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City Guide - New York - Excursions | ||
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Excursions For a Half Day Coney Island: Located just a short subway ride from Manhattan (B, D, F or N to Stillwell Avenue), Coney Island is a popular weekend haunt for New Yorkers and tourists because of its fabulous beaches and amusement parks. Major attractions include the New York Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation (tel: (718) 265 3400), located halfway to Brighton Beach. The Aquarium has an Aquatheatre, home to dolphins and sea lions, the Sea Cliffs Exhibition featuring walrus, penguins and giant Pacific octopi, and Discovery Cove, an interactive entertainment complex for children. Coney Island's amusement area comprises several amusement parks, featuring The Wonder Wheel, the tallest ferris wheel in the world, and the Cyclone roller coaster. For a Whole Day Long Island: Situated to the east of New York City, Long Island stretches for 190km (118 miles) into the Atlantic. A popular weekend retreat for New Yorkers, it's also become a major tourist attraction and it's not hard to see why. It boasts some of the world's most beautiful white sand beaches such as the Fire Island National Seashore. The north and south shores differ greatly - the former more immediately beautiful, its cliffs topped with luxurious mansions and estates, while the south shore is fringed by almost continuous sand, interspersed with holiday resorts such as Jones Beach and gay-oriented Fire Island. At its far end, Long Island splits in two, the North Fork retaining a marked rural aspect while the South Fork, much of which is known as The Hamptons, has long been an enclave of New York's richest and finest. The quickest way to reach Long Island is via the reliable if rather grubby Long Island Railroad from Pennsylvania Station, though numerous bus services cover most destinations. Parking permits for Long Island's beaches are issued only to local residents; on the whole it is better to head down to the beach on foot. |