WHEN I WAS A KID

When I was a kid, the coolest place to go in Cincinnati was Coney Island.  It was the largest amusement park in the area.  It is located on the Ohio River about 15 miles east of downtown.   It goes way back before World War II.  My parents talked about how young people would take the Island Queen river boat from the public landing downtown to the park and back.  Drinking and dancing were featured on the boat during the short ride.  Of course, the park is still there but is dwarfed by Kings Island Amusement Park to the north.

I loved going to the park, riding the rides, swimming in the largest recirculating pool in the world, boating on little Lake Como, and dancing to big band music in Moonlight Gardens.  It was a great date local.

I always thought it was named after the amusement park in New York.  Well, not exactly.  You see, Coney Island is, duh, an island - or was.  It sat just off the shore in Brooklyn.  It was filled-in a century ago so that you can walk or drive to it.   At its height of popularity it contained three large amusement or theme parks.

Today, Coney Island is a small city of about 25,000.  It has an aquarium, minor league ball park, a nice beach, a boardwalk and lines of high rise condos built by Donald Trump.   Coney Island was never an amusement park, as I had thought.  

o.o