Coney Island
August 3rd, 2007 (Afternoon): We waited in a hot stuffy metro station for fifteen minutes and I counted about four different rats before the train came. One of them was actually right on the platform with us. When the train finally came it was sweet relief to slip into the air conditioning and settle down on the hard orange plastic chairs that adorned the metro cars. Kate gave me the window seat because soon the train would travel from under the ground to an elevated track on its way to Coney Island. This outer section of Brooklyn that we passed over was very run down. I suspect the view was probably better from the ground as subway lines tend to be hot spots for graffiti displays and trash collected over decades. I actually don’t mind the graffiti too much; I find quite a bit of it an interesting and attractive portion of the urban landscape. I think the back sides of buildings, mostly commercial and industrial properties which face the tracks are an ideal location for this often elaborate graffiti. It doesn’t ruin someone’s personal residential property, and does not detract from the image of the actual neighborhood when you are on the street. It seems on the orange line here in Boston that graffiti is tolerated in locations such as these. From the look of it, I would say the same is true of Brooklyn.
Eventually after passing by/over rooftops, cemeteries, projects and industrial relics, we finally arrived at the Coney Island metro terminal. The station is a fairly large one compared to most of the metro stations. It is decorated elaborately with frescos of the Coney Island of old. There is a certain romantic quality as you exit into the metro terminal. One can easily imagine generations of New Yorkers bring their families there for a few hours of escape during the dregs of a hot summer.
Soon after exiting the station, the bright colored displays of numerous food stands invaded my line of sight, enchanting me like the call of a Siren. The most alluring of these is (as one might expect) Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand. Nathan's retro look, bright yellow paint, numerous old fashioned lit signs put a smile on my face. I was salivating like one of Pavlov’s dog trapped in a church steeple.
Kate and I immediately began milling around Nathan’s trying to determine what we would soon be eating, and what the M.O. was on ordering. Nathan’s had different sections for different types of food. As it turns out they actually have quite a broad menu, and seem to be known for chicken as well (at least locally). Eventually we find the right line where we can get hot dogs and French fries. The hot dogs were nice, I would say better than Fenway Franks, but perhaps not as good as the steamed hot dogs I used to get in the park in Brunswick Maine (near Bowdoin College for the curious). The French fries were amazing, great crispy texture and seasoned just right. They weren’t crinkle cut, and they weren’t steak fries, but were somewhere in between. The trophy for best French Fries (that I’ve had) still goes to Lisa’s at Old Orchard Beach Maine, served with a little vinegar.
Moving right along we headed to the boardwalk and walked south to a decent sized pier. We walked out to the end amongst numerous tourists as well as locals who were fishing off of the side. Unlike the pier at Old Orchard Beach, there are no buildings on the structure itself, so you have some nice views of the Coney Island skyline. I stopped to take a photograph here. If you look closely you can see the old “famous” cyclone rollercoaster.
After admiring a big plastic palm tree on a playground that sprayed cool water, Kate and I continued on to “Astroland” the quaint amusement park at Coney Island. Truth be told, if it didn’t have the roller coaster, and the “Wonder Wheel” (see photo) this park of mostly carnival rides would not be any bigger than “Palace Playland” at Old Orchard Beach. The attractions essentially mirrored those at O.O.B. as well, complete with a pirate ship that swings uncomfortably over the street in its cramped quarters. Astroland has some unique things, like Wonder Wheel,
which has free moving cars on tracks within the wheel (It looks real nauseating) in addition to the traditional stationary cars on the fringes of the wheel. It has a small log flume ride, and a large observatory tower that lifts you like an elevator and spins you slowly around. There is a “Satanic” themed Fun House, which I believe may have been the one featured in Christian Bale’s art film, “The Machinist”. While Astroland may have some more unique rides compared to New England’s campy beach side resort, Palace Playland definitely has a much larger arcade… and superior Ski Ball. Kate and I played Ski Ball, and she kicked my ass as usual. 
We pooled our tickets at the end of our competition and bought two little yellow rubber ducks.
