5 Reasons We Love Coney Island

Despite the extreme heat, my family spent yesterday afternoon at Coney Island, what I like to call our annual pilgrimage there. There are amusement parks closer to our home and easier to get to--as well as beaches and boardwalks--but we love heading to the edge of Brooklyn for a day of fun.

For me, there’s a sense of history at Coney Island, like we are going back in time to old Brooklyn, a place that, despite its changes over the years, still feels like it is part of a bygone era. I went on school and family trips there, and my parents went on at least one date at Coney Island. It's a place where the digital revolution hasn’t altered the way we have fun, where the Cyclone roller coaster at Luna Park or the giant ferris wheel at Deno's Wonder Wheel remain as fun as they were while remaining just as they were. Where a contest to see who can down the most hotdogs in a sickeningly short time is national news. 

For my kids, of course, it’s not about history or nostalgia. In late winter every year, they start asking when we’re going to go to Coney Island, looking forward to the rides, the treats, the beach, the experience of it all.

Here are five reasons to love Coney Island and to take a visit, or several, there this summer:

1) The amazing variety of things to do: Between the beach, the boardwalk, the New York Aquarium, and the several amusement parks--as well as the Brooklyn Cyclones minor-league baseball park--there is no shortage of activities, no matter what your interests are.

2) The range of ages it appeals to: With so much to do, Coney Island’s attractions appeal to people at virtually any age: families, of course, whether their kids are young or teen-aged, couples on dates, and seniors.

Related: Find the best amusement parks near you.

3) The wide variety of moods it caters to: What kind of day are you looking for? Coney Island’s activities span the range of intensities and emotions. Looking to stay mellow? Try the giant Ferris wheel, Dino’s Wonder Wheel, or hit the aquarium. Seeking thrills? There are several roller coasters and even wilder rides that that. Haunted houses offer frights, the Boardwalk offers performers a chance to belt-out Karaoke. And so on...