If the Cyclone is the King, the Wonder Wheel is the queen at Coney Island.  Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park was not exactly beckoning us in, as the gate was only half-open when we finally made our way over.  The big wheel was running so we had no choice but to head down to the base of the world-famous Wonder Wheel.  After paying $3 a piece (and realizing that we would only do one ride) we got in line for the swinging car.  My dad was not quite sure of what the difference was, so he was a little taken aback when we did that first slide down the track.  The swinging was so pronounced that it surprised me…and I knew exactly what to expect!  There is just something about sitting in a metal cage, on a wooden seat, swinging above concrete that is unnerving. 

         On our way out we saw what looked like a classic dark ride, but I did not get a chance to ride.  Deno’s looks to be the best-kept park at Coney, as there was little trash around and the rides looked well cared for (the Tilt-a-Whirl appeared to be in excellent condition).  Plus, with the tons of razor wire around, no one is going to bother the Wonder Wheel or its neighbors.  I was a little disappointed that the famous “Wonder THRILLS! Wheel” sign located at the end of the bowery was not lit up- looks like I will have to go some night to see it in action.  On our way out of this area we went by the Jumbo Jet (Schwarzkopf 1972) and there were no signs of life (apparently it has been that way for a few weeks).

          By this time we had developed quite the hunger and at Coney there is only one place to go to quench the demons of the stomach- Nathan’s.  Now, I am not a hot dog person.  In fact, I hate everything about them.  But, “when in Rome,” so I decided that a hot dog was in order.  What can I say?-it was delicious.  This was the first time I have ever finished a hot dog and wished I had ordered another.  But, I had some Manhattan clam chowder in front of me, which was equally great and gone just as fast, so that problem went away rather quickly.  The rule of thumb here is pretty simple, when at Coney, eat at Nathan’s or Gregory & Paul's- there really is just no other way.

         The rest of the afternoon was spent meandering around, checking out the large Surf Motel across from Nathan’s, trying to figure out which bumper cars had been brought from Mountain Park (and having no luck), going back to Nathan’s for another snack, seeing if the museum opened (and being disappointed when it did not), waiting out a rainstorm and realizing that the hardest part about loving history and traditional amusement parks is that so often it serves as an unrequited love.

         Although I am disheartened by modern-day Coney because I envelop myself in what “once was,” I do have to remember that three great rides still put smiles on the faces of children today.  One reporter wrote that, “It (Coney) is blatant, it is cheap, but it is more than that.”  When one visits you do not know if it is the culmination of a dream or a nightmare, as the best aspects of the place shine so brightly next to the very elements which seem to work day-in and day-out to extinguish the small flame that still exists on the island.

          You leave Coney very happy and quite sad at the same time.  I am still glad that I could walk in the footsteps of my grandparents and ride the Coney Island Cyclone, see the world from the top of the Wonder Wheel and relax on the B&B Carousell.  However, the historian (and sentimentalist) in me still has a hard time fathoming that there used to be so much there.  Henderson’s & Stauch’s are hardly there in spirit, Dreamland is an aquarium, Luna is a mixture of Subway tracks and furniture peddlers, Steeplechase is becoming a ballpark and you would never know that LA Thompson’s Scenic Railway stood there.  These three rides provide fixed points in an ever-changing world, but the thought is constantly nagging me, how long will they last?  Even though I was bothered by Coney, I was also drawn even further in.  It will always be a special place, even if the world it takes its guests away from changes everyday.  The carousel will always be fun, the Wonder Wheel unique and the Cyclone’s first drop will always be like a plunge off the top of a nine story building and through it all the laughter of people “getting away from it all” will distinctly rise above the din and clatter of the city. 

 “Guess your weight! Guess your age!  Hell, I’ll even guess your sex!”  Anonymous Coney Island barker 

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Adam Sandy, Copyright 2001.