Video: Coney Island's Parachute Jump Light Show

I'm not the first to call Coney Island's Parachute Jump the Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn. The similarities are hard to miss: Easily recognizable and just as beautiful lit up at night as it is during the daytime.

After last Friday's Brooklyn Cyclones game, we got to see the Parachute Jump's initial lighting of the summer. The 8,000 multicolored lights were the stars of a spectacular show:

The only thing better would be if the Parachute Jump were still an actual, working ride. Alas, it last terrified riders in 1964.

Brooklyn Cyclones: Minor League Baseball at Coney Island

With the contents of our three-bedroom apartment being stowed away in increasingly more boxes, the last thing Paul needed for Father's Day was, well, another thing.

Instead, Paul got a note from Edith asking him to take her to her first baseball game. That's how we ended up in Coney Island on Friday for a Brooklyn Cyclones game.

The Cyclones are a single-A affiliate of the New York Mets, with a small but tidy stadium with seats overlooking Coney Island's major attractions: the Atlantic Ocean, Parachute Jump, Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone roller coaster.

Wonder Wheel on the right, (though not very wheel-like from this view!),
and the Cyclone in the distance

We arrived at Coney Island a couple of hours before the first pitch, giving us plenty of time to stroll the boardwalk and grab a bite to eat. Of course, when we saw a place called Paul's Daughter, we had to eat there. (Fried clams and fries for Paul, a corn dog for me.)

Restrooms raised above the beach.

Although we live so close to the ocean, it's easy to forget until you're only a short walk away. That's why it always slips my mind how much cooler it is there than just a few miles away in Bay Ridge. I was glad I brought a wrap, even though it was quite warm at home.

The game started promptly at 7 p.m., and like at most minor league games, the majority of the crowd seemed to be there to soak up the atmosphere rather than to cheer on the home team. That's OK; that's what I was there for, too. Paul watched the game while I entertained an easy-to-please Edith.

She was largely content, and any coos or cries were easily overshadowed by the hum of the crowd. When she got more fussy toward the end, I took a walk with her around the stadium. She fell asleep at the top of the ninth, just before the Cyclones clinched the win over Aberdeen.

Edith stayed asleep during the lighting of the Parachute Jump, and she didn't open her eyes until the grand finale of the weekly Friday night fireworks. Even then, the drowsy baby could barely keep her eyes open.

Parachute Jump, and a full moon.

Edith's first baseball game was -- dare I say it? -- a home run. And Paul's Father's Day wasn't half bad either.

A Weeknight at Coney Island, in Photos

Coney Island's Wonder Wheel

Sometimes the best few minutes on "Saturday Night Live" are the opening sequence shots of Coney Island lit up at night, and I always watch for the Wonder Wheel.

It's my favorite single thing at Coney Island, and I haven't even taken a ride yet.

Ferris wheels are among the scariest things at amusement parks to me. Give me a 300-foot-tall roller coaster any day. At least there I'm securely strapped in. On a ferris wheel, I'm slowly swinging to my apparent death, secured only by something that barely passes for a seat belt.

But the Wonder Wheel is more of a thrill ride, which, oddly enough, I suspect would make me less scared simply because I'll be expecting the fear. The red and blue cars follow a track within the wheel, rushing to the inside and then the outside as the wheel turns.

I don't know if there are seat belts.

An Evening at the Coney Island Brewing Company

I think Paul was surprised when I decided to tag along.

His brewing buddy from the neighborhood heard of a new brewery in Coney Island that was holding its grand opening celebration last Wednesday, so he and two friends decided to check it out. Although I nearly always stay home when Paul's hanging out with the guys, this time I decided to see what it was all about.

I'll admit, however, that I was there mostly for Coney Island and not for the beer. This week's blog posts are dedicated to Coney Island and what it looks like as the sun sets on a weeknight in this coastal neighborhood.

Today, the brewery. Coney Island Brewing Company bills itself as the world's smallest brewery, and it's difficult to believe that's not the case. The gimmick is that it brews only a gallon at a time and has only a tasting room and gift shop -- all in a space about the size of a typical walk-in closet, just off Surf Avenue literally next door to the freak show.