We walked down the boardwalk with the beach to our right and a breeze blowing in off of the
Eventually after passing by/over rooftops, cemeteries, projects and industrial relics, we finally arrived at the Coney Island metro terminal. The station is a fairly large one compared to most of the metro stations. It is decorated elaborately with frescos of the Coney Island of old. There is a certain romantic quality as you exit into the metro terminal. One can easily imagine generations of New Yorkers bring their families there for a few hours of escape during the dregs of a hot summer.
Soon after exiting the station, the bright colored displays of numerous food stands invaded my line of sight, enchanting me like the call of a Siren. The most alluring of these is (as one might expect) Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand. Nathan's retro look, bright yellow paint, numerous old fashioned lit signs put a smile on my face. I was salivating like one of Pavlov’s dog trapped in a church steeple.Kate and I immediately began milling around Nathan’s trying to determine what we would soon be eating, and what the M.O. was on ordering. Nathan’s had different sections for different types of food. As it turns out they actually have quite a broad menu, and seem to be known for chicken as well (at least locally). Eventually we find the right line where we can get hot dogs and French fries. The hot dogs were nice, I would say better than Fenway Franks, but perhaps not as good as the steamed hot dogs I used to get in the park in Brunswick Maine (near Bowdoin College for the curious). The French fries were amazing, great crispy texture and seasoned just right. They weren’t crinkle cut, and they weren’t steak fries, but were somewhere in between. The trophy for best French Fries (that I’ve had) still goes to Lisa’s at Old Orchard Beach Maine, served with a little vinegar.
Moving right along we headed to the boardwalk and walked south to a decent sized pier. We walked out to the end amongst numerous tourists as well as locals who were fishing off of the side. Unlike the pier at Old Orchard Beach, there are no buildings on the structure itself, so you have some nice views of the Coney Island skyline. I stopped to take a photograph here. If you look closely you can see the old “famous” cyclone rollercoaster.
After admiring a big plastic palm tree on a playground that sprayed cool water, Kate and I continued on to “Astroland” the quaint amusement park at Coney Island. Truth be told, if it didn’t have the roller coaster, and the “Wonder Wheel” (see photo) this park of mostly carnival rides would not be any bigger than “Palace Playland” at Old Orchard Beach. The attractions essentially mirrored those at O.O.B. as well, complete with a pirate ship that swings uncomfortably over the street in its cramped quarters. Astroland has some unique things, like Wonder Wheel,
which has free moving cars on tracks within the wheel (It looks real nauseating) in addition to the traditional stationary cars on the fringes of the wheel. It has a small log flume ride, and a large observatory tower that lifts you like an elevator and spins you slowly around. There is a “Satanic” themed Fun House, which I believe may have been the one featured in Christian Bale’s art film, “The Machinist”. While Astroland may have some more unique rides compared to New England’s campy beach side resort, Palace Playland definitely has a much larger arcade… and superior Ski Ball. Kate and I played Ski Ball, and she kicked my ass as usual. 
We pooled our tickets at the end of our competition and bought two little yellow rubber ducks.We walked down the boardwalk with the beach to our right and a breeze blowing in off of the
water. The beach is surprisingly nice (unlike
Revere Beach). There were sizable waves breaking and the sand was beautiful, relatively flat, extensive, and it appeared to be clean. I commented to Kate that it looked actually quite 
inviting, despite it’s proximity to America’s largest city. We followed the Boardwalk to the end where we passed through the Brighton Beach community, and then Manhattan Beach. Brighton Beach we passed by, and we would return there eventually to get on the metro. Manhattan Beach was a quaint, almost suburban style community set right on the ocean. Art Deco apartment towers gave way to homes predominantly southwestern appearing with red tiled roofs. This quiet neighborhood followed the water and we made our way to a beautiful state park which had a very nice beach oasis in the midst of NYC. We sat on a bench for a while, took in the sea breeze and watched people cool off at the end of a hot city afternoon. It was picture perfect, and sadly I didn’t take a picture.
As we left the state park we noticed another water sprayer for children and of course headed over to get some heat relief. I snapped the picture of Kate seconds after she doused her head with the cool water.
We headed back to Brighton Beach where followed the elevated train tracks through the central commerce district, until we found the station. The streets were lined with Russian and eastern European diners, delis, and markets. People speaking Russian out numbered those speaking English in sections. Beautiful fruit displays decorated the fronts of numerous grocery and convenience stores. The streets were very busy with a mix of locals and probably many tourists too. I suspect many of them were actually Russian tourists who had come specifically to this neighborhood where their culture is strongly rooted.
