A Tour of Coney Island
Coney Island in the Winter (Weekday and Weekend):
Video Documenting Route:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TjzWqzB7raaxq6uUCpBotoYd0MBvsI2m
“Coney Island is a residential Brooklyn neighborhood that morphs into a relaxation and entertainment destination each summer. Locals and tourists crowd its beach, the Wonder Wheel and Luna Park, an amusement park featuring the famed Cyclone roller coaster. Street performers, the Circus Sideshow and the Mermaid Parade in June lend an eccentric vibe”
In the Winters however, the face of this beach completely changes. When I visited it in September, the beach was bustling with people out having a good time out in the sun, but now because of the harsh weather, this place was completely deserted. Almost all shops were shut and the amusement park remained closed throughout. I visited the place on a weekday and on the weekend, and my observations showed that the place remained the same despite the day in the week. Despite the cold, the beach was actually a really nice place to hang out. Because it was so abandoned, the beach had a very calming and peaceful effect on me. It gave me the opportunity top listen to the sounds of nature like the gushing of the sea, the crashing of the waves under the pier, the squawking of the sea gulls and the cracking of the seashells under my feet. I found it extremely ironic that I was out on the beach dressed head to toe in heavy winter wear, playing with the waves in leather boots, and hence the experience was surprising and weird for me at first. However, as I got into the groove of things, oddly enough I started appreciating the weather and what it had done because it allowed me to experience this place in a completely different light and gave me the space to explore it with no one else around. The broad walk was all open for me to run around freely, unlike when I visited it in the summers. This entire experience showed me how the weather has the power to completely change a location and the way we interact with it.