ABOUT THE TOUR:

Coney Island Avenue is truly one of our city’s greatest streets - we will begin our hike at the southern end of Prospect Park and walk a straight line through a dizzying array of neighborhoods and cultures. If you like the grit of industry, gas stations, discount clothing stores, lumber yards, tire shops, eateries of all kinds, and being with people from all over the globe, this walk is for you!   

This is a fully immersive, sensory whirlwind of a journey in which we will make our way ever-southward from the middle of Brooklyn to the boardwalk and beach for a full 5 miles. As we get closer to our destination, we begin to sense the salt ocean air, then eventually we are sure it is near, until finally - we take our last step and hit the boardwalk!

DETAILS:

This 5 mile journey is really much more of a HIKE than a walking tour.   Arrive with proper sunscreen and other sun protection (i.e. a hat), a bottle of water, and good walking shoes.

With that said, the entire walk is along a major bus route (the B68), so if at any point anyone would like to escape they can take the bus to the boardwalk, or back where we began. 

Also note that despite the name of the street, no part of Coney Island Avenue is in Coney Island.  This is a journey from the middle of Brooklyn to Brighton Beach (which is adjacent to Coney Island).  

BONUS: This excursion has been timed so that participants may reward themselves by topping off their journey with a Brooklyn Cyclones game.  Every time I have taken this walk, this is exactly what I have done. (I always get my tickets there, and do not purchase them ahead of time).  The whole thing makes for quite an epic day….

Start:  Meet in front of The Dunkin Donuts located in the BP Gas Station at 418 Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. By subway, you can take the B or Q to the Church Avenue station, or the F or G to the Fort Hamilton Parkway Station.  Our meeting point is about 10 minutes from either station.  Check ahead of time for any subway service changes. I will be wearing a yellow baseball hat with a Nathan’s hot dog on it.  

End: The intersection of Coney Island Avenue and Riegelmann Boardwalk in Brighton Beach.  

Group size 8 maximum

Date: Friday, August 29  3-6PM

ABOUT YOUR GUIDE: RICHARD EXELBERT

Richard Exelbert has made New York City his home for almost 28 years and has been an underground (but licensed) NYC Sightseeing Guide for 21 of those years.  Since 2005, on a nearly-monthly basis, he has taken friends and family on explorations to every corner of the five boroughs.  These often-fantastical journeys function more as roving parties on a quest than standard tours.  As such it is very rare that he surfaces to offer his services to the paying public. 

His focus is not on the typical historical and architectural information that makes up most professional tours, but instead full immersion - the aesthetic experience of opening up to anything and everything in new environments, and often letting serendipity take its course. 

Richard has taught a class called The NYC You've Never Seen at the Brooklyn Brainery (as featured on CBS News and The Brooklyn Paper), and released a spoken word album and accompanying album-length video featuring recaps of some of his far-flung journeys.