Coney Island

Even more of a culture shock awaits on the “When Harry Met Sally” tour, because after lunch you’re going to catch the F train at Second Avenue and take the long ride out to Coney Island in Brooklyn. Once there, a short walk down Stillwell Avenue toward the ocean brings you to the spot where the scene just before the Katz conversation was filmed, according to various movie websites. Harry and his pal Jess (Bruno Kirby) are hitting a few in the batting cages that once stood there, holding a ridiculous conversation about women as they do.

Mr. Kirby is batting right-handed; Mr. Crystal is hitting leftie. In a commentary on one of the DVD releases of the film, Mr. Reiner commends Mr. Crystal for being able to do so convincingly, since he normally hits right-handed. Mr. Reiner needed him to bat from the other side to frame the shot the way he wanted it.

In the movie, it’s a warm-weather scene, and Coney Island is a mandatory stop for anyone who visits New York in the summer. But is there any reason to go there at this time of year? Yes. You go there to find something that is mighty scarce in Manhattan and other parts of New York in the holiday season: solitude.

On a chilly December afternoon, I had the streets and the boardwalk more or less to myself. There’s a certain beauty to watching the dimming of the day at a deserted oceanfront amusement area. The block where the batting cages stood is now home to Luna Park, an updated version of the amusement rides that have always been part of Coney Island’s identity. When change came a few years ago there was much gnashing of teeth about whether the down-market character of the place would be lost.

It hasn’t been; this is still an old-school amusement area when it’s operating. (My favorite addition: the “Coney Art Walls,” colorful murals in an outdoor food court across the street from Luna Park.) In the cold-weather months, of course, most everything is in hibernation. Luna Park’s rules of conduct, though, are still prominently posted, including this one: “Guests using profanity or abusive language, symbols or gestures will be escorted from the park without refund.” Harry and Jess may have been borderline candidates for eviction under those rules. In the scene, Harry brags about making a woman “meow” in bed.