Coney Island

My wife and I visited Coney Island this afternoon. We'd learned that a number of boardwalk businesses were getting squeezed out of New York's bastion of beach funk. Also, the city government has floated the notion that the boardwalk would become a cement walk. That combination of unsettling news concerned us, as Coney Island has been a primary inspiration for my wife's photography.

The boardwalk businesses, amusement parks, and city facilities were mostly closed, shuttered, and gated during today's visit. Some musicians played some rousing rock-style tunes appropriate for heavy drinking bars. A few people danced, some stood on line to purchase clams or bad fried food, and others enjoyed the brilliantly sunny November afternoon.

It was evident during our stroll that Coney Island's personality was about to change. Instead of a raw, rowdy feeling, we sensed a more subdued Coney Island was in the works. We wished it were otherwise.