Former Sports Illustrated senior writer JEFF PEARLMAN grew up hearing his father's stories about Coney Island's heyday and almost broke his shoulder riding the Cyclone during research for his first CITY story (page 59). What about Coney Island does he love most? "The people-watching," says the devoted New Rochelle Polar Bear Club member and author of Love Me, Hate Me: Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero. "It's insanely diverse in all areas--race, body types, age, income, number of moles and tats--just an excellent place to sit back, drink a soda, and watch the world go by."