This week, we’re featuring **Coney Island** and **Seagate** since Summer is upon us.
Some prompts:
* What are some of your favorite food spots or “hidden gems” in Coney Island?
* Any “must have” or go to dishes from those particular spots?
* Are there any points of interest or events that is worth going out of the way to visit?
We’re going by this unofficial [Google Map overlay](https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1VYN-6Vkk01byUCF7P13rT6ORT5g) as a GENERAL outline as to what the neighborhoods are. It’s not a strict requirement but try not to go too far outside of the boundaries.
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Next week we’ll continue the Summer theme with Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach.
by crazeman
4 Comments
I feel like most of the food spots are tourist traps for the beach goers so I’m interested to see what places people recommend.
Some food spots:
I went to the [Coney Island Brewery](https://goo.gl/maps/f7J6Q8JGXCN9scx59) last year and they had a live band playing music in their outdoor drinking area. Their beers were pretty tasty and it had pretty good vibes.
[Nathan’s Famous](https://goo.gl/maps/JaaKDc4DTbH8hhNR8). It’s the original Nathan’s location and is located right across from the subway station when you get out. I don’t think it’s anything amazing, but it’s really not a trip to Coney Island without getting a mediocre hot dog from Nathan’s. Their menu here is actually surprisingly robust and include burgers/seafood/fried frog legs/etc.
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Some Non-food stuff:
Coney Island is actually a pretty good visit. It has a decent beach and and is easily accessible since it’s the last stop for most trains in Brooklyn. It home to Luna Park, which is a amusement park with rides and typical carnival games. It’s also home to the Brooklyn Cyclones (the Met’s minor league baseball team) if you want to catch a baseball game.
If you’re looking to catch some fireworks, they also [shoot off fireworks every Friday](https://lunaparknyc.com/events-luna-park/friday-night-fireworks/) at ~9:30pm during the summer. When I went pre-pandemic, the whole place was still filled with people and was still popping at like 10-11pm.
[The New York Aquarium](https://goo.gl/maps/JjaxgfT6Uw8zsXjr6) is also in Coney Island and might be worth a visit. Unfortunately the last time I went was like 9 years ago after Hurricane Sandy so 95% of the exhibits were closed lol. I had a friend who went recently and he said everything was opened back up and was pretty nice.
Coney is my home away from home. I’m out there every two weeks. But not for the food. Outside of totonnos, i have no food recs.
* Nathan’s hot dogs just taste better at Coney Island. Don’t ask me to explain why, I don’t know, it’s just a fact. But don’t feel like you have to stand in a long line at the OG spot to get your fix. The dogs taste just as good from the concession stand at Maimonides Park, Brooklyn’s only professional (minor league) ballpark. The quality of play might not always be great, but you can’t beat watching a baseball game with a view of roller coasters and the ocean, and King Henry is always around to keep you entertained between innings.
* Doña Zita is one of the best little Mexican food stands in the whole city. Confer with your friend and decide what kind of torta or cemita you want to order. (Bringing a friend is absolutely essential, as not even Joey Chestnut would be capable of eating one of these things all by himself.)
* Just around the corner from Doña Zita is the Coney Island Sideshow, a wonderfully weird carnival tradition featuring delightfully twisted performers who put on a great show and deserve your love, applause, and shocked gasps. (Although now that I think about it, maybe do this *before* eating.)
* Paul’s Daughter remains a great spot to pull up a barstool and enjoy a cold beer and clam strips right on the boardwalk. Ruby’s is always a fun spot for a drink too.
* Totonno’s, which has been in Coney Island almost as long as Nathan’s, is *finally* open again (though only Thursday through Sunday) after three years of being shuttered during the pandemic.
As somebody who lives in the area, besides the spots mentioned we have Coney Island house of wings on ocean parkway and Brighton – tasty wings, tenders, waffle bowls, etc. def better than Popeyes or other comparables
Chowtime on mermaid and Stillwell has some tasty Chinese/Vietnamese food.
If you don’t mind going deep into the hood in Coney Island there’s the tastiest hood Chinese food spot in all of Coney Island on w31 and mermaid called oriental palace kitchen. 🔥