Coney Island - is it worth a visit?

Hi! I%26#39;ll be in NYC for two weeks and I was wondering if Coney Island is worth a visit? I%26#39;ve heard so much about it that it left me interested to visit the place. And since it%26#39;s closing down soon, maybe I should indeed go there?Any thoughts?

By the way, I%26#39;ll be alone in case I visit the Coney Island since my friends don%26#39;t wanna come with me. Sorry if this sounds stupid, but is the place safe for a tourist who%26#39;s going there on his own? What is the best time and day to go there?

Hope to hear from you guys soon. Cheers. :)

Coney Island - is it worth a visit?

I happen to like Coney Island.

Keep in mind that Coney Island is a neighborhood and the neighborhood isn%26#39;t closing down, just some of the ';stuff.';

It takes about 45 - 55 minutes to get to Coney Island, maybe a little more if you%26#39;re going on the weekend.

Brighton Beach is nearby and it is a great Russian neighborhood with good restaurants.

I like the boardwalk, I like seeing the ocean. Coney Island isn%26#39;t very busy outside of the summer season (May - September).

The area is well-patrolled and as long as you don%26#39;t go looking to buy illegal / controlled substances and you stay on the beaten path you don%26#39;t have anything to worry about.

Coney Island - is it worth a visit?

I think it%26#39;s worth a visit. A 2 week stay should allow for time to take a look at this unique piece of New York. Once there, you%26#39;re reminded once again that NYC is absolutely amazing and offers something for everyone. The beach, (and I Know beaches), is quite lovely.

There%26#39;s no reason to be worried about your safety as the best time to go would be during the day to see the beach and the sea, but if you%26#39;re at all concerned there%26#39;s another option. (I can%26#39;t believe I%26#39;m going to suggest this, but since I seem to be the Only person on the forum who didn%26#39;t %26#39;LOVE%26#39; this tour, I%26#39;m going to just go ahead and throw it out there and you decide).

You can sign up for the Brooklyn Pizza Tour (or whatever it%26#39;s called) and pay $75.00 for a small bus to pick you up at Union Square in Manhattan and take you and others to Grimaldi%26#39;s and Sicilian Gardens in Brooklyn to sample pizza. From there, they%26#39;ll drive you to Coney Island to take a look (it%26#39;s a leisurely visit, no rushing at all) and then back to Manhattan via several Brooklyn neighborhoods. Here%26#39;s the link for the pizza tour:

www.asliceofbrooklyn.com

Hi waxydoodles,

I like Coney Island and with two weeks here you could easily fit it in. Like the prior two posters said, it is a slice of NYC history, and you could visit Brighton Beach, the NY Aquarium and have a hot dog at the original Nathan%26#39;s. A walk along the boardwalk is great and based upon when you are visiting, you could pack a swim suit, take a dip in the ocean and possibly see a minor league baseball game right in Coney island. It is very easy to get to from Manhattan by subway. Have a great time !!!

I think it is all in the expectations. If you are

expecting a pristine sandy beach with a pristine

amusment park attached it is not that.

That being said if you are a baseball fan and you

are going to be here in the summer look at the site

for the Brooklyn Cyclones. They are a low level minor

league baseball team (for the Mets) and they have a

neat little park that sits right on the Coney Island

boardwalk. You can go there and it is easy to get

there on the subway. You can go to Coney Island 2 or

3 hours before game time, then watch the game for

as long as you want and then hop back on the subway.

Yes Coney Island is very safe as the activities

mentioned are not real late in the night

I acually lifted this excellent reply from a poster named %26#39;Kellyspan%26#39; off the Brooklyn forum. Hey here%26#39;s a lesson for everyone ..... once you post something on TripAdvisor it becomes the %26#39;intellectual property%26#39; of the TA ..... or the guy should have copyrighted the comment if he didn%26#39;t want me to pirate it!

....................................................

Coney Island is a seasonal operation. Some things may be open and some things may not be.

Coney Island attractions that will *definitely* be open in 2009:

Coney Island USA (1208 Surf Ave.)

The Coney Island Sideshow, Coney Island Museum, Mermaid Parade, Burlesque at the Beach, Coney Island Film Festival, Coney Island Film Society (Saturday Nights), Ask The Experts Lecture Series, Creepshow at the Freakshow, Tattoo and Motorcycle Show, Freak Bar

http://www.coneyisland.com

The Cyclone Roller Coaster (Surf and West 8th)

http://www.astroland.com/

The Coney Island History Project (exhibition center under the Cyclone on Surf Ave)

http://www.coneyislandhistory.org

The Wonder Wheel and Deno%26#39;s Wonder Wheel Park

www.wonderwheel.com

Eldorado Bumper Cars %26amp; Arcade

(1216 Surf Ave.)

