16 JULY 14 - JULY 20, 2017 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
FROM FOOD TO FUN:
What to do in Coney this summer
BY JONATHAN SPERLING
EDITORIAL@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
Whether it’s your first summer
at Coney or your 50th,
we’ve rounded up some of
the best features — new and old — that
can be found in the venerable People's
Playground, now updated for the 21st
century.
Luna Park is one of the main
attractions.
There’s no fee to enter the park
itself, but you’ll have to purchase a
wristband or individual tickets before
hopping on one of the park’s 30 rides.
One of the newest additions to Luna
Park in 2017 is the All-Day Wristband,
which allows guests to try nearly every
ride in the park as many times as
they want in a day, excluding the Sling
Shot and Coney Island Raceway, which
guests may ride once. A weekday All-
Day Wristband can be purchased for
$29 for those under 48’’, and $49 for
those 48’’ and up. On weekends and
holidays, All-Day Wristbands can be
purchased for $42 for those under 48’’,
and $69 for those 48’’ and up.
Ready to ride? Good. Pay your respects
to a Coney Island classic by riding
the Cyclone, a New York City landmark
which celebrated its 90th birthday with
a block party last month. Since opening
in 1927, the Cyclone has carried close to
one million riders over 2,460 feet of
track, 12 drops and 27 elevation changes.
An 85-foot, 60 degree drop allows riders
to soar over the park at approximately
60 miles per hour. Individual rides on
the Cyclone cost $10.
Now that you’ve experienced the old,
what about the new? Take a spin on the
WindstarZ, which gives guests the
option of controlling their own ride
experience, controlling the movement
of the wings and seats of a glider while
donning a virtual reality headset. Paying
tribute to the Roman adoption of of
the Greeks' 12-wind system compass
system and Vitruvius’ 24-wind rose,
the WindstarZ features 12 arms and
24 seats that allow multiple riders to
feel as if they are hang-gliding over
the Riegelmann Boardwalk.
Once you’ve worked up an appetite,
consider stopping by the newly-reopened
Feltman’s of Coney Island for
a hot dog. After shutting down 63
years ago, Feltman’s was reintroduced
to the park by restaurateur Michael
Quinn this year. Grab a hot dog from
the stand located at Surf Avenue and
West 10th Street, as well as at another
stand inside Luna Park. Top your ‘red
hot” with sauerkraut, raw onions, chili,
cheese and mustard.
For more information on Luna Park,
including operating hours, visit www.
LunaParkNYC.com.
Just next door is Deno's Wonder
Wheel Park, home to two of Coney's
greats — the iconic Wonder Wheel
and Spook-A-Rama. The 150-foot-high
Ferris wheel is unusual in offering
its riders the option of taking a spin
in either a stationary or swinging
car; it dates back to 1920 and has been
a landmark since 1989. The swinging
cars provide riders with a moderate
thrill; the best view, however, can
be attained from the stationary cars
which sit at the very top of the wheel.
Spook-A-Rama is a classic, 1950s era
"dark ride," though unique in that it is
the only one that, when constructed,
contained both indoor and outdoor
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/file photo
segments. A salute to the horror films
of the era, the ride occupies a special
place in the history of the amusement
area.
The park, which was founded by
Denos Vourderis, contains a total of 16
kiddie and five adult rides. Tickets for
the adult rides are $8 each; a five-pack
of tickets is $35. Tickets for the kiddie
rides cost $4 each, with a 10-pack of
tickets going for $35 and a 20-pack
going for $50.
For more info, go to denoswonderwheel.
com.
But, Coney isn't only about rides and
beach. Also drawing crowds are the
beloved New York Aquarium, MCU
Park (home to the Mets minor league
team, the Cyclones, and the Cosmos of
the North American Soccer League)
and the one-year-old Ford Amphitheater,
the neighborhood's Concert
Central.
The art-inclined can also find fun
in Coney, thanks to Coney Art Walls,
an outdoor museum located at 3050
Stillwell Avenue that features New
York street art. The exhibition, which
is curated by street art veteran Jeffrey
Deitch, is open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
daily until September. Live entertainment
and local eateries are also
available on site.
Additional reporting contributed by
Helen Klein.
The Wonder Wheel is a Coney icon.
Prepare yourself for Brokelyn Beach Club
and unlimited booze at the Coney Art Walls
BY BOBBY HANKINSON
If you’re still pining for that
long-weekend Fourth of July party,
fear not, because your next summer
spree is right around the corner.
Clear your calendars for the first
ever Brokelyn Beach Club, August
5 at Coney Art Walls. The party
gets started like all the best parties
should: a three-hour unlimited beer
sampling bonanza. Ticketed attendees
will be able to sample unlimited
drinks from Coney Island Brewery
and more. There will be games, giveaways
and summer fun galore.
Not only is it a great way to spend
the day knocking back beers and
dancing to non-stop summer jams,
but it’s also all going down in one
of Brooklyn’s most Instagram-able
spots.
The party will keep poppin’ when
the sun goes down. After the happiest
three hours of unlimited drinking,
the party is open to the public for a
summer dance party that will melt
the asphalt.
Tickets are on sale now, but act
fast. You can snag yours for a special
early-bird price of $25 if you buy
before July 21.