On a budget, skip Coney Island — the spend outweighs the payoff.
Free (beach/boardwalk); rides $$ pay-per
A scruffy, nostalgic seaside carnival: the 1927 wooden Cyclone, the Wonder Wheel, fried everything, and a wide public beach. Gloriously alive in summer and a bit forlorn off-season. A long subway ride from Manhattan, so it's a half-day commitment — best for a sunny day with a beach-and-rides mood.