Coney Island

If you’ve visited New York but haven’t yet been to Coney Island, don’t worry, neither have I, until now, of course. I can’t believe it’s taken me all these years to finally make my way here. I remember when I first came in 2004 it seemed so far away, an hour on the train! In Europe an hour on the train can take you pretty far, here you are still in the same city! It’s nuts. We intentionally visited during the week to beat the crowds. As it turns out, however, off season, the parks aren’t even open during the week, for obvious reasons. The one thing you CAN count on is to try Nathan’s famous hot dogs, but don’t worry, they taste like cardboard so you’re not missing much if they happen to be closed ha! In true American style however, they do know how to sell them. Coney Island is all kitsch, color and there is something really gritty about the place. It makes me think of scenes from movies (spiderman, big, annie hall, requiem for a dream) and editorial shoots and it does make for the perfect backdrop, especially when completely empty like it was during our visit. All that definitely adds to it’s charm. It’s actually kind of funny that when you sit on a sandy Coney Island beach you quickly come to the realization that New York City is in fact by the water. Somehow the hustle and bustle of the island always makes me forget this. That alone is a reason why Coney Island is my new favourite spot in NYC! xoxo