Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
streetcars were extended to the neighbourhood in the 1870s. Once the home of Irish immig-
rants and Ansonia Clock factory workers, Park Slope is almost totally gentrified, sporting
historic brownstones inhabited mostly by young professional couples with small children,
along with some well-known literary types such as Paul Auster and Jonathan Safran Foer;
the quiet, tree-lined cross streets rival those of Brooklyn Heights for attractiveness and prop-
erty value. Fifth Avenue holds the most interesting cafés, boutiques, wine stores and restaur-
ants.
CONEY ISLAND
Subway D, F, N, Q to Coney Island-Stillwell Ave or F, Q to W 8th St-NY Aquarium.
www.coneyisland.com
.
Boardwalk open year-round, rides are seasonal (roughly April-Sept).
MAP
Generations of working-class New Yorkers came to relax at one of Brooklyn's farthest
points:
Coney Island
, which at its height accommodated 100,000 people daily. It's now
down-and-out and the Astroland amusement park has shut, replaced by
Luna Park
(mid-
April to Oct, days and hours vary), which complements the 90-year-old Wonder Wheel, the
almost-that-old wooden roller coaster, the Cyclone and the brand-new Thunderbolt, a steel
coaster. Other summertime highlights include the Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest at
Nathan's
and the annual Mermaid Parade (3rd or 4th Sat in June).
NEW YORK AQUARIUM
Surf Ave and West 8th St. Subway F, Q to West 8th St-NY Aquarium. 718 265 3474,
www.nyaquarium.com
.
June-Aug daily 10am-6pm, Sept-May 10am-4.30pm. $9.95.
MAP
The seashell-shaped New York Aquarium sits on Coney Island's boardwalk. The benefits of
a large expansion and the thrill over the acquisition of the baby walrus Mitik, which was ori-
ginally rescued off the coast of Alaska, were tempered by the water damage from Hurricane
Sandy, which shut the place for more than half a year and put in place a long recovery time.
You can see rays and piranhas, watch the sea lion show, enjoy seal feedings and plenty
more; by 2016 everything, including a new shark exhibit, will be operational.
BRIGHTON BEACH
At Brooklyn's southernmost end,
Brighton Beach
was developed in 1878 and named after
the English resort. It's home to the country's largest community of Russian Jewish émigrés,
many of whom arrived in the 1970s following a relaxation of restrictions on Soviet citizens
entering the United States. The main drag, Brighton Beach Avenue, parallels the boardwalk
underneath the elevated subway; the street is a bustling mixture of food outlets, appetizing
restaurants and Russian souvenir shops.
WILLIAMSBURG
