Summer’s last hurrah (almost) on Coney Island

If you missed the fun on Labor Day, the beach will be open through Sept. 10

September 5, 2017 By Lore Croghan Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Coney Island’s beach is busy, busy, busy on Labor Day. Eagle photos by Lore Croghan

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Summer did everybody a big favor and came back to Brooklyn on Labor Day.

Raincoats and umbrellas were needed this past Saturday and Sunday. But blissful bikini weather returned to the borough on Monday. And beachgoers flocked to Coney Island.

At the People’s Playground, as the old-timers call it, Cirilo Leyva staked out a spot near the water’s edge and built a huge sand castle.

“It’s a tradition for us to come to the beach on Labor Day,” said Leyva, who lives in Corona, Queens.

His children Sebastian, 7, and Samantha, 4, and his nephew Joseph Torres, 7, built the castle with him.

Terrance and Iris Elston, who were on vacation from Oakland, California, made the most of the weather and brought their dog Charlie to the beach. This was their first-ever visit to Coney Island.

“We like it,” Iris Elston said. “It’s a little crowded, but it’s nice.

“It reminds me of Santa Cruz,” she said.

Coney Island has a storied history as an Atlantic Ocean resort and amusement-park mecca. Several rides, including the Wonder Wheel, are designated city landmarks. See related story.

On Labor Day, though, nostalgia was not uppermost in beachgoers’ minds. They stayed focused on making the most of a federal holiday with ample sunshine and 80-plus-degree temperatures.

So what if the ocean water was a bit chilly? Nobody seemed to mind.

Many beachgoers splashed around in the salt water. Some flew kites. Others snapped selfies or strolled along Coney Island’s boardwalk, where there were long lines to buy hot dogs at Nathan’s Famous and get funnel cake at Paul’s Daughter.

People partied at the rooftop bar of Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk.

For folks who wanted to go to Coney Island but couldn’t make it, here’s a consoling thought: Its beach will remain open this year through Sunday, Sept. 10. At this point, Weather.com is predicting a sunny day in the 70s.