“If Paris is France, then Coney Island, between June and September, is the world.”
—George Tilyou, 1886
Despite the incessant predictions of its demise, Coney Island continues to attract visitors of all races, social classes and ethnicities, who, seeking respite from their quotidian stresses and routines, come together and inject the veins of “America’s Playground” with its celebrated joie de vivre.
The “A Day at the Beach” project started in 2016. For only the cost of a subway or bus ride, people from all over NYC and the world make their way to the beaches, peacefully coexisting side-by-side and speaking multiple languages.
Start at the pier and listen to salsa music. Keep going and hear the screams and laughter from the amusement rides. Catch a boardwalk dance party and join in. Pass the promenade of Russians watching the world go by from prime seating along the boardwalk. Walk along the water and see people trying to keep cool in the summer.
I have been photographing the Coney Island Polar Bears for several years in the winter. During the pandemic I began my own cold-water swim journey — looking for safer ways to meet with people and keeping me from being too isolated. I am honored to be invited to begin the process of becoming a Polar Bear this season. I’m looking forward to seeing my project grow as I move from the photographing at the shoreline into the water.
Home to over 350 businesses and 50,000 residents, Coney Island is a collection of independent businesses and attractions, from high-end restaurants, souvenir shops and amusement rides to smaller mom and pop delis, hair salons, barber shops and pharmacies, as well as schools and nonprofits, who are dedicated to serving our diverse community and visitors!
In 2012, The Alliance for Coney Island was formed to provide a vehicle for improved collaboration among our stakeholders for the rejuvenation of our iconic neighborhood. Through our shared commitment and hard work, we implement initiatives that focus on the betterment of the community at large while preserving the rich and colorful past of the People’s Playground.
Lauren Welles, Gisele Duprez
November 1, 2021 – Spring 2022
West 10th Street between Surf Ave and the Coney Island Boardwalk (Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York)