Day Tripper: Coney Island

Between keeping within your budget and scheduling time off from work, planning a vacation can be stressful.

If you find you have too little time to travel and not enough money in your bank account, there’s no need to fret.

Each Thursday, Douglaston Patch will profile one of the five boroughs’ unique neighborhoods, where you can sample some local culture and culinary delights.

This week’s pick is Coney Island:

10 a.m.

Start your day by visiting the New York Aquarium, which has been operating along Surf Avenue at West Eighth Street for more than 50 years.

The aquarium, which is the oldest in the United States, is home to more than 350 aquatic species and includes six major exhibits, such as the sea lions at the Aquatheater, Alien Stingers, Sharks and the Sea Cliffs, where penguins, seals, otters and walruses relax on a rocky coastline.

It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends through Sept. 5. In the fall, the aquarium is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

For more information, visit the aquarium’s website.

1 p.m.

For lunch, stop by one of Coney Island’s numerous boardwalk eateries, including Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs and the Luna Grill, which replaced Coney Island Surf and Turf Grill and offers fish, burgers, steaks, sandwiches and a variety of appetizers.

2 p.m.

Drop by Luna Park and, if you’re feeling brave, take a ride on the historic Cyclone, an 84-year-old rollercoaster with an 85-foot drop.

Then, swing by the Scream Zone and hop on the Soarin’ Eagle, the Steeplechase and the Sling Shot, which flings riders 150 feet into the sky at 90 miles per hour.

If you’re still not too banged up, drop by Surf Avenue’s El Dorado Bumper Cars and Arcade and then Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, which includes the titular ride, the Spook-a-Rama and a kiddie park.

6 p.m.

End your day at Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitano, which serves coal oven style pizza. But, take note: the eatery only serves by the pie, not the slice.

Specialty pizzas include the Margherita, Neapolitan and the Bianca, but its menu also offers salads, pastas, chicken and veal dishes and desserts.

Totonno’s is located at 1524 Neptune Ave. Click here to view the menu.