Last weekend was the official opening of Coney Island‘s amusement parks — and for the first time in about 18 months, the neighborhood buzzed with people and activity. Those who went on the amusement park rides, the carnival games or who stopped at Nathan’s Famous and the other spots in the neighborhood seemed excited to just be out and have something else to do.
Naturally, I took my brand new Canon 6D Mark II to one of my favorite places in the entire city to take pictures on what turned out to be a chilly and very foggy night. But to see the neon lights and the people! That was absolutely worth it all. Check out some photos below.
Caption: Deno’s Wonder Wheel, seen in a thickening fog. Because of COVID restrictions, I couldn’t get the photo I really wanted. But you best believe, that your boy will figure that out in the upcoming weeks. In the immediate foreground are the pieces of a new roller coaster.
Caption: The Thunderbolt in the thickening fog. The light structures barely piercing through the fog are from MCU Park, the home of the New York Mets’ minor league affiliate, Brooklyn Cyclones. Adding to the overall eeriness of the scene, is the the fact that everything shut down promptly at around 10 or so.
Caption: William’s Candy on Surf Avenue. There’s something about the candy and the neon sign that always captures my eye.
Caption: Coney Island’s famed Parachute Drop.
Caption Local kids about to play a game for some prizes. Good luck, kids!
Caption: This particular animatronic robot was so creepy. People briefly thought that this was a real, old-timey carney and the responses were pretty hilarious.
Caption: Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk (partial) as seen from the pier.
Caption: Sea and sand, as seen from the pier.
Caption: The Funny Face is a Coney Island mascot that dates back to the 1890s. If you’re anything like me, you’ve likely spent hours staring at that wide-eyed, grinning face.
Caption: The Thunderbolt.
Caption: Translucent Seahorse. Immigrant women were selling these light-up balloons and other toys on the boardwalk. It probably wouldn’t be surprising to hear that I heard at least two different parents complain about how much the toys were going for — and at least one group complain about the cost of the rides. Inflation and a pandemic make for tough times, I imagine.
Caption: Sometimes I have the mind of a 12 year old. And this sign — deliberately cropped — made me snicker.
Caption: This brother was interesting. He and a business partner had a small private bus that they turned into the a small, traveling tour that managed to smell so much of weed smoke that I got a bit of a contact high. They’re out there hustling and he wound up chatting with me for a minute as I was taking photos of Nathan’s old-timey neon signs. I wanted a beer, and I very rarely carry cash, so unfortunately I didn’t purchase anything from him. However, their store van will be bouncing back and forth between Brooklyn and Queens so be on the lookout and support a small black business.
Caption: It can’t be a stop at Coney Island if I’m not stopping at Nathan’s Famous for some hot dogs, some bacon cheese fries and a large Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner.
Caption: Stillwell Avenue D, N. F and Q Station in the fog, as seen while standing at Nathan’s Famous. At this point, the fog started to get increasingly thicker — to the point that the Parachute Drop couldn’t be seen at all.
Caption: Man down! Man down! Man down! I’m pretty certain that this hydrant has been busted like this for the better part of a decade.
