BEACHES

We are lucky enough to live on an island surrounded by water. This means there are beaches everywhere. We sometimes forget and take them for granted. But how great to have them therewhen we want to go to one! Here are a few nearby for you to visit.

⛱️ Rockaway Beach - 7 miles of beach from Beach 3 St. to Beach 153 St. 11691, 11692, 11693, 11694  • (718) 318-4000

What to Know: 

• Please make sure to wear a face covering, except while in the water, and to keep at least six feet of social distance between households.
• Surf beaches are located between Beach 68 - Beach 71 Street, Beach 87 - Beach 91 Street, and Beach 110 - Beach 111 Street. Additional rules apply to the surf beaches: Download Surf Beach Rules (PDF, 323KB)
• Kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding areas are at Beach 32 Street and at Beach 57 Street.
• Bicycle and Skate Path along the boardwalk
• Boardwalk closed 10:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m.
• Concession Stand B.17th Street, B.86th Street Island, B.97th Street Island, and B.106th Street Island.) (Not sure during pandemic- check)
• Mobile Charging Station at B. 108th St, B. 97th St, B. 84th St.
• Water Quality Advisories or Closures  - Visit the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s New York City Area Beaches page for water quality advisories or closures before you head to the beach.
• Be WaterSafe - 10 Tips to Stay Water Safe in New York
• Rip Currents  - Safety tips and information provided by The National Weather Service regarding the dangers of rip currents.
• MAP
• The area has the only two surf beaches in the City (immortalized in the Ramones song “Rockaway Beach”), along with fishing spots and numerous playgrounds for kids. 

Facilities: Barbecue, baseball fields, basketball courts, bathroom, eateries, fitness equipment, handball courts, playgrounds, roller hockey, skate parks, spray showers, volleyball courts. Find details here.

Parking: Free parking lots at B. 11th to B. 15th Street and B. 95th Street; free street parking.

Hours: 

• During beach season, lifeguards are on duty daily, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
• Swimming is prohibited when lifeguards are not on duty and in closed sections. 
• Closed sections are marked with signs and/or red flags.

Some Nearby Rockaway Private Beach Clubs:

• Breezy Point Surf Club – Breezy Point, Queens • 1 Beach 227th Street near Breezy Point Boulevard • 718-634-2500
• Silver Gull Beach Club – Breezy Point, Queens • 1 Beach 193rd Street near Range Road • 718-634-1500
• Sea Gate Beach Club – Coney Island, Brooklyn • 3700 Surf Avenue near W 37th Street • 718-372-4477

⛱️ Jacob Riis Park 157 Rockaway Beach Blvd, Queens, NY 11694

What to Know:

• Parking at Jacob Riis Park is reduced to 50% during pandemic
• Jacob Riis Park closes at 9 pm.
• Can be reached by bus, subway, car or ferry.
• Home to a restored art deco bathhouse, a pitch-and-putt golf course, ball courts, boardwalks and a mile-long stretch of swimmable ocean, 
• There is also a picnic area and playgrounds.
• More Rules & what's open and what's closed During Covid

Fun Facts:

• Designed in 1936 by Robert Moses who designed Jones Beach too.
• Dubbed “The People’s Beach,” 
• One of New York City’s most popular beaches.

Hours:

•  Lifeguards are on duty at this swimming beach daily between Memorial Day and Labor Day from 10 am to 6 pm.
• Jacob Riis Park is open daily from 7 am to 9 pm.

Parking:

A beach parking fee ($10 per car) is charged between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

⛱️  Fort Tilden, Breezy Point, NY 11697 • (718) 318-4300

What to Know:

• FREE beach In the Gateway National Recreation Park
• Next to Jacob Riis Park, that's where you park and then walk
• Has landmarks and abandoned structures and an art installation and a theatre, nice for walking and getting lost, artists love it here. There is the remains of a military installation, built around the time the US entered WWI and closed in the late '70s, was supposed to defend NYC from an attack coming from the sea.
• There is the Riis Bazaar with shops and food. 
• Reviewer called it the best beach, a chill place.
• Secluded beach, there may be some topless bathing.
• No trash cans, no bathrooms, no vendors.  No place to lock bike.
• PROHIBITED: Dogs on the beach (from March 15 to Sept. 15), nudity, fires, barbecues, glass bottles, balloons (all kinds), entering areas cordoned off with string (bird nesting areas), alcoholic beverages, going near or walking on the beach grass, and kites (from March 15 to Sept. 15). Take walks on the wet sand only, please!
• Please, stay away from and do not walk on BEACH GRASS, or other vegetation on the beach!  If you take a walk on the beach (in non-string areas) in the Spring/Summer, please, stay on the WET SAND.  While American dune grass is a plant that can tolerate a very salty environment, it is FRAGILE and cannot withstand people walking on it.  Treading on the grass breaks the stems, and then the plants die.  The beach grass that you see at Fort Tilden was planted by volunteers (on their hands and knees) in 2013 after Sandy wiped out the sand dunes and the vegetation on them.
• Leashed DOGs are allowed on the beach from Sept. 15 to March 15th (NOT in the Summer). DOGs are never, ever allowed off-leash anywhere in Gateway National Park.  
• Please, don't swim, wade, or bathe at this beach.  This is a FISHING BEACH, and the fishermen/women pay for permits to use this beach for surf fishing.  There are life guards at Jacob Riis Park, which is literally a few yards away. Bicycling is only allowed on active roads, not on hiking trails or abandoned roads.
• The barbecues are for use by permit-holders only.
• A simple call to the U.S. Park Police to report any violations (718-338-3988) is always a good idea.  
• Fort Tilden is an easy access from Brooklyn's Marine Parkway Bridge, or via Rockaway Peninsula, or Q35 or Q22 Buses.
• More Rules & what's open and what's closed During Covid

