Coney Island and the 25th Annual Mermaid Parade

Now, you're not going to believe this, but I met a mermaid! And, how did I get to meet one of the most alluring of all the mystical beings?  I didn't have to go to the movies and watch Tom Hanks do it in "Splash" (pun intended)! I also didn't have to rely on the magic of Walt Disney either like in the "The Little Mermaid". 

All I had to do was go down to the historic first magic kingdom created for fun and excitement in America.  All I had to do was go to a borough in New York City called Brooklyn and a place known as Coney Island!  For the past 25 years Coney Island has been the host of the Mermaid Parade, and I was lucking enough to be invited by one of the participating beauties.

My mermaid's human identity is Veltis Harrattan and, not only is she beautiful, she also happens to be an angel. I'm not kidding (and you can learn more about her by going to: www.angelinthecity.com! So, with her as my guide, I was now ready to experience the wonders of the parade and the excitement that is Coney Island.

To use the word historic to describe Coney Island is truly fitting, for it was the first, and largest, amusement area in the United States (between 1880 and 1945).  Two if its major attractions, the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone rollercoaster, were built in the 1920's and are still up and running today. It was only Disneyland in the 1950's that would eclipse Coney Island in size, but the Coney Island experience is still a childhood, and adult, memory all true New Yorkers and visitors cherish their whole lives.

Coney Island is currently going through a major $1.5 billion dollar renovation project to make sure Coney Island is still going to be the place to have "FUN" for many generations to come.  However, because of the building plans, many of the current attractions will have to be sacrificed.  For many this is a sad turn of events. However, there are efforts to save some of them or create a commemorative postage stamp (for Astroland being one) in honor of the place where so many good times and memories were shared.

Change is constant, and Coney Island is no different and will survive (remember is has been around since 1880).  The new plans included many new attractions like a new rollercoaster called the"Leviathan", a 100-foot-tall coaster with loop-de-loops that dips under the Boardwalk before flying back aboveground. There will also be a new grand hotel built to accomadate out-of-towners so they too can enjoy the wonders of America's first amusment park. Don't worry New Yorkers…some of our old favorites will still be there like the Wonder Wheel, the Cyclone, and Nathan's Hot Dogs. I, for one, could not resist the hotdog that started it all and I also got on the Cyclone twice!  Still a thrill for all ages!

Of course, let's not forget the mermaids! The parade was great and fun for all! Coney Island will shutdown some of its activity at the end of the 2007 season to begin the building so there may not be another parade for awhile. However, mermaids have magical powers and I'm sure they will be back soon to use there alluring ways to bring us back to Coney for more fun and great memories.  Disney may have Tinkerbell, but I'll take my Coney Island Mermaids first everytime.  Thanks Veltis!

You can learn more at: http://www.coneyisland.com