What 10 People Wore on the Coney Island Boardwalk

A strong waft of strawberry vape juice wafts over the crowd across the boardwalk from the Wonder Wheel. No one pays it any mind—they’re swept up in the karaoke rendition of Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” that four tanned teenagers in “CONEY ISLAND” sweatshirts are performing on a small stage by the beach railing. Around the stage, everyone is jumping and swinging their hands in the air—parents wrestling sandy kids wrapped in floral-print towels, couples in their best roller-coaster costumes, groups of 20-somethings gearing up for another wild summer weekend. Further down the boardwalk, a large group of kitted-out bikers are eating outside Nathan’s while four different speakers compete for the eardrums of anyone within 150 yards. Everyone’s gathered for Coney’s first Friday night fireworks display of the summer – and, in the midst of a particularly unpleasant New York heat wave, for a much-welcomed beach breeze.

What brings you here? I went to the aquarium with my boyfriend, it’s our first summer together. We spent three or four hours there and came back here right after. It’s my first time at Coney Island.

How did you choose this outfit? I really like football. I’ve been playing for 15 years now. I’m from Brazil and I saw the yellow and green at Forever 21 and I thought: I like this outfit. The handbag is from Macy’s.

How would you describe your style? Sporty, chic, easy. I like to be comfortable and I like something that screams color. My accessories have to be extravagant. I like pops of red. My iPhone is red and I have a clear case so you can see the red.

What else are you doing tonight? I would like to go on the Ferris wheel and do some rides. I love the adrenaline rush.

What are you doing on the promenade? We are celebrating my aunt’s birthday and my nephew’s graduation.

Do you live nearby? I was born and raised in New York. Well, Manhattan. Everything is close to Coney Island. It’s a two-hour drive.

How do you like to dress? I’m the man in pajamas. It’s beautiful, it’s nice. I can swim, I can work hard, I can sweat, I can train, I can sleep in it, so why not?

Do you do all that with this? Absolutely. And with my rings. You deserve every ring.

Are your nails still gold? Just metal. Don’t overdo it, and don’t be too ordinary either.

Where do you find your pajamas? I mostly design them. But one place I recommend for pajamas? One hundred percent Chinatown.

How long have you been around snakes?

Mike: I’ve been doing this since 2008. I’ve always had a thing for reptiles. I lived in South Florida, so I knew I had to do my research to figure out where to find them. Once I did that, everything fell into place.

Does your snake have a name?

Mike: This one is called Tyson, he’s a boa constrictor. This one is a red tegu from Argentina named Lacy, and this one is my green iguana named Truth.

Tell me about your sunglasses.

Mike: They’re Versace. They’re my favorite pair.

Do you ever think about snakes when you get dressed?

Mike: I wear whatever I want. When I’m taking care of my reptiles, I like to wear shorts in case they poop on me, but that’s about it.

What is your snake’s name?

Tamara: Mom of baby Bones.

What do you like about working with reptiles?

Tamara: They are very affectionate and make people happy. We make the walk enjoyable, adventurous and exciting for others.

How do you like to dress?

Tamara: I like to be fashionable with colors, straps, flowers, sequins, gemstones and everything else.

Tell me about this outfit.

Tamara: I actually bought this outfit at Rainbow. I bought the earrings at Jamaica Avenue. I took one off for the snake.

How did you become friends?

Kira: We met on TikTok. I think you appeared on my For You page at some point?

Zypher: I think you made that comment when I was in New York. And then I contacted you.

I live here now.

What brought you to New York?

Zypher: I lived here when I was a kid, and my uncle, who was very close to me, was from here. He died, and I came back because I’m drawn here. I feel like he can protect me.

What are you wearing?

Kira: They’re Converse. I had a pair in 2016, when the first high-tops were popular, and my mom threw them away because they were doorShe said, “I’ll buy you a new pair, don’t worry.” A year later, we went to Journeys, but they had stopped making the knee-high Converse and I was devastated. These are from Depop, and they’re just as worn down below. These Miss Me shorts were skinny jeans, but I cut them off today. The bikini I’m wearing is from Victoria’s Secret, and this bag is from my mom. I use it as a beach bag because it holds so much stuff. My mom has so many nice things. I steal her stuff a lot.

Zephyr: I consider myself a goth. I was like: Ok, beach vibes, so let’s go…beach goth?

Kira: It’s definitely a surf bat.

Zypher: I’ve been feeling really down lately, like I want to be a creepy ghoul in the corner, so this is kind of what I’m giving away today I guess. These items are from random thrift stores, Funkytown, Demonia, and Killstar. The bag is from Poshmark. I just saw some cute skulls and was like: It’s mine.

Any plans after the fireworks?

Kira: We’re just going to relax, take a walk. We don’t want to buy food here, it’s too expensive.

What brings you to the beach tonight?

Juliet: We were taking a little tour of Brooklyn. The younger ones were born in Brooklyn and they’re visiting. We’ve lived in Park Slope for several decades.

What are you doing?

Juliet: I am a professor at CUNY BMCC near Ground Zero. I’ve been teaching since I was 18, but I’ve been a university professor for seven years. I love it.

How do you both like to dress?

Patrick: Oh my God.

Juliet: It depends on the occasion. Whenever we go out, my husband is admired for the way he dresses. He dresses himself. It’s not my fault! He knows how to dress well.

Patrick: She dresses well.

Juliet: This outfit is from a British designer called The Fold. It’s a company that I love and have been following for a few years. They make clothes for active women. On top of that, I love these little sample shops where you can find things that no one else would have. When I was that size, I would buy whatever fit.

Are you going out with your family?

This is my grandfather. We live in Georgia and are on vacation, so we came to see him.

How would you describe your style in three words?

How do I feel.

How did you put together this outfit?

This denim jacket is an old thing my mom had in her closet for a long time. It’s Rocawear. This top is a Shein staple I had, and these are platform Converse.

Have you ever thought about going through your grandmother’s closet?

I don’t know where his closet is! But I will know.

Photo: Isobel Rae

How did you put together this outfit? My priority today was that it was really hot, so I wanted to be cool. I’m wearing Adidas Gazelles, Lee jeans that I cut into shorts, and this top is from a New Zealand designer that my best friends got me as a gift. My usual style is probably colorful, casual, comfortable, and fun.

What colors do you like? I have so much yellow, blue and brown. I always wear something in that color palette. It’s probably the most amount of color I’ve ever worn.

Is this your first time at Coney Island? I’ve never been. We live in Park Slope, so I wanted to see the fireworks. We’re from New Zealand, so it’s a very different atmosphere. It’s fun, but I didn’t expect it to be this hot.