by Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman
What was once dubbed “the playground of the world” only to endure a decline, Coney Island has been experiencing a renaissance for the past ten years. Recently my family and I visited the Coney Island boardwalk and got to experience first-hand some of the new (and renewed) attractions that have been making it, once again, a popular destination.
It was wonderful to walk on the boardwalk. On one side you have all the shops, rides and attractions. On the other – the beach!
There are over 50 rides in Coney Island and we decided to experience Luna Park but before we stopped at Brooklyn Beach Shop (next to the Scream Zone). This is the place to go for beach essentials plus really cool souvenirs.
Some of the rides were definitely geared for toddlers (my 22-month-old was able to go on a couple and had a blast!) The picture in the middle is at the historic renovated B&B Carousell [sic] that’s located a little further away from Luna Park but is definitely worth going to.
There were also some rides for school-age kids who want a little thrill:
And then there were some rides for adrenaline junkies:
Two of the most famous attractions in Coney Island are Deno’s Wonder Wheel and the famous Cyclone wooden roller coaster, both of which are historic NYC landmarks.
We took a break to have lunch at Applebee’s. There’s upstairs seating with spectacular views of the boardwalk and beach, but we opted to sit downstairs to be near the fish tank which has sharks as well as stingrays and other fish. They had just been feeding the fish and it was really cool to watch the fish gobble up all the food. After the fish were fed it was time for us to have our own lunch. My kids were very happy with the kids’ meals, while my husband and I shared the 2 entrees + one appetizer deal for $20. We loved having a variety of food so that everyone is happy and we appreciated the attentive wait staff. (They didn’t know I was a blogger, they were just very courteous).
There’s a lot more to Coney Island than Luna Park. Other than the NY Aquarium, there’s a museum, a sideshow theater with live performances and, of course, the Brooklyn Cyclones, the minor league baseball team. Each year Coney Island adds another big ride and the entire area is growing to be a huge attraction for people from all over. We cant wait to visit again!
I was not compensated for this post. I received a complimentary pass to Luna Park, discount to Brooklyn Beach Shop and lunch.
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Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is the owner of Mama’s Bites and has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in New York City for thirteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 7, 5 and 1) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier.
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