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A sunny day spent strolling the boardwalk is tops for pure, unadulterated summer fun
Coney Island
Today’s most celebrated amusement parks owe their existence to the pioneering rides and spectacles that turned New York’s Coney Island into America’s premier playground in the early 20th century. Saunter along the stroller-friendly Riegelmann Boardwalk, which runs 2.7 miles from Coney Island to Brighton Beach, and you’ll see classic attractions like the now-defunct Parachute Jump (originally built to help train troops, it's now known as Brooklyn’s Eiffel Tower), as well as the colossal Wonder Wheel and the rickety, wooden-railed Cyclone roller coaster – both date from the 1920s and are still very much in action. Aside from the rides, there's the kid-friendly New York Aquarium, as well as a funky circus sideshow revival, featuring acts like Jackie the Human Tripod and The Lizardman, as well as Burlesque on the Beach (which demonstrates the stranger side of new vaudeville). Stick around for summer's Friday night fireworks.
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