An Island Adventure

We were very fortunate this weekend to have my husband's parents and sister come and stay with us.  It was also a fantastic weekend here in NYC and so we wanted to spend as much time outside as possible.  Since moving to Manhattan we have been enjoying as much of the city as possible (see my Quintessentially New York series), and this weekend was not going to be an exception.  We jumped in the car and headed down to the boardwalk in Coney Island.  None of us had ever been to there so it was a great opportunity to enjoy the sun, and see a real American tradition.

For me Coney Island was all about juxtapositions - bright coloured rides against a backdrop of post-war bland low-income housing and really old versus new.  There were an abundance of signs everywhere telling us what to eat, how to have fun and just doing whatever possible to vie for our attention.  We had a really wonderful walk up and down the boardwalk and along the pier, had a hotdog from Nathan's (a tradition I have since learned), and really just enjoyed spending the day out in the sun together.  What I can say is that now I have been on a nice warm day, as lovely as it is to enjoy a beach so close to the city, there were so many people - and it isn't even summer yet - and it was so loud that I really am not sure if we will go back.  I am happy we got to experience what is Coney Island once, however that is probably good for me. Has anyone else been? What are your thoughts on this amusement land?