New York City has more than 14 miles of Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound beaches, and it’s one of the few places in the world where you can take the subway to the sand, sea and surf.
NYC beaches are FREE. There’s no access fee, and there’s nobody checking your ID, as Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties have been doing, to prevent non-residents from visiting.
NYC beaches are open year round. Between Memorial Day Weekend and the weekend after Labor Day, there are lifeguards, pop-up food vendors, concerts and dance parties, basketball and volleyball tournaments, even surfing and surfing lessons.
But as we all know, 2020 is not normal.
NYC Beach Rules
Lifeguards and swimming return on Saturday, May 29, 10am to 6pm daily through Labor Day Weekend.
Walking, running, exercising, and access to the sand and boardwalk are permitted during regular park hours.
Restrooms are open during regular hours.
Social distancing rules on the sand and on the boardwalks are recommended, as is wearing a face covering.
At beaches with food services, expect to-go service, and online ordering will be used again this year whenever possible.
The NYC Dept. of Parks, which operates NYC beaches, also recommends that you limit the length of your visit.
Even so, a day at the beach is a great escape after stay-at-home rules.
These are the best Atlantic Ocean beaches you can get to via the subway, and walk five minutes or less to the boardwalk and the beach, one hour or less from Midtown:
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Best Beaches in Brooklyn
Coney Island
World-famous Coney Island was the place New Yorkers went to cool off and have fun before Las Vegas or Disneyland existed, and it’s still great fun.
Nathan’s Famous is open for it’s world-famous hot dogs, including FREE hot dogs for those who can prove they have been vaccinated.
Ride the world-famous Cyclone for thrills, ride the Wonder Wheel for great views of the ocean and the Manhattan skyline, and the rides at Luna Park.
Test your wheel skills in the bumper cars, which taught so many of us how to drive (or not) before our feet were old enough to reach the pedals of Daddy’s Mercury, Pontiac, Plymouth or Saturn. Remember those?
Explore the history of the world’s sea life at the New York Aquarium, rebuilt and fabulous again after being drowned – literally – by Hurricane Sandy, as was the Coney Island Boardwalk.
When things open up further, you’ll also be able to –
- attend a concert at the recently-opened Ford Ampitheater,
- see Coney Island history at the Coney Island Museum
How to get there:
Take the D, F, N or Q to the last stop.
Or, take the F or Q to the stop before, West 8th St./Coney Island Aquarium, where you’ll be away from the crowds.
- By bike, ride to the end of the Ocean Parkway bike path.
Brighton Beach
A few stops before Coney Island on the B or Q, this is where you’ll be tempted by the restaurants, grocery stores and fresh fruit markets of the Russian enclave called Little Odessa before or after the beach.
If you want an even less-crowded street scene and beach, get off the subway at Ocean Parkway.
Best Beaches in Queens
Rockaway Beach
Normally, surfers look for the waves between Beach 67th and Beach 92nd Street, and you could learn how to hang ten with Surf Lessons New York.
Rockaway Beach is closed between Beach 38th Street and Beach 57th Street to accommodate the nesting areas of several endangered and threatened shorebird species.
To learn more, please visit the NYC Parks Dept.Rockaway Beach Endangered Species Nesting Area page.
Recommended eats are at Rockaway Beach Surf Club, for inventive tacos, and at Rippers. There’s also live music on weekends at Caracas Arepa Bar.
How to get there:
Take the A train to Rockaway Park/Beach 116th St. This is the commerial hub for the neighborhood, where you’ll find restaurants and other services.
If you walk to the higher numbered Beach Streets, after the boardwalk ends, you’ll be in the quiet residential neighborhoods of Belle Harbor and Nepoonsit, where there are no public services.
Or, take the A train to Far Rockaway, and stop at either Beach 67th Street or Beach 90th Street, to watch surfers in New York City’s two designated surf spots, open year-round, between Beach 67th and Beach 69th Streets, and between Beach 87th and Beach 92nd Streets, when restrictions ease.
- By bus, take the J/Z to the Q52.
- By ferry, take the NYC Ferry from lower Manhattan and from Sunset Park, Queens, to 108th St
Best Beach in Bronx
Orchard Beach
The is the only public beach in the Bronx.
It was proclaimed “The Riviera of New York” when it was created in the 1930s.
The 115-acre, 1.1-mile-long beach contains a wide hexagonal-block promenade, a central pavilion, snack bars, food and souvenir carts, two playgrounds, two picnic areas, a large parking lot, and 26 courts for basketball, volleyball and handball. Changing areas and showers are available.
There also are hiking trails popular with birders.
This is also an accessible beach. Two beach wheelchairs specially designed for use on the sand are available. For availability, call (718) 885-2275.
How to get there:
- Take the 6 subway to the last stop, Pelaham Bay Park
- Take the BX29 to the beach.
Best Beaches in Staten Island
Okay, we’re stretching it a bit here.
Take the subway to the Staten Island Ferry, then add on a bus to the beach.
South Beach and Midland Beach
From the Ferry Terminal, transfer to the S81 or S51 bus, either of which will deposit you across the street from the entrance to South Beach.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Beach and Boardwalk
From the Ferry Terminal, take the S51 bus line to this 2.5 mile beach and boardwalk, with food and restroom services.
Cedar Grove Beach
Cleaner, quieter and more secluded than Staten Island’s more popular beaches, with a smaller designated swimming area.
From the Ferry Terminal, take the SB86 bus directly to the sand and surf.
From Manhattan there are three express bus options—the X4, X7 and X8, all of which stop at Father Capodanno Boulevard and Sand Lane, the main entrance to South Beach.
There are more public beaches in NYC, open Memorial Day to Labor Day
Here’s the full list of NYC public beaches.
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Photo courtesy NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation
This article was published originally in 2015 and updated annually, including for 2021.
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