Orchard Beach
On the other side of the city, the Bronx’s only
public beach is known for its crescent shape that
provides fantastic views of City Island. Although
this area inside of Pelham Bay Park lacks a
decent food-and-drink scene, it makes up for that
with concession stands, dozens of basketball,
volleyball and handball courts, and a pair of picnic
areas. The mile-long stretch of Orchard Beach is
still one of the most popular waterfronts in the city
and can get very crowded during beach season.
Coney Island
Arguably the most popular beach in New York,
Coney Island is packed full of entertainment for the
whole family. Most notably, the full amusement
park along the coast includes everything from
a small roller coaster to a ferris wheel. The
boardwalk is lined with great eateries, especially
the famous original location of Nathan’s Hot Dogs.
It also hosts the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating
Contest every summer! While some people may
believe that Coney Island is past its prime - it was
the largest amusement area in the country before
World War II - it still draws large crowds every year.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Boardwalk
Located on the east coast of Staten Island, the
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Boardwalk and Beach
is one of New York’s most spacious beaches with
2.5 miles of sand. The southern portion, Midland
Beach, is known for its popular fishing pier and
bike path, as well as bocce courts, the Sea Turtle
Fountain and sprinklers, a roller hockey rink and
more. South Beach, which is just north of Midland
Beach, boasts one of the largest fishing piers
in the city, a park just for seniors, plenty of free
concerts and fireworks throughout the season,
and a beautiful view of the Verrazano Bridge.
Cedar Grove
Just south of the Franklin D. Roosevelt
Boardwalk lies Cedar Grove, one of the city’s
newest public beaches. Up until 2011 the beach
was maintained by residents of a nearby bungalow
colony and was rarely visited by the public. Now
that the Parks Department maintains the beach,
there are public restrooms and lifeguards on duty,
and the crowds are ever growing. A concession
stand is also in the works. Still, if you’re looking for
a quieter, more relaxing beach experience, Cedar
Grove id your best bet.
Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. (Photo via NYCgo)
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