Coney Island Beach | Photo by Kimon Berlin via Wikimedia Commons
NEW YORK—With the temperature reaching 78F on Saturday, May 25, NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue made a timely announcement that New York City’s public beaches will be open for swimming and remain open through Sunday, September 8, 2024.
Lifeguards will be on duty daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Swimming is unsafe and strictly prohibited at all other times. Closed sections are marked with signs and/or red flags. All NYC Parks beaches are free and open to the general public.
“Our free public beaches are an essential part of summer for New Yorkers,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “They’re great places to cool off, relax, and enjoy time with family and friends, and we’re committed to making sure that all of our beaches are clean, safe, and attractive destinations.”
According to NYC Parks, this year, Travel + Leisure magazine’s list of the 25 best beaches in the United States included two New York City beaches: Rockaway Beach and Coney Island Beach. The magazine called Rockaway Beach “heaven” for New Yorkers, who can “hop on a subway or bus to reach its white sand, five-mile boardwalk, and surf-worthy waves.”
Travel + Leisure stated of Coney Island, “If you’re seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city without having to go too far, Coney Island is a perfect seaside wonderland of nostalgia and kitschy fun.”
City beaches span 14 miles, including Orchard Beach in the Bronx, Coney Island and Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn, Rockaway Beach in Queens, Midland Beach, South Beach, Cedar Grove Beach, and Wolfe’s Pond Beach on Staten Island.
Brooklyn
Coney Island offers an ideal respite from the hectic and steamy City. With nearly three miles of sandy beaches, Coney Island’s sunny skies and rolling waves make for the perfect summer getaway. If your idea of beach fun involves more than just soaking up the sun, Coney Island also offers plenty of recreation choices, such as beach volleyball and handball, as well as playgrounds and amusement rides. Enjoy the New York Aquarium, take in a Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game, or enjoy boardwalk rides, including the historic Deno’s Wonder Wheel, legendary Cyclone roller coaster, or New York City’s newest coaster, the Phoenix.
The Bronx
Orchard Beach, the Bronx’s sole public beach, was proclaimed “The Riviera of New York City” when it was created in the 1930s. Today, it remains a family-friendly destination for summer fun, as visitors can cool off with a refreshing swim or soak up the sun at the 1.1-mile-long beach. Orchard Beach also features playgrounds, picnic areas, and courts for tennis, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, and handball.
Queens
Rockaway Beach, one of New York City’s finest beach towns, welcomes visitors to a replenished beach for a summer of coastal fun. Rockaway Beach is home to the City’s only designated surfing areas, and its boardwalk has become known for its diverse concessions, which sell local and international cuisine, including Venezuelan, Caribbean, Peruvian, wood-fired pizza, raw bar, lobsters, and more.
While there are so many different and exciting activities along the boardwalk, NYC Parks has added more recreational and educational opportunities. One is the Arverne East Nature Preserve, a new community resource that supports five unique maritime ecosystems across 35 acres. The preserve has pedestrian paths carefully integrated into the landscape, providing access from the beach and boardwalk.
Staten Island
Staten Island is home to four of New York City’s public beaches: Cedar Grove Beach, Midland Beach, South Beach, and Wolfe’s Pond Beach. Visitors to South Beach can sunbathe while enjoying lovely views of the Verrazzano Bridge, bike through a scenic trail, or stop at the famous Fountain of Dolphins, which features six bronze dolphin figures illuminated at night. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk connects South Beach with neighboring Midland Beach, which offers swimming, a playground, bocce and shuffleboard courts, bike rentals, and kayak launch sites.
NYC Parks said it will continue its free sunscreen program, with dispensers located at all beaches. New Yorkers can easily apply the SPF 30 sunscreen provided to protect themselves from long hours in the sun. In the Rockaways, the sunscreen program is funded by the IMPACT Melanoma Foundation and Episcopal Health Services.
The Health Department is responsible for beach health and safety surveillance and routine water quality monitoring for all NYC beaches. The agency regularly tests the water quality and monitors wet weather conditions near the City’s beaches to ensure they are safe for swimming. Water from excessive rain runoff, sewage, or other pollution can pose health risks to swimmers and beachgoers. If necessary, NYC Parks said that easy-to-read water quality advisory and closure signs will be posted at beaches to ensure that all beachgoers know about any health or safety risks.
The public can visit nyc.gov/health/beach or call 311 for more information on Health Department sampling results and water quality information and to find out if there are any advisories or closures before heading to the beach.
Beachgoers can also sign up for “Know Before You Go,” a free text service in English and Spanish that informs New Yorkers if public beaches are open or closed due to water quality issues.
New Yorkers can text “BEACH” or “PLAYA” to 55676 to get the status of any of the City’s public beaches.
NYC Parks’s outdoor pools will open on June 27, 2024.
–With Jay Domingo/PDM
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