[mousepod]

Well, as sad as I am to see Astroland closing... I'm heartened that the Cyclone will remain, and the new owners are planning on building an entertainment complex as opposed to just condos.

Let's face it, none of us ever got to see the true golden age of Coney Island (I've seen pictures of Dreamland - wow), so my real yearning is not for the Coney Island of my youth, but for the Coney Island that stood when my great-grandfather was a young man.

That said - if you're a baseball fan, you can't beat a minor league game at Keyspan Park. Taking in the Coney Island Cyclones (a Mets farm team) is as much if not more fun than catching the Yankees or the Mets, plus you have the opportunity to eat a Nathan's Famous and ride the Cyclone.

Pure, all-American heaven.