2009 Update
Astroland, one of Coney Island's two major parks, permanently closed at the end of the 2008 season. Astroland's Cyclone coaster, however, is open in 2009 (as are a number of other Coney Island amusements).There are no gates, and admission to the amusement areas is free. Guests purchase tickets and pay a la carte for rides and attractions.
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Driving: Belt Parkway to Exit 6. South on Cropsey Ave. toward Coney Island. Cropsey becomes W 17th St. Left onto Surf Ave. to Coney Island's amusement area.
Parking: There are meters on the streets and parking lots in the area. On busy weekends, if everything appears to be full, you could drive about a mile away to Brighton Beach, which has a large parking lot, and walk the boardwalk back to Coney Island.
Other highlights:
- The Cyclone Roller Coaster
- Nathan's Famous- The chain's original hot dog joint has an evocative vibe and great food--especially the fries.
- The New York Aquarium
- The Coney Island Circus Sideshow- Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, to one of Americana's last genuine freak shows.
- Cyclones minor league baseball
- The boardwalk and the beach
In 1884, the Switchback Railway, a precursor to the modern roller coaster, opened. Through the years, Coney Island hosted more than 50(!) coasters, including the circa-1927 (and still operating) Cyclone and the circa-1925 Thunderbolt (removed in 2000 to make way for the baseball stadium). Coney Island also had as many as 30 dark rides
- The Cyclone at Coney Island Roller Coaster Ride Review
- Coney Island Photo Gallery
- Wonder Wheel at Coney Island Ride Review
- Spook-A-Rama at Coney Island Ride Review
Official Web Sites and Other Coney Island Links
Coney Island still does what it has been doing for decades: bringing people from all walks of life together for thrills, laughter, great food, fun, and relief from the city's heat. But, the amusement area is poised at a difficult crossroads. Change is inevitably coming, and coming fairly soon. Everyone might agree that the crumbling area needs some help. But the architects of change need to find a delicate balance between bringing Coney Island into the 21st century and irrevocably severing its ties to the past. Bet
- November 11, 2009:
It appears that there may be some real momentum to finally redevelop Coney Island. The City of New York will pay $95.6 million for a seven-acre parcel of land along the fabled boardwalk. Developer Joseph Sitt, who has been sitting on prime Coney Island real estate and had his own restoration plans, agreed to sell the property. Sitt will retain 5.6 acres and hopes to build hotels and other venues to capitalize on a resurrected Coney Island.
The city wants a temporary amusement vendor (perhaps reopening the door to the former owners of Astroland?) to keep the Island hopping for the next few years while it seeks a developer, or perhaps a number of developers, to help remake the landmark seaside amusement area. It's unclear what impact the redevelopment would have on Deno's Wonder Wheel Park or other existing attractions. - July 2009:
Long-stalled proposals to revitalize the run-down amusement mecca got a major boost when the New York City Council voted to approve Mayor Bloomberg's redevelopment plans. The good news is that the vote sets the stage to build a gleaming new amusement area that might include a new roller coaster and other amusement attractions. The mostly bad news is that the rezoning plan shoehorns the outdoor amusement area into a ludicrously compact nine-and-a-half-acre area. Further, it allows high-rise housing, the usual retail mall suspects, upscale hotels, and other homogenized additions to encroach on the People's Playground. Historic buildings, including the evocatively tacky hot doggery, Nathan's, could be bulldozed into oblivion. - At the end of the 2008 season, the Albert family that had operated Astroland for many years, said that it wanted to negotiate a two-year lease extension with controversial landowner Thor Equities. When Thor missed a deadline to reply to the request, the Alberts decided to call it quits. Astroland did not reopen in 2009 and is now closed permanently, .
- No matter what, the Cyclone roller coaster, which used to be part of Astroland, is a National Historic Landmark and is protected in perpetuity. Deno's Wonder Wheel Park (which does not sit on land owned by Thor) and virtually all of the other concessions reopened for the 2009 season.