The entire brewery

Brewery to the left of the balloons, freak show to the right

However, the brewing company is affiliated with Shmaltz Brewing Company, the craft brewery behind the Coney Island lagers and He'brew beers. Some of those fine beverages also seem to be sold in the tasting room.

I stuck around long enough to catch up with an old work friend who also happened to be at the opening, grab a sample of some bourbon-like beer and to hear how Paul and his friend may end up concocting a gallon of their own beer for the brewery. This may not be the last you hear of the Coney Island Brewing Company.

John Legend in Coney Island

The sun sets on John Legend

Coney Island hasn't been that great to me.

Thursday night was an exception. John Legend was playing in a Coney Island park as part of the free summer concert series. His music isn't the type I'm normally drawn to, but I heard a lot of him -- and a lot about him -- when I was a newspaper reporter in Springfield, Ohio, John Legend's hometown. I ended up really liking him.

In fact, Springfield held a free John Legend concert right before we moved to New York. I didn't go, and I regret it. I didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

I don't know how many people were there, but by the time we arrived we had to lay out our blanket on a part of the park that was more dirt than grass, far enough away from the stage that we could tell where he was only because of the spotlight.

I knew I would love the concert, but I was more surprised about how Coney Island has changed in the short time that we've lived here. Our apartment is a mere 30-minute train ride away, but this is only the fifth time I've been there. Most trips have been less than spectacular:

First visit to Coney Island, May 2008: Rode the Cyclone with out-of-town friends. Severe neck pain followed, and I didn't feel back to normal for four days.

Second visit to Coney Island, Aug. 2008: My first experience at the summer concert series -- this time, Huey Lewis and the News. I had fun, but I was surprised at how dingy and deserted the neighborhood felt at night, when the concert was over.

Third visit to Coney Island, May 2009: My parents wanted a real Nathan's hot dog and to see what all the fuss over Coney Island was about. Not much, as they found out. The skies were gray, the weather was freezing and the place was empty.

Fourth visit to Coney Island, May 2009: Probably remembering how cold the neighborhood was earlier in the month, I put on a long-sleeve shirt to meet Paul near the boardwalk after he finished the Brooklyn Half-Marathon. I was nearly as hot as Paul after he finished the 13-mile race.

OK, so except for the whiplash, my visits to Coney Island haven't been that bad. But last week's was definitely the best of all. The place was lively and had new rides and bright neon lights. It made me resolve to return and take a spin on the Wonder Wheel after all . Maybe visit No. 6 isn't too far away.

Half-Marathon Man, Take Two

I found myself in Coney Island this morning for the second time this month, but this trip wasn't for hot dogs.

I was there to watch my husband cross the finish line. Today was the Brooklyn Half-Marathon, Paul's first race of the season.

Paul ran the 13.1 mile course in 2:01:08, cutting a full ten minutes off of last year's time. That's a 9:14 minute mile, beating his personal goal by 16 seconds.

Last year the race started in Coney Island and ended in Prospect Park. This year it was just the opposite, with the finish line in front of the old Parachute Jump. More than 9,400 runners competed, and the boardwalk was crowded with friends and family cheering them on.

And it was hot. I wouldn't be surprised if more than one runner took a dip in the ocean between the race and the ride home.

I think Paul was tempted, but all in all he looked a lot better after this race than he did one year ago. There were only a few traces of salt lining his face, and his breathing was completely normal by the time I finally caught up with him about 20 minutes after he finished.

No photos of him running-- I didn't see him on the course until it was too late. But I did call his name as he sprinted by, and surprisingly, he did see me. I guess sometimes you have to live in the moment instead of taking pictures of it!

A Gray Afternoon at Coney Island

My parents left early this morning after paying us a visit since Wednesday afternoon. They know two or three subway lines well enough that they can easily get to most of the tourist attractions while I'm at work, but I wasn't so sure about the one thing they actually requested to see: Coney Island. Specifically, they wanted a real Nathan's hot dog.

So Mom, Dad and I took our umbrellas and appetites to the boardwalk Friday afternoon. We got the hot dogs out of the way first thing. Mom and Dad opted for chili cheese dogs and a bacon and cheese dog, but I got a plain one doused in ketchup and mustard. I liked it much better than the only other one I'd ever had- a chili cheese dog last Memorial Day. It was a lot cleaner, too.

