Day in Brooklyn
 

I would like to know if it makes sense to do the following (in this order):
walk the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn
have a LIGHT breakfast at some place (suggestions welcomed)
take the subway to Coney Island
walk the boardwalk
go on the Cyclone
visit Luna Park
have a late lunch at Nathan's
take the subway back to Manhattan
How logical is this?
Thanks for your input!!

When are you planning on going? I'm not sure when the ridesclose for the season - and it will be earlier during the week thanon the weekend.

Assuming you start really early--like 6 am - this i s doable - but you should know that Coney Island is about an hour from Manhattan by subway - and the area isn;t very salubrious if you're by yourself.

If this is during the week, most things will be closed on Coney Island. The Aquarium is open all the time and off season would be a great time to visit.

If you have been to NY lots of times and seen most of the sites, then a trip to Coney Island might be fun, but off season not much there to see other than the ocean and the Aquarium.

Oh and the food at Nathan's is quite honestly not that great and expensive for what you get.

If you do go, keep your extectations VERY low, and you will enjoy the trip.

travelbuff, are the hot dogs and fries at Nathan's not as good as they used to be, or have you never liked them? I'm curious, because I used to LOVE them, especially the thick crinkle-cut fries, with tons of ketchup on them!

If fries are what you are seeking, I can send you to several places in Manhattan where they are GREAT. The last time I was out at Coney Island, earlier this summer, the fries at Nathan's were not crispy and were oily and not even hot.

If fries are what you want Pomme Fritte, is THE PLACE on 2nd Ave just south of St. Mark's Place. Another favorite is WAY UPTOWN at The Piper's Kilt at 207th and Broadway, great fries and burgers here. The last stop on the A train.

I've been to Coney Island in the off-season, and I'm hard-pressed to give a highly compelling reason to go there then. Well yes, it is kind of fun to walk around the boardwalk and pier to do some people watching (if the weather is good), and Nathan's indeed does a good hot dog. But I found the Aquarium to be small and tired and not nearly as interesting as ones in most any other city you can name (okay, maybe it's better then the minuscule one in Wood's Hole, MA and the equally tiny one attached to the Memphis Zoo). But with so many other interesting things to do in Brooklyn specifically and in NYC generally, I'm not sure it's worth the long subway ride out there and back to experience all this.

For Brooklyn, would suggest going to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, walking the Brooklyn Bridge and then exploring the Brooklyn Heights area, or visiting the Brooklyn Museum as higher priority activities in the borough.

My high school was within walking distance of Nathan's and I went to public school with Nathan's grand daughter. Nathan's even catered our tiny wedding a thousand years ago.

As a kid Nathan's french fries were perfect. They were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They were made by adults who made hundreds of pounds a day and knew what they were doing. Now they are owned by the Riese Brothers who food alchemists. They turn food into s--t. The franks are still good if they have not been on the grill all day, but the fries are pallid imitations of the past.

As far Coney Island is concerned, it has always had a honky tonk atmosphere and like most romantic notions, the notion is greater than the reality.

Coney Island's season has been extended until the end of October for 2010.

http://www.brownstoner.com/brownston...bell_co_14.php

Thank you all so much for your commentary. Just some clarification: I am visiting with my Mom (60y/o) my niece and her cousin (13 & 14 y/o)in the 3rd week of June 2011.
We will be in NYC for 7 days (my niece's 8th Grade graduation present). I'm sure my Mom will ditch me for some of our excursions (she's more of the Spa, Dinner and Broadway Show type- not that there's any thing wrong with that, but the girls need to have a good time). Anyway, I though it would be good if they had some sort of typical FUN experience to break up the touring, museum & site seeing experience. Should be maybe split up walking the Bridge and Coney Island versus "hitting" Brooklyn in one day?

mochagabette, looks like you may be able to visit Coney Island "in season," which likely will be more fun.

Not sure if it makes any sense to visit Coney Island in the late afternoon or early evening, as I haven't been there "in season" before, but that might be an option. This would make it very easy to combine with a Brooklyn Bridge walk and Brooklyn Heights exploration earlier in the day.

We will be going to Brooklyn for dinner and Barge Music. Any good ideas for dinner near the bridge? It seems that most reviewers thinkt the River Cafe is over rated. Any other ideas?

I think a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge followed by Coney Island is certainly do-able in one day! Not so sure about where to get a light breakfast, as DUMBO is more geared towards lunch/dinner/drinks, but I believe La Bagel Delight is still in business on Front Street.

When you get to the far end of the bridge, follow the path down the stairs to the left instead of the sloping part, then bear left out of the underpass. This will put you on the edge of DUMBO. To get to Coney Island, you will want the F train at York Street, which is kind of the other side of the area (about 5 blocks away). In between, there are a couple of upscale grocery stores and a deli that also would offer breakfast options... From there, the subway should take about 45-50 minutes.

Oh, and I agree that Nathan's has gone way downhill. Not inedible though - and worth it just to say you've done it!

divamorgan, one of my favorite places in DUMBO is called SuperFine: local ingredients and a menu that changes daily. Be forewarned, it's a boisterous, popular place - not insanely loud but no candlelight romance either. And one of my favorite resources for restaurant listings is www.menupages.com (click on the link for Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO).

You can get a light breakfast at Almondine under the Brooklyn Bridge, it's a french pastry place.
http://www.almondinebakery.com/Stores.html

Then head on to the F train to get to Coney island. You can do the Bridge and Coney Island in one day.

Since you are going in June, you will miss most of the long waits at Coney Island because the school year ends on June 28 in NYC in 2011.

You can purchase a timed bracelet for Luna Park and without the long waits, you may be able to get on all of the rides with the bracelet if you go mid-day. I did this with my niece and nephew during the same time this year and they had enough time to go on each ride twice if they wanted. Take plenty of sunscreen!