Things to Do in Elmont

The successor to Coney Island’s iconic amusement parks of the 20th century, Luna Park delights families with games, entertainment, and attractions ranging from classic spinning teacups to "The Cyclone Roller Coaster", an 85-foot roller coaster originally built in 1927. As youngsters acclimate to adrenaline on low-fi rides such as the Big Top Express, a colorful circus train featuring clowns, elephants, and a bright-red caboose, bigger kids and stilt-wearing toddlers dive in to such exciting diversions as the Wild River, a log flume that culminates in a sopping, 40-foot plunge. Luna Park packs even bigger thrills into roller coasters such as the Steeplechase, which accelerates from zero to 40 miles per hour in less than two seconds, and the Soarin’ Eagle, which glides above crowds on the paths below. Throughout the day, games such as Whac-a-Mole and Duck Pond challenge players’ skills at naming every animal’s Latin taxonomy.

In 1931, aviation legends such as Howard Hughes and Amelia Earhart traversed the hallowed halls of Floyd Bennett Field, New York City's first municipal airport. Today, the same site harbors Aviator Sports & Events Center, which accommodates recreation in all of its forms, equipped with 20,000 square foot indoor field house, which includes newly resurfaced hardwood courts and new turf field, two outdoor synthetic-turf fields, and an outdoor space for events that can seat up to 4,000 people—the same number of people it takes to crack open a life-size Big Bird piñata. Twin NHL-regulation rinks host open-skate sessions, a majority of which are held on Rink B, every day of the week, with skates as late as 11 p.m. on weekends. Inside the center, Hammer Strength training equipment and Life Fitness cardio machines span the 5,000-square-foot fitness center, which offers exercise classes for all ages. Only youngsters enjoy summer or after-school camps, but adults and kids alike can take advantage of a roster of sports and leagues, including flag football and rock climbing, ideal for those looking to shorten morning commutes by cutting through the quarry.

Sunlight spills through the windows of InTone Pilates, pushing through lush plants to warm students' muscles as they bend and stretch. Here, instructors teach fitness as a means to transform the body, mind, and spirit, stressing the value of relaxation as much as exertion. Each instructor designs one-on-one workouts and small-group routines, tailoring isometric exercises to participants’ needs as they demonstrate how to use specialized equipment such as Pilates Reformers, towers, and trapezes. During classes, the teachers walk their pupils through efficient, low-impact moves to target the abs and back, helping students build enough strength and balance to bench-press a hippo while walking a tightrope.

From the water, the fireworks seem close, as though you could open your mouth and catch the glittering cascades of light on your tongue. The humid night envelops the Pink Lady as she bobs gracefully in the Hudson River, her passengers oohing and ahhing at the display unfolding in the starless sky above. Freedom of New York's seasoned captains and crews pilot yachts along fluvial highways during scenic cruises on holidays and sightseeing journeys throughout the week.

The company’s roster of aquatic sojourns—including the comprehensive three-hour New York Harbor Sightseeing Cruise Tour—enables guests to take in the city’s most iconic buildings from a unique perspective without holding a helicopter pilot’s collection of sunglasses the whole time. Yachts hosting the weekend Brunch Cruise on the bay leave the sounds of live DJs and popping champagne corks in their wake as they float past Coney Island, and groups of revelers can rent out the Pink Lady for private parties celebrating all manner of milestone.

NYC Gangster Tours walks crime-curious tour groups on expeditions to the stomping grounds of New York's most notorious gangsters, sharing stories of their illegal dealings and violent ends. Tours traverse the East Village, Little Italy, and Chinatown neighborhoods, stopping in at historic social clubs, cafés, and alleyways where deals and whackings took place. Along the way, groups learn the tales of infamous gangsters including Charlie “Lucky” Luciano, Meyer Lansky, and John "Teflon Don" Gotti, so named for his invention of the nonstick fedora.