USA – Brooklyn, 12 November 2010

I decided to explore Brooklyn today, particularly Coney Island, as it is one of the first theme parks of its kind. Although it was off season, and the carnival is gone, and the town was semi-dead with lots of shutters down, I still enjoyed the trip!

The boardwalk and the beach was very tranquil, and a nice escape from the bustle of the city. And it being off season, I got the enjoy it without too many people. It was a pretty nice walk, and figuring out the subway to get there was also an adventure for me. Metro cards cost about 2 or 2.50 USD a trip, and are good for 2 hours. A day ticket is about 8 USD. So, unless you are going to be travelling for more than 8 hours straight on the subway, there is no reason to get a day ticket. The maps on the subway are pretty self-explanatory.

After a stroll in Coney Island, I turned back to Brooklyn, to walk across the Brooklyn bridge, and see Manhattan light up at night. It was a pretty nice walk. The pedestrian part of the bridge is somewhat above the part for cars, and as I walked towards Manhattan, I could see the skyline of east Manhattan, and all the shimmering lights. That’s pretty cool for a free experience.

Following the walk, at the suggestion of C, I decided to check out Katz’s deli of When Harry met Sally fame. Thankfully, it was pretty easy to locate, and there wasn’t a crazy queue. If this were Singapore, I’d never get to the entrance. I took away some pastrami and beef brisket to share with the kind D family, who was hosting me for this trip.