Last Memorial Dad the place was packed, but it was also sunny and a holiday. On a gray Friday afternoon, Coney Island was nearly empty. We saw two people ride the Cyclone, but few of the other rides were even running.


A group of friends were at a table on the boardwalk, but it was mostly bare. Some of the food stands looked like they were still boarded up.


We snapped quite a few pictures, but we still spent only about an hour there. Makes you wonder about the glory days.

Coney Island at Night

Like even the worst of county fairs, Coney Island looks much less dingy at night. As we walked by Astroland after the Huey Lewis concert Thursday night, the bright lights and neon signs transformed Coney Island into what I had always imagined it to be. If ever a hot dog joint could look magical, Nathan's was it.

Still a line!

The Cyclone: I would ride it again if I didn't want to move my neck for a week.

Coney Island's subway station: Almost classy

It's 1984 at Coney Island!

I can remember listening to only three cassette tapes in the car when I was a kid: the Pointer Sisters, Whitney Houston and Huey Lewis and the News.

And while the Pointer Sisters were my favorite, Huey Lewis came in a close second. So you can imagine I was pretty excited when Paul brought home a leaflet last month that said the group was playing for free last night as part of a summer concert series at a park near Coney Island.

We brought some beach towels to sit on and got there early enough to sit on a slight incline, so we had a good view of the stage. Hundreds of chairs were set up in front of us-- more than half were empty, I think-- for VIP's (whoever they were), so that was kind of annoying. But we had fun in the "cheap seats," where quite a few people were dancing and even more were singing along.


The concert started just the same way as the tape we always listened to in the car: a heartbeat thumping. Everyone cheered as the "The Heart of Rock and Roll" started: "New York, New York is everything they say, and no place that I'd rather be."

They played most of my favorites in about 90 minutes-- a childhood dream come true!

Coney Island

Sam mentioned an interest in going to Coney Island last Monday, and I was all for it. Since we were going to be driving them to the Newark airport early that evening, we decided to drive there.

That was mistake #1. It was Memorial Day, so the beach, boardwalk and ride areas were extremely crowded. Paul patiently drove down street after street looking for a spot. Finally we found one near the boardwalk in Brighton Beach, a neighborhood abutting Coney Island. It was about a 20 block walk to get to Coney Island proper.



Although the day was hot, the boardwalk and the strong ocean breezes made me cold. The rides are just off the boardwalk, and there it was hot again. I think it was impossible to dress comfortably.

The Cyclone was the first ride we came to, and the one we all wanted to ride. After dozens of visits to Cedar Point, I didn't have high hopes. Still, the Cyclone is a classic, so I forked over the 8 bucks and strapped myself in.

That was mistake #2. I should have been warned that this wasn't going to be your normal amusement park ride when simply getting on the coaster was a kind of free-for-all. There was no set line-- when the train pulled up, you grabbed a seat as quickly as you could. And previous riders could stay on the coaster by giving the workers $5 (although I think Sam said the workers were cutting the riders some deals-- two for $7 and the like).

Anyway, the view up the hill was lovely. On the way down, however, my neck snapped back and I couldn't lift my head up for several seconds. The rest of the wooden ride was jerky, of course, and that didn't help. By the time I got off, I was in some serious pain. I couldn't turn my head all the way around for a couple of days, and I only felt back to normal on Friday.

So I basically paid $8 for whiplash.

We ended the day at Nathan's Famous, obviously to sample the famous hot dogs. I had buy-one-get-one-free hot dogs (yep, I'm still a cheapskate), and Paul wanted the chili cheese dog. So I got one too.

That was mistake #3. The hot dog itself tasted fine, but the cheese was a little disgusting and very messy.



All in all, I'm glad we went to Coney Island, despite my bad impressions. There was a lot of talk that it might not even open this year, and after hearing about it for so many years I would have been very disappointed to have missed it. Still, I won't voluntarily go back for awhile, unless maybe for the Mermaid Parade later this month. It was simply a faded county fair without the animals.