The Beach is divine…

Yep, it’s time to go to the seaside! I don’t have a bucket or spade, or a bikini, or anybody to be frivolous with… and truth be told, I’m going less for the sand and the sea and more for the sake of “going to Coney Island” like they do in the movies… but I’m still fairly excited about the ice cream.

You can get there on the subway for no extra cost, which is ideal cause we are on a budget after all!

After stepping off the train and being greeted by the slightly creepy mural above, I went in search of some good old american amusements. It really didn’t take long…

Drying my eyes after realising I’d missed the annual hot dog eating contest by a matter of mere weeks, I headed for the famous boardwalk to see what it had to offer. Hopefully ice cream. Walking down the decking is kind of like a blast from the past. The oil drum rubbish bins, the ornate iron street lamps and even the shops and restaurants themselves don’t look like they’ve changed much since 1957.

In the spirit of the 60s, I tried to get a coke float, but apparently mixing coke with ice cream is too complicated, so I had to make do with an ice cream cone and a bottle of coke. Could be worse.

And then there’s the main attraction, the amusement park Luna Park. The current park is a resurrection on the site of the former park which brought cheer to New Yorkers from 1903 to 1944, and the home of legendary wooden rollercoaster the Coney Island Cyclone, used in everything from Beyoncé videos to Captain America.

Then I went to the beach. There were more seagulls there than people, which was a nice touch. Well done Brooklyn.

And obviously you can’t come to Coney Island without going in the sea, so I kicked off my shoes and waded in. Just long enough to take this fantastic “look, I’m in the water!” picture to make everyone in Scotland jealous.

The rest of the afternoon was spent eating fast food from stalls on the boardwalk, drinking refreshing beverages on the sand, and listening to the sound of the Atlantic Ocean lapping on the shore. I almost forgot we were still technically in New York City!

…And that’s why this lady is a traaaaamp