⛱️Town of Hempstead Beaches - OPEN TO TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD AND NASSAU COUNTY RESIDENTS ONLY

• Hewlett Point Park, Bay Park: 516-599-4064.
• Lido Beach Town Park: 516-431-6650
• Lido West Town Park: 516-432-0940
• Town Park at Point Lookout: 516-431-3900
• Town Park at Sands, Lido Beach: 516-431-6910

What to know: 

• Hewlett Point Park overlooks Hewlett Bay; the rest are ocean beaches. 
• Lifeguards on duty daily, 10am-6pm. 
• For safety and social distancing tips visit their website. 
• Pool is open. Beach closes at 7pm

Hours: Ocean beaches open May 25-Labor Day. Special park district beaches June 15 through Labor Day.

Cost: 

• $10 beach parking. Must show ID. 
• The daily resident beach parking fee is $10 per car and $50 for non-residents. 
• Town of Hempstead operated beaches open to Town of Hempstead and Nassau County residents only. 
• Non-resident "walk-in" rates apply at Sands, Lido and Lido West beaches.

⛱️ Atlantic Beach  516-371-4600

Attractions: Ocean beach community featuring a boardwalk overlooking the ocean

What to Know: There are many private beach clubs where you can join the beach clubs and rent cabanas for the summer as many families from the Five Towns do. You can go over the bridge easily by the Rockaways for a fee (cheaper for a yearly card) or drive around through Oceanside and Long Beach(the long way).

Hours: Memorial Day Weekend and each weekend thereafter, 10am-6pm (no swimming until June 22). Lifeguards on duty starting June 22, daily 10am-6pm.

Cost: $10 Atlantic Beach residents only and their guests.

Private Beach Clubs: 

• Catalina Beach Club – 2045 Ocean Boulevard near Daytona Street • 516-239-2150
• New York Beach Club – 1751 Ocean Boulevard • 516-371-0750
• Sun & Surf Beach Club – 2189 Atlantic Boulevard • 516-239-6700
• The Shores at Atlantic Beach – 1845 Ocean Boulevard near Ithaca Avenue • 516-812-9411
• Sunny Atlantic Beach Club – 2035 Ocean Boulevard • 516-239-9090

⛱️ Jones Beach State Park  2400 Ocean Parkway, Wantagh 516-785-1600

What to Know: 

• 6.5 miles of beaches
• Parking is reduced to 50% during summer of 2020
• Many popular parks at Jones Beach will fill to capacity by noon and close early to incoming visitors and traffic.
• You can check here if they are at capacity the day you decide to go during summer 2020. 
• For real-time traffic updates visit here. 
• For current parking real-time availability visit here.
• No Pets Allowed All Year Round
• Find beach maps here.
• more info here
• Info about parking fields and more here

Activities:

• Now has new recreation features, which opened to the public on July 9, to spruce up its West Games Area. It now offers a mini-golf course, refurbished tennis and shuffleboard courts, cornhole, and more.
• Swim in the ocean
• stroll the boardwalk
• fishing
• visit an historic exhibit
• get a bite to eat at one of the many concession stands
• play miniature golf 
• shuffleboard
• basketball
• attend concerts at Northwell Health Theater Box Office, open Tuesday - Saturday 12pm-6pm (516-221-1000). 
• Learning about the marine environment at the Jones Beach Nature Center
• pool swimming
• sunbathing
• bicycling
• surfing
• visiting the playgrounds.

Fun Facts:

• Jones Beach Island is separated from Long Island by Great South Bay, Jones Inlet and Fire Island Inlet.
• History and geography as per Wikipedia
• Designed on the theme of an ocean liner
• Less than 20 miles from New York City
• Jones Beach State Park and Jones Island which stretches east of the park were the creation of master builder Robert Moses in the 1920s. By dredging sand from what is now the State Boat Channel, Moses raised the elevation of the barrier islands by fourteen feet, connecting several small islands into one long stretch topped by Ocean Parkway. Moses created a great "people's park" from what he described as mosquito infested swamps and small islands.

