Coney Island thriving months after superstorm Sandy

Eight months after Superstorm Sandy hit New York City, Coney Island’s rides, eateries and beach are getting plenty of visitors, and there are even a few new attractions like a carousel and a store for fans of the Nets basektball team.

The Wonder Wheel is one of the new rides running at Coney Island’s amusement park.

A cook prepared a plate of clams at Nathan’s Famous at Coney Island.

A tray of candy apples at Williams Candy.

Vittorio Campanile, 3, looked at exhibits at the newly re-opened New York Aquarium.

Osborne the sea lion performed with trainer Guenter Skammel during a preview of the sea lion show at the New York Aquarium.

A sign on the beach warned swimmer at the Rockaways.

Foundations that once supported a boardwalk at the Rockaways in the Queens still awaited rebuilding as bathers took to the beach.

Andrew Field, the owner of Rockaway Taco, looked out from his store.

Repairs continued on the boardwalk at Rockaway Beach.

The B & B Carousel on the Coney Island boardwalk next to the Parachute Jump.

A child rode the B & B Carousel.

A detail of one of the horses on Coney Island’s B & B Carousel.

Surfers waited to catch waves at Rockaway Beach.

A surfer walked on the beach.

Totonno’s Pizzeria reopened after being closed 5 months from superstorm Sandy damage.

Totonno’s Pizzeria pizzaioli Michael Gammone, left, and John Raffaele baked in the same coal oven founded with the establishment 89 years ago.

Louise Ciminieri, left, co-owner of Totonno’s Pizzeria, chatted with Jon Meadow, a regular customer.

Visitors crowded a section of the boardwalk.

Silhouettes of boardwalk visitors stood out against the familiar Nathans hotdog billboard and the landmark Shore Theatre, built in 1925.

A construction worker closed a gate to a pier under repair.

Various food stood along Surf Avenue.

.M. Chamberlain, from Egg Harbor, N.J., played a piano installed as part of city-wide art project on the boardwalk/

A couple looked at the 90-year-old fortune telling machine “Grandma’s Predictions,” which was recently restored.

Signage for Thor Equities, a real estate developer, covered an available store space next door to the new Brooklyn Nets basketball memorabilia store.

Cranes repaired a pier that was damaged while visitors took to the beach.