NYC experience — its not a place to wander on your own but its not a place to avoid either. Its not a place for hipsters looking to get drunk while lounging with other hipsters — its a place to explore and play, while keeping one eye open for trouble. It has the feel of the city at its best, a wildly entertaining animal that can bite the unwary.
With the changes that have already happened, I can’t help but think that some of the inherent character of Coney Island has already been lost. While I don’t think it will be completely gone by next year, I do think its worth visiting before the developers have started building. That being said, change is a part of life — and I look forward to seeing what becomes of this place.
