The Boys of Summer at Luna Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY

Luna Park
Coney Island
1000 Surf Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

There are a million and one reasons to venture out on the F train to Coney Island.  Back in the day Pop pop Art used to walk over every day from his digs in Brighton Beach, throw on some baby oil and burn to a crisp.  Our boys have been heading out there since before they could walk. From the beach boardwalk to a Cyclones game,  from the Mermaid Parade to Nathan's Famous 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest this place is a blast!

 

Mayor DeBlasio and family take in the Mermaid Parade!

But what has drawn the boys' summer camp at CBE more these last few summers has been the resurrection of the boardwalk amusements.  The original Luna Park was amazing at the turn of the last century.  It included a giant elephant hotel, the real bearded lady, and Thomas Edison's first nickelodeons.   My dad rode the original Steeple Chase as a kid.  My grandparents went on dates to escape the hot, sticky city.  But we came for the updated rides and a little bit of Nathan's.

Luna Park is the newest of the small, independent parks.  We always hit Deno's Wonder Wheel first; a giant swinging, spinning, towering ferris wheel with a view from the beach all the way to Manhattan on a perfect day like today.  While we didn't even make it on the historic Cyclone, or the new enticing Thunderbolt, the boys fav today was the Wild River log flume.   The second time was a charm, as the ride clobbered the hot sun with a few misty splashes in line to a full soaking at the finish.  So, come for the rays, come for the bumper cars, or just to watch a crazy parade (I recommend NOT dressing up in Egyptian costumes on the "Shark of the Covenant" as I did back in '05) or just come for the fireworks, but you ain't been to Brooklyn if you haven't been to America's original funland. 

Yeah, that's me, pre-dadventures, back left