I understand Coney Island is now closed. We arrive in New York on Sat pm and had hoped to check it out on Sunday. What other interesting stuff could we do in that area? We love to explore neighborhoods, and will be on foot. We are staying in Midtown.

I seem to remember visiting Coney Island last fall in September and going on rides.

From the Coney Island's site, it appears that the rides/attractions area is open on the weekends through the end of September.
See: http://www.coneyisland.com/tourism.shtml

Perhaps someone else can confirm?

You could always go out there and take a stroll on the boardwalk and then eat at one of the Russian restaurants further down at Brighton Beach.

The Aquarium is in the same general area. But it's about an hour from the Manhattan by subway - and the area is not the most salubrious.

Unless you have already seen a lot of Manhattan I would not add this to your list. There are many other, nearer and most interesting ares of explore - either in Manhattan or nearby Brooklyn.

How many days are you in town Jenny?

You might also want to check out DUMBO, another Brooklyn neighborhood. If you do searches here you'll find more information.

Astroland closed forever last Sunday.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/...alls_it_q.html

hey dmlove--thanks for the link.

Did you check out the old photos of Coney Island in that article?

Pretty neat:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gall...ey_island.html

The pictures are fantastic (I'm a huge Nathan's fan, grew up going to the one in Oceanside, now long since gone)!

As an aside, when my mother (who grew up in Cleveland) was 17, she came to NY to visit an aunt and uncle, and was taken to Coney Island on a date. They went on the Cyclone, her one and only time on a roller coaster, and she promptly threw up when they got off!

Sorry for the OT, but it brings back mostly good memories (one bad -the only time I've been "mugged" in my life was on the boardwalk in Coney Island in 1963).

There really isn't anything to "see" in that area, since Coney Island is closed. The only attraction is the Aquarium which is wonderful and well worth a visit, but it does take an hour to get there, and there are so many things to see in Manhattan, not sure if you are only here for a few days if the trip is worthwhile. The area all around Coney Island is VERY run down, most of the stores are closed. There is a furniture store that caters to the area, and alot of tee-shirt stores, a handful of fast food places. There is a micro-brewery that opened recently.

The view of the ocean from there is also beautiful and the walk along the boardwalk if fun.

So I guess pluses and minuses.

Hope this helps.

Okay people, there is a difference between "Coney Island" and "Astroland". Coney Island is NOT closed. It is a beach, boardwalk, neighborhood, and several various amusements rides that are all open for business. Astroland, which is one section of amusement rides (but is NOT the famous roller coaster) is closed. But honestly, you might not even notice it if you go there.

I personally do not like Coney Island, because it is kind of trashy and cheap, but if you squint real hard you can see its former splendour.

The roller coaster is not part of Astroland Amusement Park. From what I understand, the park did not receive a renewal on their land lease. But they didn't own the roller coaster anyway.

Anyone know if the Cyclone's operating schedule has been affected?

Coney Island hasn;t been "splendid" since the 1920's - when most of the attractions are from.

The nearby neighborhoods are best described as very mixed (some not pleasant).

Frankly - not someplace I would go at all. Nathan's dog isn;t worth it - and the rides were never anything to write home about.

Very old fashioned - and tacky.

If you really want to visit Coney and like baseball, and can wait until Monday, there's a Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets farm team) on Monday night.
http://www.brooklyncyclones.com/tickets/schedule/

I have to agree, there isn't much to see down there unless you're really interested in old wooden roller coasters. I only go there for the Mermaid Parade once every few years.

All depends on what you are looking for? For someone who's only been to NY a few times, and likes museums, shopping, spectacular architecture - then going all the way out to see Coney Island would definitely be a waste of time. But if you are into nostalgia, like to explore neighborhoods, have been to NY many times - then it is a nice half day.

What is there specifically to SEE - well it's a beach (and no it's not beautiful by any stretch); and it's a boardwalk (which is a wide, long wooden walkway - nothing more - but if you've never seen one...), it's greasy fast food (but some people really like greasy fast food once in a while), it's an old fashioned amusement park - even with Astroland closed. If you are thinking amusement park like 6 Flags or Disney then you will be soooo disappointed. It's tacky. But that's the POINT. Put it all together it's an experience.

A few minutes walk away is Brighton Beach, an ethnic (Russian, etc) neighborhood, main street of which is under the elevated subway line. Beautiful - absolutely not, pleasant - not terribly, interesting - for some people (and they have great bakeries).

Here are some photos I took there last summer, it should pretty much look the same. www.pbase.com/annforcier/image/84273962

I wouldn't take the advice of people who haven't been and would not go there. The people I know who "hate" Coney Island haven't been there in 20 years. Everyone else I know takes their kids there at least once a year. The Aquarium is beautiful (especially the outdoor reef and the show) and the boardwalk is fun to walk down. It's the french fries that everyone goes to Nathan's for, and they do not taste the same as the one at the mall.

Nathan's french fries are the best!!

Well -
we go to Coney Island most years - to see the aquarium - and do Nathan's while we're there. The fries are OK for that ind of fry. I eat them very rarely nd prefer the thin, crispy ones.

And the neighborhood is not great, the rides/amusements are tacky and if you want a beach Rockaway or Jones is much better.

(But that's from someone who grew up on LI and only went to Coney Islan twice as a child. And I wasn;t impresed then either. My mother said it wasn't bad when she was a child - in the 20's.)