Your Guide to Beaches Near NYC

by Haley Davidson

Did you know you can spend a day on the beach for a couple of subway swipes? Time to get out of the office and soak up the sun.

Here’s your guide to finding the best beaches near New York City, from how to get there, to what to do!

Rockaway BeachQueens

How to get there:

Public Transit (1 hr 11 min): From your NYCIntern apartment, walk to Fulton St. Station (High St. for Brooklyn Heights) and take the A train (blue line) towards Far Rockaway. Get off at Beach 67 St. Station and walk to the beach!

Ferry (50 min): Walk to Wall St./Pier 11 and board the ferry (for Brooklyn Heights, take the 2 / 3 train to Wall St. and walk to the pier from there). It only makes one stop before Rockaway so you’ll be there in no time!

What to do: Camp out near B 86th St. or B 97th St. to get a tan or enjoy the water. You can enjoy great food at the popular beach restaurants Rippers or Whit’s End. There are also baseball fields, basketball courts, volleyball courts, and more.

Coney IslandBrooklyn

How to get there: (1hr 10 min) From your NYCIntern apartment, walk to the R (yellow line) station at Rector St. (Court St. for Brooklyn Heights). Take the R to Dekalb Avenue station and transfer to the Q train. Get off at the last stop, Ocean Parkway. Walk to the beach!  

What to do: A New York City classic, Coney Island is worth visiting at least once during the summer. The beach isn’t the nicest feature of Coney Island, so make sure you spend a lot of time on the boardwalk and carnival rides. Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs can also be found on the island (that’s really a peninsula) or you can try what some call the best pizza in New York at Totonno’s.

Jones BeachWantagh

How to get there: (1 hr 30 min, $21) Take the LIRR from Penn Station to Freeport Station. Walk downstairs and board the n88 NICE shuttle bus. 

What to do: Jones Beach is known for awesome summer concerts from artists like 30 Seconds to Mars, Nickelback and others. There are also two swimming pools and miniature golf. And of course, a sprawling beach and beautiful ocean view.

Long BeachLong Island

How to get there: From your NYCIntern apartment, hop on the 2 / 3 at Wall or Clark St. (red line) and go to Penn Station. Take the LIRR from Penn Station to Long Beach and walk up to the water! (1 hr, $19-$26)

What to do: Long Beach is home to sandy beaches perfect for a game of volleyball or a day of getting tan. There’s also plenty of restaurants in the area and sweet treats like Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices. You might even catch some live local music while you’re there! 

Enjoy the beach, and let us know what your favorite spots are!