We headed back into Manhattan on the train and discussed where to eat. Kate decided that I should pick out a restaurant. After flipping through her guidebook I found a place called “Sea” in the Lower East Side, which served Thai food. It was a trendy place with electronica that was more contemporary than the garish music that played at “Cafeteria”. The atmosphere actually was really trendy while remaining low-key and stylized. It had a cavernous feel since it was a basement location. The décor was modern with tables lining each wall of a very narrow dining room. The seats closest to the walls were comprised of a booth style cushioned bench that ran the entire length of the long room. The corners of the ceiling were adorned with diagonally oriented mirrors on each side of the room. I could actually see my backside in front of me as I ate. I suppose this comes in hand with all of the traffic down the center aisle in a confined space. I had some Tom Yum soup (with shrimp) to start, then some beef with basil. Kate had a dish that consisted of chicken with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers among various other vegetables. Both dishes were delicious, and it ranked up there with the best Thai food I’ve eaten. I had a Thai beer with my meal called “Singha” which wasn’t too bad. I’d prefer it to Budweiser or Heineken any day.
It was beginning to get late in the evening at this point. We had another full day planned for exploring Queens so it was decided we would go back to Chelsea. We ended up getting some soft serve ice cream before finally heading into the Chelsea Lodge to get cleaned up and relax after our busy day.
Stay tuned for NYC part 4: Queens, Astoria (painted hay bales and more!)
inviting, despite it’s proximity to America’s largest city. We followed the Boardwalk to the end where we passed through the Brighton Beach community, and then Manhattan Beach. Brighton Beach we passed by, and we would return there eventually to get on the metro. Manhattan Beach was a quaint, almost suburban style community set right on the ocean. Art Deco apartment towers gave way to homes predominantly southwestern appearing with red tiled roofs. This quiet neighborhood followed the water and we made our way to a beautiful state park which had a very nice beach oasis in the midst of NYC. We sat on a bench for a while, took in the sea breeze and watched people cool off at the end of a hot city afternoon. It was picture perfect, and sadly I didn’t take a picture.
As we left the state park we noticed another water sprayer for children and of course headed over to get some heat relief. I snapped the picture of Kate seconds after she doused her head with the cool water.
We headed back to Brighton Beach where followed the elevated train tracks through the central commerce district, until we found the station. The streets were lined with Russian and eastern European diners, delis, and markets. People speaking Russian out numbered those speaking English in sections. Beautiful fruit displays decorated the fronts of numerous grocery and convenience stores. The streets were very busy with a mix of locals and probably many tourists too. I suspect many of them were actually Russian tourists who had come specifically to this neighborhood where their culture is strongly rooted.
We headed back into Manhattan on the train and discussed where to eat. Kate decided that I should pick out a restaurant. After flipping through her guidebook I found a place called “Sea” in the Lower East Side, which served Thai food. It was a trendy place with electronica that was more contemporary than the garish music that played at “Cafeteria”. The atmosphere actually was really trendy while remaining low-key and stylized. It had a cavernous feel since it was a basement location. The décor was modern with tables lining each wall of a very narrow dining room. The seats closest to the walls were comprised of a booth style cushioned bench that ran the entire length of the long room. The corners of the ceiling were adorned with diagonally oriented mirrors on each side of the room. I could actually see my backside in front of me as I ate. I suppose this comes in hand with all of the traffic down the center aisle in a confined space. I had some Tom Yum soup (with shrimp) to start, then some beef with basil. Kate had a dish that consisted of chicken with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers among various other vegetables. Both dishes were delicious, and it ranked up there with the best Thai food I’ve eaten. I had a Thai beer with my meal called “Singha” which wasn’t too bad. I’d prefer it to Budweiser or Heineken any day.
It was beginning to get late in the evening at this point. We had another full day planned for exploring Queens so it was decided we would go back to Chelsea. We ended up getting some soft serve ice cream before finally heading into the Chelsea Lodge to get cleaned up and relax after our busy day.
Stay tuned for NYC part 4: Queens, Astoria (painted hay bales and more!)
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