{"id":84965,"date":"2018-04-08T14:12:23","date_gmt":"2018-04-08T12:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/new-york-coney-island\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T21:11:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T20:11:36","slug":"new-york-coney-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/new-york-coney-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Things to Do in Coney Island, New York"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ah, <strong>New York<\/strong>. I&#8217;ll probably never get tired of this city, even the fresh breeze on <strong>Brighton Beach<\/strong> in <strong>Coney Island<\/strong> couldn&#8217;t harm me. In January, I flew to New York again. In nine months on the long haul I was there three or four times, I think. This is a special circumstance, because I have actually always made sure that the destinations in my roster do not repeat themselves too much. I wanted to see as much as possible of the flight schedule in the short time available.     <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_003.jpg\" alt=\"coney island\" class=\"wp-image-9789\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_003.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_003-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_003-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_003-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_003-1600x1067.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>But for New York, I made an exception to my resolution. New York is never too much. But the stays were always short and I had to fight with my mixture of exhaustion and jetlag, so that at the end of a good 24 hours on site minus long bus rides to the hotel and a bit of sleep there was never much time. So it was clear: I would have to go back to New York again with more time. And so I packed my bags.    <\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/label\/new-york-city\/\">By the way, you can find even more inspiration for your trip to New York here<\/a><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-palette-color-6-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>Facts about Coney Island<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Coney Island is located in the southern part of the New York borough of <strong>Brooklyn<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At the beginning of the 20th century, Coney Island was famous worldwide for its <strong>amusement mile<\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rides such as the<strong>Wonder Wheel<\/strong>, built in 1920, and<strong>the<\/strong> wooden roller coaster<strong>The Cyclone<\/strong>, which opened in 1927, were revolutionary<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Mermaid Parade<\/strong>, a large street parade that marks the start of the summer season, takes place every year<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"coney-island-im-winter\">Coney Island in winter<\/h2>\n\n<p>Three factors then came together at the beginning of the year: I had plenty of time off, I still had a vacation flight left over from last year, and best of all, there was a <strong>direct flight<\/strong> from Berlin to New York, which was always empty. Long-haul flights from Berlin are always a rarity, and many routes do not survive more than one season. (The flight to New York is no longer available either). I hate changing planes, especially at large airports. You have to walk a lot, the hustle and bustle is stressful and noisy. That&#8217;s why a direct flight from a smaller airport right on your doorstep is a real gift.     <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1800\" src=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/wonder-wheel-schild.jpg\" alt=\"wonder wheel sign\" class=\"wp-image-9811\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/wonder-wheel-schild.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/wonder-wheel-schild-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/wonder-wheel-schild-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/wonder-wheel-schild-768x1152.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The famous Wonder Wheel Ferris wheel is the landmark of Coney Island<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"brighton-beach-der-strand-von-coney-island\">Brighton Beach: The Beach of Coney Island<\/h2>\n\n<p>It became clear pretty quickly during my time on the long-haul: I like New York, I like traveling far away &#8211; but then rather privately than on business. Having more time in America for the first time again, not being plagued by total exhaustion, was so pleasant. And all the time! I spent almost an entire day driving out to Coney Island to Brighton Beach and enjoying a sunny day by the ocean. Weather-wise a real gift.    <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_006.jpg\" alt=\"coney island\" class=\"wp-image-9795\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_006.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_006-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_006-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_006-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_006-1600x1067.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Perfect for swimming in summer: The wide beaches of Coney Island  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>And everything is so beautifully nostalgic. The beach promenade, the food stalls, the famous Wonder Wheel, which is one of the most impressive sights on Coney Island. Everything is closed for the winter; no wonder, New York winters are sometimes so harsh that you don&#8217;t want to leave the house for weeks. Nevertheless, on a clear winter&#8217;s day, Coney Island is a total change from the urban jungle of Manhattan and you can let the fresh Atlantic wind blow your head free.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-palette-color-6-background-color has-background\"><strong>Are you a USA fan?<br\/><\/strong>Here you can find even more inspiration for <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/destinations\/united-states\/\">city breaks in the USA<\/a><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"vergnugungsparks-in-coney-island\">Amusement parks in Coney Island<\/h2>\n\n<p>If you want to experience Coney Island with all its stalls and rides in action, you should visit from spring to fall: Coney Island is in season from the end of March to the end of October. For a ride on the legendary <strong>Wonder Wheel<\/strong> you have to go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denoswonderwheel.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Deno&#8217;s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park<\/a>, for the nostalgic <strong>Cyclone<\/strong> roller coaster to <a href=\"http:\/\/lunaparknyc.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luna Park<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n<p>Coney Island is somehow like a cabinet of curiosities from times gone by: Every year, the Coney Island Art Center organizes whimsical events like the Mermaid Parade. Mainly in season, of course &#8211; all dates are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coneyisland.com\/event\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/freak-show-plakate-coney-island.jpg\" alt=\"freak show posters coney island\" class=\"wp-image-9815\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/freak-show-plakate-coney-island.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/freak-show-plakate-coney-island-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/freak-show-plakate-coney-island-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/freak-show-plakate-coney-island-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/freak-show-plakate-coney-island-1600x1067.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"hot-dogs-in-coney-island\">The famous hot dogs of Coney Island<\/h2>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nathansfamous.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nathan&#8217;s Famous<\/a> is said to have the best hot dogs in town, and definitely the most famous. Founded in 1916 by Polish-Jewish immigrants, the initially small hot dog stand became a popular fast food restaurant in Coney Island.  <\/p>\n\n<p>Then, in the 70s, the annual hot dog eating contest was invented, which brought Nathan&#8217;s Famous even more popularity. The well-attended and very popular event takes place every 4th of July, Independence Day and the great national holiday of the USA. It will be held at the large main branch on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenue.    <\/p>\n\n<p>But even if you can&#8217;t make it to the big eating contest (and you like meat, because unfortunately there aren&#8217;t too many options for vegetarians), you should definitely stop by the main branch and try one of the legendary hot dogs in a stylish ambience.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/nathan-s-famous-coney-island.jpg\" alt=\"nathan s famous coney island\" class=\"wp-image-9785\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/nathan-s-famous-coney-island.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/nathan-s-famous-coney-island-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/nathan-s-famous-coney-island-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/nathan-s-famous-coney-island-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/nathan-s-famous-coney-island-1600x1067.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Popular since 1916: the hot dogs from Nathan&#8217;s Famous in Coney Island.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Coney Art Walls are also just around the corner. The freely accessible open-air gallery consists of several colorful murals and reminded me a bit of the <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/street-art-miami-wynwood-walls\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4057\">Wynwood Walls<\/a> in Miami. Very worth seeing and another beautiful photo spot in Coney Island.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions about Coney Island<\/h2>\n\n<p>Are you planning a trip to New York? Coney Island is not necessarily the first place to go when visiting New York, but it is still well worth a visit. Coney Island is also relatively easy to reach. I&#8217;ll answer the most important questions here so that you have a good overview.     <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">***<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>More articles about New York:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\n\n<ul class=\"su-posts su-posts-list-loop \">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<li id=\"su-post-15982\" class=\"su-post \">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/top-of-the-rock-sunset\/\">Top of the Rock: How to Watch the Best Sunset over Manhattan<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<li id=\"su-post-84965\" class=\"su-post \">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/new-york-coney-island\/\">Best Things to Do in Coney Island, New York<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<li id=\"su-post-4454\" class=\"su-post \">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/brooklyn-bridge-sunrise\/\">New York: Sunrise on the Brooklyn Bridge<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\n<\/ul>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A trip to Coney Island is like stepping back in time. With its old-fashioned booths and nostalgic rides, Brighton Beach is so different from never-sleeping Manhattan.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"Best Things to do in Coney Island, New York","_seopress_titles_desc":"Coney Island is a must-see on a New York trip! Tips & attractions for the historic seaside resort near Manhattan!","_seopress_robots_index":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2424,488],"tags":[2272,4203,4199,3638],"class_list":["post-84965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-city-trips","category-united-states","tag-beach","tag-city-trips-north-america","tag-city-trips-usa","tag-new-york-city"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":2424,"label":"City trips"},{"value":488,"label":"USA"}],"post_tag":[{"value":2272,"label":"Beach"},{"value":4203,"label":"City breaks in North America"},{"value":4199,"label":"City breaks in the USA"},{"value":3638,"label":"New York"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coney_island_009-1600x1067.jpg",1200,800,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Tatiana","author_link":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/author\/tatit\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":2424,"name":"City trips","slug":"city-trips","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2426,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":78,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":2424,"category_count":78,"category_description":"","cat_name":"City trips","category_nicename":"city-trips","category_parent":0},{"term_id":488,"name":"USA","slug":"united-states","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":490,"taxonomy":"category","description":"Road trips, megacities, or endless expanses: The USA is truly the land of unlimited possibilities. A trip to the USA leaves no one unimpressed! You can get some tips for your vacation here, especially regarding city trips in the USA. New York is one of my favorite cities!   \n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/new-york\">New York<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/chicago\/\">Chicago<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/miami\">Miami<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/boston-freedom-trail\/\">Boston<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/route-66\/\">Route 66<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\">Washington DC<\/a>","parent":1144,"count":21,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":488,"category_count":21,"category_description":"Road trips, megacities, or endless expanses: The USA is truly the land of unlimited possibilities. A trip to the USA leaves no one unimpressed! You can get some tips for your vacation here, especially regarding city trips in the USA. New York is one of my favorite cities!   \n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/new-york\">New York<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/chicago\/\">Chicago<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/miami\">Miami<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/boston-freedom-trail\/\">Boston<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/route-66\/\">Route 66<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\">Washington DC<\/a>","cat_name":"USA","category_nicename":"united-states","category_parent":1144}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":2272,"name":"Beach","slug":"beach","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2274,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":4203,"name":"City breaks in North America","slug":"city-trips-north-america","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3398,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":16,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":4199,"name":"City breaks in the USA","slug":"city-trips-usa","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3394,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"With my tips you'll get a good overview for your own sightseeing tour in many American cities.\n\nImpressive skylines and huge streets: Big cities in the U.S. are truly another dimension. Grown up in a bigger city myself, I immediately feel at home!\n\nHere on the blog you will find travel tips, sightseeing itineraries and travel stories for the following cities in the USA:\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/new-york\/\">New York<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/chicago\/\">Chicago<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/boston\/\">Boston<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/miami\/\">Miami<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/charlotte\/\">Charlotte, NC <\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\">Washington DC<\/a>","parent":0,"count":15,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":3638,"name":"New York","slug":"new-york-city","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2833,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84965"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84965\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":184770,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84965\/revisions\/184770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}