We slushed up to the boardwalk where the wind was gusting.  The beach was barren except for an inflatable palm tree someone had left in the snow-covered sand.  I wanted it to be summer again.  Little was said as we marched down the boardwalk, seemingly having it to ourselves.  On the right was an attraction I had not seen before called “Shoot the Freak.”  Modern technology and the Coney of the Depression had merged into a game that was either hilarious or ghastly.  In the end I decided it was equal parts both. 

The Wonder Wheel appeared to be a large gear with all its cars removed.  The fences of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park were boarded up on the western and northern sides to protect against the wind.  After passing the Parachute Jump’s base we stopped and admired the terra cotta walls of Childs Restaurant.  The structure was beautiful as always, but I can’t help but feel that it looks a bit more tired and worn each time I stop to look at its amazing tile work, which has come off and been removed as the years go by.  Near Childs on the boardwalk was an interesting water fountain or faucet that I had not noticed before.  The piping itself was nothing to speak of, but the concrete work was amazing.  To think that someone had put so much thought, care and money into something as simple as a spicket is hard to fathom.  But then again, much of what used to stand at Coney is so hard for me to wrap my mind around.

My last stop for the day was the Steeplechase Pier.  By now Aaron & Eileen had started back towards Surf Avenue.  But, I wanted to spend a moment here.  In all my visits to Coney I had never stepped foot on it.  Today I did not venture very far out.  I simply walked so that I could look south to the horizon where the sky and water met. 

Snow crunched under my feet as I left the pier, the benches remained empty and the lampposts stood like sentinels.  It is amazing that after so many years this structure still exists.  While I am happy this survived, it is a sad statement that this is one of two testaments to the imagination of George C. Tilyou left at Coney- and neither reflect the amazing breadth of his creativity.

On our way back to the subway station I noticed a small sign advertising Williams Candy Shop.  We weren’t hungry quite yet, but the idea of warm air felt so good, so we stopped for a few minutes.  After looking around I could not help but buy a caramel apple.  I did it more for the fact that I felt bad about us stealing their heat than because I was hungry for dessert.  But, I was well rewarded for my purchase.  It was crisp and tasty, not like the bruised apples I have grown accustomed to at most places.  They had several different kinds of candy and confections so it was hard for me not to buy more.  I was thrilled to have found a new-to-me locale at Coney.  Perhaps this is why I love going to the Island more than any other amusement park.  It seems that on every visit I am rewarded with a new discovery.  Naturally this thought dangles like a carrot in front of me until I next return.

Finally the time had come for us to leave.  We thanked the storeowners for their hospitality and headed back toward the Stillwell Street station.  After sitting for a few minutes the train doors hissed closed, the wheels rumbled and Coney was quickly blocked by high-rises, relegating the Island to my imagination until I next return.

I didn't have any place to show off my photos of Manhattan during the great snowstorm of 2003, so I thought I would display them below.

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Amusement Park History, Copyright 2004.