Arts and Entertainment Coney Island

Sweet heat relief in Coney Island

The beach will be a big July 4 destination

July 2, 2018 By Lore Croghan Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Coney Island's beach will be a fine place to beat the heat on the July 4 holiday. Eagle photos by Lore Croghan

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Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer,

You’ll wish that summer could always be here.

– Nat King Cole

We’ve got news for you, Brooklynites.

Even in this heat wave, the ocean water’s miraculously chilly on Coney Island.

Hellish temps are expected to continue in New York City through Friday, AccuWeather predicts. If you can hang in there until Wednesday you can find sweet relief on your midweek July 4 holiday by splashing around on the beach at the fabled People’s Playground.

Over the weekend, crowds seeking heat relief packed Coney Island’s beach and boardwalk, as these photos taken on Sunday show.

There were wall-to-wall umbrellas on the sands near the amusement park rides. Many beachgoers stepped into the water and just stood there for a loooong time. A few conscientious athletes swam parallel to the shore.

There will be lots to do on Coney Island on July 4, if you can tear yourself away from the ocean.

You can catch a cooling breeze on the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone, two landmarked amusement park rides, or take your kids to B&B Carousell.

Independence Day activities include the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. It will take place in the morning at the wiener seller’s flagship shop on the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues. Joey Chestnut, the frequent champ, will compete against hungry up-and-comers.

The Brooklyn Cyclones have a baseball game scheduled at 6 p.m. at MCU Park.

And at 9:30 p.m., the Coney Island Alliance is sponsoring a fireworks display on the beach.

When temps soar in the city, the Atlantic Ocean shoreline is a smart place to be. Temps are several degrees cooler than they are in inland neighborhoods.

A hint to those who head to Coney Island’s beach on July 4: If you want more space to spread out your beach blanket, stroll down the boardwalk past the landmarked Parachute Jump to the far side of Steeplechase Pier.

The beach there was relatively uncrowded on Sunday.