Inside out and round and round
Me and King Helene did the tri-state this weekend in an attempt to soak up some sun, sea and hair gel. We went to Playland (or ‘Rye Playland’ for those outside of ‘the 914’), famously the location for Mariah’s “Fantasy” video, where the spectral presence of the little fat girl is still going strong.
I grew up about five minutes away from Playland so it was a major player in my summers. Ages 3 – 4 were all about the pony rides and 5 - 7 about the “kiddie coaster.”
At age 8 I was tall enough for the Dragon Coaster, but who could be satisfied with Playland’s art deco paradise-by-the-sea vibe when Six Flags in central Jersey beckoned with Taz/Tweety bird motifs?
Playland enjoyed a renaissance in the early high school years when you weren’t getting anywhere near a club, but the prospect of a drop-off by parents, a St. Ides Special Brew split three ways and the Music Express ride blasting Hot 97 jams made a convincing simulacrum.
King Helene got splashed with a little vomit in line for the Playland Go-Karts Saturday morning, which was an indistinguishable experience from our train ride home from the city that night. All told, I’m unconvinced that the graduation from Music Express to Real Club ought ever to have been made. If you’re within Metro-North distance from Rye Playland, you should come with some rum: we’ll throw it in an Icee and get on the M.E.
