Arthur Nintzel

"Anyone who knows me fairly well has been to Coney Island with me," says Arthur Nintzel,  who grew up in Brooklyn on East 37th Street at Nostrand and Flatbush Avenues. On a visit back to Coney Island with his daughter, Arthur Nintzel shared boyhood memories of going with his parents Artie and Rita to Coney's Ocean Tide Baths in the 1950s and '60s. He describes Ocean Tide's saltwater pool, wooden lockers, jukebox, and life lessons learned there. He recalls the thrill of riding Coney Island's Steeplechase horse ride, discovering the B&B Carousell's Abraham Lincoln horse, and wondering who lived in the house under the Thunderbolt roller coaster. On Tuesday nights, his father would meet the family in Coney Island after work to catch the fireworks show.