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.

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.

The concept for Sidewalks of NY Tours sprang from founder J.D. Hirsch's experience leading friends and family on treks to discover a true-to-life New York City. Now a business staffed by several expert guides, Sidewalks of NY Tours ferries walkers through creative itinerates that aim to uncover hidden gems and offer close-up views of famous locales. Customers can choose tours with various themes such as food tastings, photo tours, architecture tours, or a 9/11 memorial tour, allowing them to focus their journeys on what they find most interesting.

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.