A Day by the Seaside

It was a bright, sunny day and I was up for an adventure. I had never been to Coney Island, so decided to make the hour journey on the Q train, through the streets of Brooklyn to the southern tip. It definitely resembled that vintage carnival feel you get at England's Brighton Beach, but not quite as kept up. I wandered around for the afternoon, made friends with some old Russian men (the streets just a few blocks down are filled with Russian immigrants to the point that store signs are in Russian) and admired the rows of Spanish fishermen on the pier. It really just felt great to be at the ocean. And I also couldn't leave without trying out one of Nathan's famous hotdogs. Although it was a delicious, I couldn't imagine eating the 50 or so those crazy hotdog contest winners eat each Fourth of July. So after my meal, I strolled down Surf Ave to hop back on the train. I left with two impressions of Coney Island. One had my imagination open to what an amazing tourist attraction it must have been like in it's prime days (my grandmother did tell me how it was one of her favorite vacation spots), and the other is this long forgotten, left over park that couldn't quite make the transition into today's culture. Maybe someday it will catch up... See you in the city xx