I grew up listening to my family's favorite stories about their frequent visits to Coney Island. Both of my parents are from Brooklyn, so as you can imagine, there are quite a few tales to tell. My favorite one, though, is about my dad. At four years old, my father hopped the fence at the penguin exhibit and was found sitting on a rock with all of the penguins waddling around him. He may or may not have but probably did get in big trouble for that one, but it was totally worth the story!
Wanting to make stories of my own, I begged my family to humor me and play tourist during a day trip to Coney Island. After much persuading, they finally agreed and I got to FINALLY visit the famous tourist destination!
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Things to do in Coney Island as a family.
Where is the best place to stay?
There are many places to stay in the area, but the Best Western Brooklyn-Coney Island Inn (link) is the only one right in the heart of the action! As a double bonus and exceptionally rare for the city, it comes with free ONSITE parking.
Without going into too much detail because this place deserves a post of its own, we had a great time exploring the fishy exhibits. We all had our own favorite moments at the aquarium, but the top ranking ones include the shark exhibit, the penguins, and the absolutely terrifying spider crab! An unexpected perk of visiting the New York Aquarium was the overlook. A short walk up a ramp gave us a spectacular view of Riegelmann Boardwalk and Brighton Beach. The very first picture is a small snapshot of the gigantic view.
Fun Fact: The New York Aquarium is the oldest aquarium in the US that has been in continuous operation!
Where to stop and eat lunch?
Nathan's (link), of course! While I'm not a huge fan as in totally despise of hot dogs, this establishment is over 100 years old and a part of our history. After acting like a total tourist and making my family take numerous pictures in front of the fast food restaurant, I ate my burger on the boardwalk.
Note: This is no longer an indoor dining establishment. There are a few picnic tables to eat on, but be prepared to wait for a seat or to eat your meal standing up.
Alright, first, let's address the elephant on the blog post. Is that a thing? We did not visit the famous Luna Park. Why? Well, for several reasons but the main reason being the price. They charge $65 per person to enter if going on the rides. They charge $15 per person to enter just to walk around. We were a party of 7 and felt that these prices were astronomical.
Instead, we visited Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. This establishment is over 100 years old and is the home of the famous Coney Island Wonder Wheel. While we didn't ride the Ferris Wheel, we did have a blast! We had the option of paying per ride and for less than $75, both of my young kids got to enjoy many of the age appropriate rides. Which, by the way, they had PLENTY of.
The famous Coney Island boardwalk is 2.7 miles long. It runs between a long list of establishments and the beautiful Brighton Beach. If the scenery wasn't enough for you, there are plenty of other things to see including the unique street performances. Above you'll find a picture of my favorite one. This talented man played the guitar, sang cover songs, and showed off his beautiful parrots that acted as background screeches singers.
You'll also find several public restrooms that were really gross, street vendors that sell everything from sliced mango to roasted nuts, and cute shops that sell souvenirs and beach gear. Of all the things, what shocked me the most, was what was in the ocean water. I'm used to sail boats and fishing charters, but this bay was full of gigantic ocean liners, cruise ships, and cargo boats carrying heavy duty freight. It was something I've never seen before.
Sunday was a brutally HOT day on Long Island and felt especially warm during all of our outdoor adventures. We knew that we'd have to end the day with some ice cream. We ended up at the famous Coney's Cones located on the boardwalk. Their homemade gelato was absolutely AMAZING. So good that the word amazing doesn't do it justice! It made for the perfect ending to a perfect day.
- R&W
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