I love going to Coney Island, the beach and amusement park on the Atlantic Ocean in the south of Brooklyn. Literally I actually enjoy the subway ride out to the beach as much as being there. Once the subway goes above ground there is so much to see (and you can pick from several different trains) and there's something about taking a train to the last stop of the line and looking out across the vast ocean.

Whenever friends or family come visiting I always try to take them. This week it's my friend and film editor Julia Wiedwald who took the ride with me.

We did enjoy french fries at Nathan's and some shopping at Lola Star - unfortunately Ruby's is being renovated so there was no beer on this trip - nor any rides or funnel cake. But we were insulted by a drunk homeless-looking man. So even Coney Island isn't anymore the run-down atmospheric nostalgic place of a few years ago - there's still plenty of the spirit left.

Luci