Hours: 

• Open year-round. 
• Zach’s Bay swimming area is open May 22 daily through Sept. 19. 
• West End Ocean Swimming opens May 22, 9am-5pm daily. 
• See all hours here.

Cost: $10 parking when beach is open. See all fees here.

⛱️ Long Beach  516-431-1021

What to Know: 

• 2.2-mile boardwalk and 3.5 to 4-mile beach on the Atlantic Ocean; 
• Ocean Beach Park open 7 days a week now.
• Playground on Magnolia Boulevard in front of boardwalk; 
• Both beach and boardwalk open for everyone on weekdays, beach is only for residents on weekends
• Get more info on everything here FAQs !
• Beach passes are needed 9-6 pm
• Effective 7/16/20, Non-Resident Beach Passes are now available at these additional locations: Riverside Boulevard (street level at the Shorgasboard) and Laurelton Boulevard (street level).
  This weekend, the trolley will run as a "Beach Loop" along Broadway from Long Beach Boulevard to Laurelton Boulevard (weather permitting) allowing beach goers to travel to open beaches entrances that are at a lower capacity. The trolley will operate from 11:30am - 7:30pm and is free.
•  Non-Resident Passes will be sold until beaches reach the NYS mandated capacity and are for sale at the following locations:
  • Long Beach Boulevard Boardwalk
  • Riverside Boulevard Boardwalk
  • Riverside Boulevard Street side
  • Edwards Boulevard Boardwalk
  • National Boulevard Boardwalk
  • Magnolia Boulevard Boardwalk
  • Laurelton Boulevard
  • Laurelton Boulevard Street side
• Non-resident SEASON passes are NOT available for purchase at this time.
• Resident daily and season passes can only be purchased at the Beach Park Trailer located at 300 West Broadway (on the corner of Broadway and Laurelton Blvd.). Beach pass sales will cease at the Gazebo building located at Magnolia Boulevard and the Bayfront.
• The City of Long Beach is committed to maintaining State guidelines for beach capacity (no more than 50%).  As individual beaches begin to reach this capacity, access to those beach entrances will be restricted. If you plan on visiting our beaches from out of town, please monitor our social media pages for up to date information.
• Starting Thursday, July 23, the beach will now close at 8 p.m. and the boardwalk will close at 9 p.m. The new hours will last until further notice. The city said the new hours are to protect residents, employees and first responders.
• In addition to the new hours, non-resident beach passes will no longer be sold on the weekends. They will only be available Monday through Thursday.
  

Hours: 

• June 27 full-time until Labor Day from 9am-6pm. 
• Lifeguards on duty 9am-6pm. 
• You can stay, but no swimming after 6pm, no cost after 6 pm to walk the beach.
• As of July 23rd beach closes at 8pm and boardwalk closes at 9 pm.

Cost: Beach admission: $12 (daily) for residents; free for children younger than 12. 

⛱️ Nickerson Park Beach, Lido Beach - OPEN TO NASSAU COUNTY RESIDENTS ONLY Between Long Beach and Point Lookout, 516-571-7701

What to Know: 

• Skate park, basketball, tennis, playground, and other facilities are closed. 
• Lifeguards on duty 10am-6pm. Swim at your own risk other times. 
• Only household families allowed in a group. Social distancing must be enforced. 
• No games or sports. Beach will close once 50% of parking lot capacity is met. No dogs.
• Not sure what of all activities are open during pandemic.
• Details here.

Fun Facts: 

• 155 acres, beach is .5 miles long
• The beach is home to a number of federally protected birds and grasses.  It is a great place to relax and soak in the beauty of nature.
• The park includes areas by the beach that are cordoned off to protect nesting areas for the Piping Plover, a sparrow-sized shorebird that is protected by federal law.

Hours: Beach open 9am-6pm, daily.

Activities:

• Beach front 
• Campground
• Fun Zone
• Ball Fields
• Beach Volleyball Courts
• Cabanas and Lockers.
• Dog Run (probably closed during pandemic)

Cost: 

• Daily: $15 for Leisure Pass holders
• Season sticker: Leisure Pass holders, $110; seniors, disabled, volunteer firefighters, auxiliary police & veterans, $50 (Leisure Pass required); non-Leisure Pass holders, $295.
• .Credit card only.

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🏊️ POOLS and SPRAYGROUNDS

Article on local POOLS here.

Article on recently opened Woodmere POOL here.

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🏋️ ROCKAWAY PLAYGROUNDS, REC CENTERS and PARKS

Article about Rockaway Parks and Playgrounds and Recreation Centers Here.

Far Rockaway on a hot summer day 2020. Photos by Tatiana S

Long Beach at sunset in the Summer of 2020. Photos by Tatiana S

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Macaroni Kid Five Towns-Valley Stream-The Rockaways serving Hewlett, Woodmere, Inwood, Cedarhurst, Lawrence (The Five Towns), Valley Stream, Malverne, Rosedale, Far Rockaway, Atlantic Beach, The Rockaways.