Undiscovered New York: All the way to Coney Island

Coney Island is New York City’s very own magical land of Oz. Just about everyone has heard about it – a derelict Brooklyn resort and amusement park stacked with ramshackle rides, Nathan’s hot dogs, sashaying mermaids and Vaudevillian freak shows – a seaside Gomorrah of fading glories and sandy cigarette butts. It is a place that is at once alluring and repulsive…drawing you in with its mysterious and nostalgic charms but never leaving you fully satisfied with what you’ve seen.

Unless you live in New York, there’s a good chance you’ve never made the trip out to the very last stop in Brooklyn at Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue. There’s a good reason why – Coney Island tends to be a polarizing place to visit. Some people hate it – stacked with second rate fried clam shops, indigestion and bad carnival rides. Other people visit and can’t get enough – it’s an area steeped in quirky history, unique stories and amusement park nostalgia. Love it or hate it, word has it that Coney Island, a seaside resort that has persisted since the 1860’s, may be on its last legs. The property was purchased in 2006 and the developers have plans to turn the area into a giant Vegas-style shopping mall.

If there was ever a time to go and visit one of New York’s more offbeat attractions, this would be that time. While each year has brought another 11th-hour reprieve, the strange sights of Coney Island are not destined to last forever. Where else can you gawk at contortionists and sword swallowers at one of the country’s last remaining circus sideshows? Or get tossed around on a rickety old roller coaster? Or eat some of New York’s best pizza? Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, Undiscovered New York is going all the way to Coney Island…
Getting Freaky
Coney Island is among the last places in the U.S. to see a real circus sideshow, complete with a man who hammers spikes into his skull, a fire and glass eater, and a snake charmer and contortionist, among others. It’s a bizarre show that somehow manages to be strangely beautiful in its oddity. Entrance fee is $7.50 for adults and just $5 for children.

Perhaps though you’re not satisfied just looking at circus curiosities? Perhaps you would actually like to try swallowing a sword or two yourself? Never fear, the Coney Island Sideshow School is here to help. Sideshow “professors” Donny Vomit and Adam Rinn teach eager students the fundamentals of fire eating, glass walking and “sticking foreign objects up their noses.” Grab your preferred foreign object and $600 and sign yourself up today.

Old-School Amusements
If old wooden roller coasters are your thing, consider the Coney Island Cyclone to be the grand dame of them all. It’s by no means a large coaster – in fact it’s dwarfed in size by wooden giants like The Beast or American Eagle, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up in sheer exhilarating surprise. The tiny coaster cars creak and groan, whipping around hairpin turns and threatening to splinter and shatter apart at any moment. If you have no other reason to come to Coney Island, this alone will make a trip worthwhile.

The other great amusement worth noting is Coney Island’s iconic Wonder Wheel. The wheel has become something of a celebrity having appeared in a number of movies and commercials, including The Warriors, First constructed in 1920, the iron giant has managed to weather more than 80 years of harsh New York weather, coming through with a perfect safety record.

Classic Charm
Clearly if you’re still reading by now, you’re interested in coming to Coney Island not for its modern conveniences, but instead for its creaky, dilapidated old glories. There’s a couple key spots for drinking and for relaxing that truly bring this point home.

Boardwalk regulars like to stop by Cha Cha’s, one of the many al fresco restaurants dishing up drinks and fried foods along Coney Island’s fabled boardwalk. But unlike the others, which can seem a bit mediocre, Cha Cha’s boasts its own stripper pole, neon day-glo murals of Coney Island and a collection of old junk that would make any landfill proud. Just the spot to down a few fried shrimp or a frozen margarita.

If you’re feeling a bit more energetic, then dust off those old roller skates. It’s time for an retro roller disco party at Dreamland Roller Rink. The rink makes its temporary home inside the majestic 1920’s era Childs Building, where skaters of all ages can come on Friday nights, gliding along to retro funk and soul music. The club will be reopening for the 2009 summer season on May 23rd.

[Thanks, Kendra]

Gadling Take FIVE: Week of September 20-26

In the ever changing scene of world travel, this week Gadling pointed to some of the highlights of change.

  • If you want to see Angkor Wat before it goes totally upscale, you’d better hurry. It might be too late. Josh wrote about how high end development is going on all around the complex.
  • In the world of gadgets that make travel easier, Scott posted about the new T-Mobile G1 which should make several aspects of staying in touch while on the road easier and cheaper.
  • In Jerry’s Talking Travel conversation with Snake Charmer author Jamie James, part of the talk was about how James’s interest in China changed after he wrote about Shanghai in 2001. As he points out, one’s interest in a particular can changed based on exposure. For James, China has lost his attention.
  • Jeremy’s latest addition to his New York series is a lush piece on the changes in Staten Island’s landscape over the years–more specifically, the section of Staten Island where old boats and ships are put to rest.
  • When it comes to politics, Grant has his attention on the changing of the communist guard due to the absence of Kim Jong Il and Fidel Castro. He imagines them sitting on a beach somewhere chatting it up while drinking out of coconuts. Grant is a little weird that way.

What I hope isn’t changing is people’s ability to have a grand experience, even if it’s one they find in their own neighborhoods.

Infant Fights Cobra in Bizarre Indian Ritual


Think you’ve seen it all? The video above shows a one-year-old baby “fighting” a de-fanged cobra snake in a bizarre right-of-passage for the young Indian child. And by “fighting” I’m sure they mean “just laying there while a friggin’ snake tries to sink its fangs into his head.”

“This bizarre spectator sport – reportedly from Kasimkota in Andhra Pradesh – has been condemned by animal rights protesters after footage appeared on the internet,” according to an article in the Daily Mail. Apparently a cobra’s fangs can grow back before the “fight” is over, and the babies are put in danger of being bitten by one of the most dangerous and poisonous snakes in the world.

Please tell me this is an isolated case.