Coney Island Beach, June 10, 1947

This image, an aerial view of the overcrowding of the boardwalk and beach from 1947, is certainly evidence of Coney Island's popularity with city dwellers as a respite from the heat. By 1920, the subway finally connected Coney to the rest of New York, making it the nearest beach within city limits and accessible to millions for only a nickel a head. The Riegelmann Boardwalk was completed by 1923, literally drawing a line in the sand to separate the amusements from the beach, and the "Nickel Empire"—nickel to get there, nickel to be amused, nickel for a Nathan's red hot—flourished. Beachcombers—many poor immigrants—arrived in droves. In the years before this photo was taken, the indefatigable urban planner Robert Moses attempted to "improve" the beach (somewhat controversially) to accommodate the crowds, but by the 1940s daily attendance on the sand approached a million. And, just a few weeks after this vista, on July 3, 1947, Coney Island beach played host to a record number: 1