The History of Coney Island

 I was really fascinated by Coney Island and the idea of it acting as a metropolis. What really intrigued me about this place is that several people were responsible for the creation of the “amusement parks” and geared it towards working class people that needed an escape from the rough living and work conditions in New York. The horses specifically caught my attention because something that looks so normal to us now had such a deeper meaning behind it. They put the horses in to give any and everyone a chance to ride a horse, which was only catered towards the wealthy previously. Now, anyone was able to. Immigrants and the working class were able to have opportunities they normally wouldn’t get in real life on Coney Island. The electric bath is another part of the island that I was fascinated by. So many visitors wanted to swim at the beach that they had to take turns and I cannot even process what that would look like! I find it really interesting that people would wait to go in the water because it was so crowded, and the smallest things were such a huge deal to people back then. Now, we take so much for granted but hearing things like this really puts things into perspective for me and makes me feel more grateful for what I have. Coney Island was a very chaotic place but provided so many opportunities for people at the time and gave them experiences they might not have had without it.