RECOMMENDED: 50 best New York attractions
Nothing offers a thrilling jolt of Brooklyn nostalgia quite like a ride on the Cyclone. The roller coaster dates to 1927, when Coney Island was a booming seaside resort, but shuttered for six years starting in 1969, marking one of many troubled economic periods for the ’hood. Thankfully, in 1975, the Astroland theme park took control over the wooden roller coaster and saved it from demolition. It was declared a city landmark in 1988 and a National Historic Landmark in 1991, and is now part of Coney's new Luna Park theme park.