Let’s face it — summer is just around the corner and the weather is finally starting to bring New York locals out of hibernation and into the sunshine! The entire month of May is full of fun things to do in the city with family and friends. Memorial Day weekend might be our favorite though, because it means the beaches start to open up for swimming! Check out these 7 New York beaches that are perfect for relaxing in the heat.
1. Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk
From markets, restaurants and plenty of outdoor activities, Rockaway Beach is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. The NYC Ferry has a stop on Rockaway as well, so you aren’t limited to taking the train. There’s so much to do on the Boardwalk, and you might actually catch some waves in the water as well!
2. Jacob Riis Park Beach
If you’re looking for a beach that’s easily accessible via public transportation, Jacob Riis Park Beach is a great place to start. You’ll feel far removed from the city even though you’re right within Queens. There are tons of activities to do from golf and basketball to enjoying delicious food at the Riis Park Beach Bazaar. You can’t go wrong spending the day here!
3. Jones Beach
Mini golf, ball courts and a swimming pool can be found along this six-mile spread of beach on Long Island. Nikon at Jones Beach Theater also puts on fantastic concerts during the summer with big names that the whole family will love.
4. Long Beach
You can make it from Penn Station to Long Beach in less than an hour, so relatively speaking it’s a pretty painless trek! The two-mile long boardwalk is perfect for walking and biking, and there are tons of fun things to do here in the summer. From food truck vendors and a summer concert series to a weekly art festival and farmer’s market, Long Beach has a little something for everyone to enjoy!
5. Coney Island Beach
As one of the biggest destination spots in Brooklyn during the summer, Coney Island Beach can get pretty crowded. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it though! There’s so much to do on the boardwalk, and plenty of delicious food to eat. The theme park is also a great way to keep the kids having fun after a few hours on the beach!
6. Fort Tilden Beach
Fort Tilden Beach is a little hidden gem in Queens that’s difficult to reach without a bicycle. With three miles of clean, white sand and no lifeguards on duty, this is the perfect secret beach to spend a day on relaxing with a good book!
7. Robert Moses State Park
This beautiful five-mile beachfront is much quieter than its neighboring shore, Jones Beach. The park also has awesome facilities—showers, picnic tables and grills—so you really can spend the whole day there. Fire Island Lighthouse is nearby too, so if you want the best views around, make that 192-step climb!
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.
