Guide to Coney Island, NYC
Coney Island, New York City guide - Rollercoaster, beach and New York aquarium
Once an island, Coney Island is the southernmost district of the borough of Brooklyn, which is part of New York City. A little over four miles long and not much more than half a mile wide, Coney Island was separated from Brooklyn by what was called Coney Island Creek which flooded at high tide but, since the 1940s, it has been the Belt Parkway.
The name Coney Island comes from the Dutch, Konijn Eiland, which translates as ‘rabbit island’. For almost 60 years, from 1880, Coney Island was a holiday destination for the rich from Manhattan Island who stayed in the beachfront luxury apartments and hotels. At one time there were three amusement parks in Coney Island and some of the original rides are now 
protected from destruction by property developers such as the Cyclone rollercoaster.
Coney Island has a wide sandy beach which is complemented by the Riegelmann boardwalk. There are a number of amusement arcades and food shops along the boardwalk and also the New York Aquarium. One of the attractions of the delightful beach is that it is sunny from dawn to dusk, on sunny days that is. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club swims off Coney Island beach during the winter with a special swim on New Year’s Day when the sea is at its coldest.
Coney Island is still very much the place that people go to relax and enjoy beach front restaurants and sunbathing in the summer. After years of neglect there are new developments underway and much of the vibrant atmosphere that made the area so appealing before the Second World War has returned.
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