McCullough%26#39;s kiddie park (Bowery %26amp; 12th St)

Polar Express ride %26amp; 12th St Amusements

(between Bowery and Boardwalk)

Coney Island Arcade %26amp; games (Bowery and West 12th st)

Lola Staar%26#39;s Boutique (new location in Stillwell Subway Station)

http://www.lolastaar.com/

Lola Staar%26#39;s Dreamland Roller Rink (Child%26#39;s Bldg on the Boardwalk at 21st.)

http://www.dreamlandrollerrink.com/Home.html

Coney Island Beach Shop (Stillwell Ave behind Nathan%26#39;s plus new location in Stillwell station)

http://www.coneyislandbeachshop.com/

Denny%26#39;s Ice Cream

(1212 Surf Ave.)

William%26#39;s Candy

http://www.candytreats.com/

Nathan%26#39;s %26amp; 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest

http://nathansfamous.com

The Aquarium

http://www.nyaquarium.com/

Beach %26amp; Boardwalk

http://www.nycgovparks.org/

The Cyclones Baseball in Keyspan Park

http://www.brooklyncyclones.com/

Free Summer Concerts at Seaside Park

http://www.brooklynconcerts.com/seaside.html

Surf and Turf Grill

http://www.coneyislandsurfnturfgrill.com/

Peggy O%26#39;Neill%26#39;s

http://nymag.com/listings/bar/Peggy-ONeills/

Fireworks sponsored by the Brooklyn Cyclones on 7 nights from June to Sept. (see dates @ http://www.brooklyncyclones.com/tickets/miniplan/)

Additional Friday night fireworks with sponsors TBA

Games on Jones Walk (east and west sides, with the exception of the building on the west corner of Jones Walk %26amp; Surf)

Games on Bowery from Jones Walk to 12th Street

[note: corner bldg owned by Thor, info N/A; other property owned by Ward %26amp; Persily]

The Parachute Jump (a city landmark known as Brooklyn%26#39;s Eiffel Tower. It is no longer an operating ride)

Totonno%26#39;s Pizzeria, 1524 Neptune Ave.

various mom- and-pop businesses and lots more (we hope)...

Coney Island is a mere shadow of its former self. When the first thing that an immigrant saw was not Liberty%26#39;s torch, but the lights of Luna Park. The names ring in our collective memories: Luna Park, Steeplechase Park, Astroland. Alas, they are gone. The victims of urban decay and Walt Disney.

Coney Island is also a glimpse into a brighter future. This somewhat down at the heels area will emerge bigger, brighter, with acres of new housing, hotels, stores and amusements. But, at the current time, no one actually knows what shape the actual future holds. There is a tug of war between Thor Equities/Stitt [the Developer] and the City of New York. There are competing plans by each, and compromise plans by others. What gets built during this time of economic malaise is anyone%26#39;s guess.

But you want to know about the present. The beach is still the beach. During the summer it is crowded with revelelers of every nationality known to man. It%26#39;s accessible, a little bit skanky, and yet a true part of New York. As for the amusements, all have closed down and moved out except for the two real attractions of the area, the Bone Chilling Cyclone and the Amazing Wonder Wheel. I love the both, but they open later in the season.

Coney Island is also home to the Brooklyn Cyclones. Head out to Keyspan Park and watch some Class ';A'; baseball. Cheap tickets, ball park food, and great crowds are what Cyclones baseball are about. At the front of the stadium, check out the cool statue of Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese.

Coney Island is also home to Nathans. The hot dog capitol of the world. Come July 4 and watch the disgusting hot dog eating contest. Bet you couldnt, and wouldnt want to eat 56 hot dogs in 6 minutes. However, one or two would be great. Two franks, fries and a soda - that%26#39;s a meal.

Were I touring the area, I would head to Brighton Beach. Little Odessa is truly a strange place. More Russia than Brooklyn. When my sister came to visit she was skeptical as she came off the subway and into the dark ';under the el'; Brighton Beach Avenue. But after a few minutes she was hooked. Wander around, get some great Russian street food and take it to the Boardwalk for a snack. You can walk along the Boardwalk to Coney Island in about 15 minutes. You can also stop by the NYC Aquarium on the way.

Thanks guys for all the replies. :)

I feel like I%26#39;m gonna like it in Coney Island. I%26#39;ve just made a research too and I think I%26#39;m gonna like the ';character'; of the place. Though it doesn%26#39;t seem perfect, I find the place quite charming. :)

Thanks again guys for the suggestions and hopefully I get to read more too!

I see no one has really mentioned Brighton Beach, our ';Little Odessa'; next to Coney Island.

I highly reco enjoying some stick-to-the-ribs Russian food to fortify you for the long subway ride back to Manhattan.

From our FAQ ';sticky'; are these links about Brighton Beach. Karasho!

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k917481- I_know_this_is_completely_the_wrong_time_for_Coney_Island-

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k647614 -Coney_Island_Worth_a_visit-

For more, type ';Brighton Beach'; in the forum search box.

We went out last Saturday, I was just interested to see what its like after seeing it in films. The beach was lovely and clean the boardwalk was busy, even though it was a chilly Saturday morning in March, lots of people were joging, others walking with children, some just sitting talking. I would have loved to have seen it when was busy and all the rides still there, the Elephant Hotel must have been amazing. Its a shame they don%26#39;t rebuild and update the amusement park, I am sure it would be a tourist attraction and popular with locals at the weekend.