New York City Travel Forum

hi there,
i'm going next week to new york and i'm planning on visiting coney island with a fellow photographer friend of mine. i know it's no longer quite what it was in it's hayday, but we're going to photograph nostalgia and we've gotten permission to photograph the sideshow.

my question is more, how seedy are the seedy areas? are they 'don't go there unless you want to get stabbed' areas or are they more along the lines of 'there are dark alleys and mainly harmless but very creepy people' seedy? which areas should i specifically avoid? i'm used to big cities so i'm generally street smart, so if an area looks shady, i normally avoid it..lol. i just kind of want to know what to expect when i get there. besides the new carousel, any other hidden gems a photographer might appreciate? i unfortunately will not be there for the mermaid parade.:(
thanks:)
Jess

Jessicat, I grew up just a few miles from there. I would not go further west than West 21 Street, which i believe is the location of the ballpark where the Cyclones play. If you go further west (West 22 St, etc), you are now outside of the "amusement district" and heading into a slum. No, it's not "seedy and colorful"; it's a real ghetto. The amusement area starts at West 8 St, where you will still find the Cyclone roller coaster, next to the Aquarium. The kiddie rides, known as Dino's Amusement Park, sold out to the developer. I understand that there will be some kind of "temporary" kiddie park this summer. The developer has scaled back his once-grand plans for COney Island, so that in 2010 there won't be any more kiddie park at all. You should still see many barkers touting their rigged softball-tossing, shooting the red star out of the paper target games, hoop shooting, etc. Nathan's is still there, on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues. WIll you be there for the MERMAID PARADE?!

oh, you won't see the Parade. That's the epitome of COney Island "cultcha." Shame.

if you can't hear the ocean or see the subway, you don't want to be there.

lol. very good to know. thanks to both of you and i'm super sad, too that i won't be there for the mermaid parade.

i'm glad to know that there are still old fashioned 'rigged' games on the island.

am i correct in the assumption that the ferris wheel is still open and the B&B carousel is perminantly closed? i remember reading somewhere they had plans to relocate it, but couldn't find any further info on it.
thanks again to both of you for the advice:)
Jess

jessicat, the carousel ride was sold to the CIty 2 years ago. The physical building, with its misspelled "Carousell" sign, is still there, but empty. I believe the WOnder Wheel is still there. If I can find the time tomorrow, I will go out of my way and drive through the old neighborhood. When are you coming to Brooklyn?

wow. really? lol. that would be super nice of you:) i'm visiting the 13th. so..ack! next week::grin:: i'm super excited. i'm staying in chelsea. go every year with my family, but this is the first time i'm visiting coney island. a friend of mine is going with his girlfriend at the same time and we're meeting up and taking the subway there.

OK I'll see what I can do.

Good info from Foot..that part on the east side of C.Island is pretty sketchy..please please expore more west..go to Brighton Beach and see little Odessa and see the russian/ukraine shops and restaurants..I LOVE IT THERE..

Also..it's a bit of a stretch..but if you want a city that has conflicting history..the new and upcoming with the old and abandoned, with music history and a boardwalk...take the NJ transit train to Asbury Park, New Jersey (1.5 hours on train/1 hour by vehicle). It's where I am originally from.

asbury has contributed a great deal to vt. there is another top member from asbury but no longer living there and i lived in loch arbor, first house on the other side of the lake. i just sent john a picture of the remains of the casino and have a whole bunch of desolate pictures on my page. will bring you back some memories.

Jessicat and eagle, feel free to look at my very new Coney Island photos in a new album on my homepage Let me know what you think.

good pix

just wanted to say thanks to everyone who helped me out with the info for Coney island.:) went, took a ton of photos which i'm slowly posting as travelogues and had a blast.It was like visiting an old fashioned travelling carnival.:) I can also confirm that almost all the rides are still open and functional on a saturday. I think it was probably my favorite part of my trip to nyc. keep an eye on my nyc travel guide, if you'd like to see the pics all your replies yielded:P
Jess