Spotlight: New York City - Brooklyn (Juniors Diner & Coney Island)

Spotlight: When people think of New York City, they usually think of Manhattan. But the truth is that NYC is made up of 5 boroughs, and Manhattan is just one of them. The others include Staten Island, Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. Brooklyn used to be its own city until it was incorporated as part of New York City in the late 1890's. If it were still a separate city, it would rank as the fourth most populous city in the United States. Despite all this, Brooklyn is rarely visited by the millions of tourists that flock to Manhattan every year. But just because it is along the path less trodden, doesn't mean it isn't worth a visit.

Location: Brooklyn is connected to its more famous sister (Manhattan) by the famous Brooklyn Bridge. Map of NYC - Brooklyn Bridge.
     Junior's Diner is located at 386 Flatbush Avenue Extension.
     Coney Island is the westernmost of the Barrier Islands to the south of Long Island. For a GPS location, type in 1208 Surf Ave. Both locations can be reached via the subway.

Time: Variable. You can spend as little as an hour, or you can stay all day in Brooklyn. Most people will only spend a couple of hours at Coney Island doing rides, but will want to budget longer if they want to check out some of the other sights. Most rides open at noon during the week (11:00 am on most weekends), but closing times vary depending upon the season. To see a schedule go to Luna Park hours.

Cost: There are no entrance fees to Coney Island. Since not all rides are owned by the same proprietor, most rides have an individual fee. Luna Park offers a wristband deal that offers you unlimited access to their rides/games for a four-hour period (see website for details).
     Prices for Juniors can be seen on their menu.

Description: There is plenty of sights to see in NYC without ever leaving Manhattan. In fact, most tourist to NYC do just that. So why were we attracted to Brooklyn? Since my wife and I are both Dodger fans, we knew that the team's roots come from Brooklyn. And even though the old stadium, Ebbets Field, is long gone, those roots are still visible. The Brooklyn Dodgers are still alive in the hearts of the fans who bled Dodger blue.

- One of the best places to visit those roots is Juniors Diner. Located on Flatbush Avenue, near the former location of Ebbets Field, the Boys of Summer (Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, and company) are prominently displayed on the walls of the restaurant, along with other scenes of Brooklyn's history. The food was good, and the cheesecake is fabulous - touted as the best in New York City. The ambiance is pure Brooklyn.

- My love for the Dodgers wasn't the only magnet drawing me to Brooklyn. As a tween, I read a G.I.Joe comic book that took place at the famous Coney Island. For some reason, that introduction to Coney Island caught my attention, and I vowed to go someday. From about 1880 to WWII, Coney Island was the largest amusement area in the U.S. - with three competing parks. Although it's popularity declined steadily over the next several decades (with the introduction of competing modern amusement parks), it has recently seen a reversal with the introduction of several new rides. Although we visited just before the introduction of these new rides, we were able to try two of the most famous historic rides - the Cyclone and the Wonder Wheel (both of which are now on the National Register of Historic Places).
- But Coney Island isn't just about rides. You can take a nice stroll along the beautiful Riegelmann Boardwalk, visit the New York Aquarium, catch a minor league ball game by the Brooklyn Cyclones, or enjoy the sun and surf at Brighton Beach. You can also grab a hot dog at the Original Nathan's Famous hot dog stand - home to the famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Rating: Juniors - 4 stars (out of 5); Coney Island - 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: You don't have to visit Juniors Diner to try their fabulous cheesecakes. You can order them online at www.juniorscheesecake.com. Of course you miss out on the ambiance.
- The trip to Coney Island from Manhatten takes between 45-60 minutes each way by subway since it is the end of the line.
- Because the various rides have different owners, you can't purchase a season pass good for all the rides. Rather, each ride has a modest price attached.
- Luna Park's wristband deal isn't good for all rides, and isn't available on certain dates.
- Rides at Coney Island are seasonal. They open just on weekends from about Easter to Memorial Day, then every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Then they are just open on weekends again until Halloween.
- If you want to avoid crowds, the best time to go is on weekdays during the summer. In any case, lines are shorter than most modern amusement parks.
- From the last weekend of June until the Friday before Labor Day, you can watch fireworks on the beach every Friday night at 9:30.
- Coney Island is considered the birthplace of the hot dog. Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is held every year on the Fourth of July.

Nearby: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Grand Army Plaza, New York Aquarium, Brooklyn Bridge