Summer can be really hot in New York, and it has been pretty warm lately so it is a good thing the city is on the coast. Not many people think about the fact that New York has beaches, and quite decent ones too, to be honest. You can even go surfing which is something I really enjoy.
Lately I have tried to discover the different beaches around the city, trying to keep it to max 1h and a half of travel time. From where I live in Brooklyn that gives me quite a few options. There is Coney Island/Brighton Beach, Manhattan beach, Fort Tilden and the Rockaways. But even Long Beach is within about an hour from the city so there is much to chose from.
So far I have to say that Long Beach might be my favorite. It’s comfortable and fast to go to and the beach feels clean and taken care of. The only downside is you have to pay for a day pass, but I assume that is also why it feels a bit more taken care of. And on top of the beach the town is cute and they have some nice food spots around as well that feel very beach-y.
For the no fee beaches the top one is Fort Tilden. This is most peoples favorite of those I have asked. It is a very pretty and natural beach with sand banks surrounding it, and no built environment to be seen from the beach. When you go here you have to be prepared to bring snacks or food as there are no places around for this purpose. This isn’t a downside though, but the opposite, it makes it feel like you’re really at the beach. The one downside there is, is that to get there you have to change into a bus, and buses in NYC are not always known to be on time. Which means travel time can get quite long.
For the rest of the summer I am looking forward to trying out some of the beaches further out as well, aiming to visit the Hamptons and Montauk as well. It feels like that is part of the full NYC experience as well. It’s not just all a big city.
