Coney Island, USA

THIS RIGHT HERE is the reason I live in NYC.


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The Day After - Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn

The picture above is becoming the iconic image of Blizageddon 2010 - showing abandoned cars, taxis and buses on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn the day after the storm. Now we have video ...

 

BTW: since when are there so many yellow cabs in Brooklyn??

It kind of reminds me of the 1983 TV Movie - The Day After  (below) - which depicted a nuclear holocaust and scared the crap outta me when I was in high school. Back then we weren't afraid of terrorists per se, but we were completely frightened of the big, bad Soviet Union and their nuclear arsenal. This ghost-town-like video of NYC creeps me out just the same as the movie did.

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Coney Island

Yesterday my BFF and I took a little trip (via subway) to Coney Island, Brooklyn.  Our first stop was Nathan's Famous Hot Dog stand (natch).  However, I was DEVASTATED to learn that they no longer have the Chow Mein Sandwich...

The Chow Mein Sandwich (above) probably went on the Nathan's menu during the Americanized "Chinese Food" craze of the 30's and 40's when dishes like Chop Suey and Chow Mein (which are totally not Chinese at all) first became popular.

I always ordered the Chow Mein Sandwich because the Coney Island Nathan's was the only place in NYC you could get one (it didn't taste that great - but it was unique).  The person behind the counter said they took it off the menu a few months ago (after probably 70 years!).  I was so upset that I wouldn't even eat a Nathan's hot dog - I had a burger instead.

Dessert was my old stand-by - a banana soft-serve cone at Denny's on Surf Avenue.  LOVES the pink cash register...

The overcast skies kept the huge crowds away from the boardwalk. That's the landmarked but defunct Parachute Jump in the background - AKA "The Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn".

Sideshows by the Seashore - and old-school Freak Show...

The Beach was also not crowded, and unfortunately the weather kept the Papis pretty well covered. Damn...

I took this picture from the Steeplechase Pier.  The tall buildings in the background are the Coney Island Housing Projects - some of the roughest Projects in the city.  But with FANTASTIC views...

The overcast skies didn't bother me one bit - it kept the temperature down, and we weren't planning on hanging on the beach anyway.  All in all, the BFF and I had a nice day.

Off To Coney Island ...

My BFF and I are heading to Coney Island today (unless we get rained out) to celebrate his birthday.  We won't be hitting the beach, but there will be a stop at Nathan's (below) for a hot dog (and a Nathan's traditional Chow Mein Sandwich for me), and maybe we'll ride some of the rides.  And, of course, I'll be scoping the Papis.

Look for pictures later tonight or tomorrow.

Farewell To Astroland

Over the weekend, New York said goodbye to Astroland - the last amusement park in Coney Island. And yes, I said "in" and not "on" because Coney "Island" is not really an island - it is simply the name of a beach-side neighborhood.

A big developer has come in and bought much of Coney Island's prime property - including Astroland Park. They will undoubtedly build luxury condos.

Some of the Astroland rides are already listed for sale. However, the Cyclone (the old wooden roller-coaster) and the huge Wonder Wheel are city landmarks and won't be affected by the sale. Read the full story here.