Two great things about the city (and the Tri-State Area in general) are the energy of the area and the many things there are to do. Both of these are amplified during our best season — summer. Not only are there many great summer-only activities, but it’s also the best time to do year-round outdoors activities.
The East and Hudson Rivers are far too dirty to swim in, but there are still many beach options in the area. New Yorkers often flee to the Jersey Shore or, if they’re rich enough, the Hamptons. Most of the less expensive beaches are on Long Island, my home turf. The westernmost beaches outside of the boroughs are Long Beach and Jones Beach. Long Beach is a white sand beach accessible via the LIRR or Loop Parkway. Long Beach has a pay-per-person entrance fee, so it’s not the best beach to bring large groups to. Jones Beach is the island just East of Long Beach. There is a $10 parking fee per car, but you can bike there for free from Cedar Creek Park in Wantagh. Jones Beach, simply put, is miles of pristine Atlantic Ocean beach with a boardwalk popular among cyclists, an amazing theater by Zach’s Bay, and a handful of expensive amenities for those who can afford them.
Further West on the South Shore is Fire Island, which I consider the (somewhat) hidden jewel of NY beaches. On the West end of Fire Island lies Robert Moses State Park, which is like a less-crowded Jones Beach. The Robert Moses Causeway and Great South Bay Bridge make for an awesome drive to Robert Moses Park. The next 30 miles or so East of Robert Moses Park are only about half a mile wide with restaurants, docks, and stores along the Great South Bay on the North side of the Island with sand dunes and beaches which lies along the Atlantic Ocean. This part of the island is car-free, so most people take a ferry if they’re going further East into Fire Island. Be warned, Fire Island beaches range from family-oriented summer vacation beaches to nude beaches, so do some research on which beach suits your needs before going. Smith Point Beach is at the East end of Fire Island, accessible by taking the Southern State Parkway and Sunrise Highway to William Floyd Parkway. Smith Point Beach has more of a fun vibe to it than the other beaches; it has a bar/grill, Beach Hut, and beach fires are permitted at night.
Summer also signals many opportunities in the city. Some city parks host free movies at night, bands perform in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, and summer is the ideal time to walk, run, or bike along the city’s many promenades. The Hudson and East River greenways in Manhattan are very scenic and recommended, but I strongly recommend visiting the outer borough trails and parks. A walkway/bikeway hugs the Brooklyn shoreline with great views of the Verrazano Bridge. It’s like a Belt Parkway for pedestrians and cyclists. A similar path in Bayside hugs Little Neck Bay, leading to Fort Totten Park underneath the Throgs Neck Bridge. Clove Lakes Park in Staten Island is a nice place to have a barbecue.
Summer is also the ideal time to try out the city’s unique ice cream scene. I will write more in-depth reviews of some of these places in the future, but for now, I’ll give a brief overview of the ice cream scene. Black Tap in SoHo and Chelsea are famous for their mega-sized milkshakes, which bring blocks-long lines. Max Brenner, just South of Union Square, has their unique line of (more reasonably-sized) milkshakes. Further downtown, the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory on Bayard Street was one of the first places to make ginger ice cream, and they’ve continued creating unique flavors ever since then. Another ice cream store in Chinatown, 10 Below, rolls their ice cream as opposed to scooping it. Peter Pan doughnuts in Greenpoint makes doughnut ice cream sandwiches in the summer.
Enjoy!
Be First to Comment