NYC has miles of beach, and each section has a beach culture to go along with it. What helps the beaches stand out are the vibrant neighborhoods that surround them—giving each its own distinct feeling—and the people that regularly frequent the sands. For example, surf culture is big on Rockaway Beach, while you’ll notice a lot of Jewish and Russian influences in the eateries lining Brighton Beach. And Orchard Beach in the Bronx has served as a family playground for the entire borough for nearly 100 years.
Check out our explorations of these three beaches and their accompanying neighborhoods before making your way there yourself.
Brighton Beach
Photographs by Caroline Tompkins
Ride the B train to the last stop in Brooklyn and you’ll find yourself in Brighton Beach (the Q also goes there before heading over to Coney Island). While the area was originally home to Jewish, Russian and Ukrainian immigrants (it’s nicknamed Little Odessa), it has attracted people from all over the world, including Uzbek, Georgian and Turkish populations. The boardwalk stretches to and beyond Coney Island, but Brighton Beach stands apart from its carnivalesque neighbor with action of its own. After cooling off at the beach make your way to Tatiana restaurant, a boardwalk staple for over 30 years and known for its nightclub atmosphere, or head to Brighton Beach Avenue to hear conversations in multiple languages while you make your way to lower-key hangouts like Kashkar Café or Euroasia Café.
“Summertime is always hectic at Brighton Beach. People stay out on the boardwalk that goes from Brighton Beach to Coney Island and make a day out of visiting the aquarium and going to Luna Park. Every year we have the Brighton Jubilee, a multicultural festival that celebrates diversity through music, merchandise and food.” —Pat Singer, founder and executive director of the Brighton Beach Neighborhood Association
Orchard Beach
Photographs by Steven Molina Contreras
Inside Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx lies Orchard Beach, the only beach in the borough. Dubbed “The Rivera of New York City,” this man-made beach spans more than a mile along the Long Island Sound. Orchard Beach makes for a great family destination thanks to its playgrounds; courts for volleyball, basketball and handball; opportunities for barbecuing in the picnic areas; wide stretches of sand; and calm waters. Waves of immigration have transformed the shoreline with the sounds of salsa and Afro-Caribbean beats from the Puerto Rican and Dominican locals who have made the Bronx their home. Native Bronx poet and third-generation Puerto Rican Mariposa (Maria Teresa Fernandez) even refers to Orchard Beach as her "Luquillo" in her poem "Ode to the Diasporican," likening her relationship to Orchard Beach to that of the relationship between native Puerto Ricans and their own shorelines. You can experience this energy especially on Salsa Sundays, which turns the place into one big salsa dance party.
“Orchard Beach is one of my favorite beaches. For one, it’s easily accessible by train or bus and it’s connected to Pelham Bay Park, where there are trails to explore—it’s a lovely walk with lots of greenery and nature. You can even visit after summer and see the changes in the season. I grew up around Orchard Beach and it feels like I’m home." —Yolanda Ramirez, photographer
Rockaway Beach
Photographs by Catherine Mao
Take the A train (or the A plus the shuttle train or bus) all the way to the southeastern end of Queens and you’ll find yourself in Rockaway Beach. The neighborhood was heavily impacted by Superstorm Sandy back in 2012, but the boardwalk has undergone a renaissance since, with restaurants and bars along the shore and plenty of space to swim, sunbathe and, of course, surf.
On weekends, the boardwalk (especially between Beach 90th and 99th Streets) is full of life with people strolling, snacking at one of the many concession stands or dancing to live music and DJs at Rippers, a popular beachside burger bar. Surfers of all levels can take lessons at Locals Surf School or New York Surf School, both at Beach 69th Street. And for those who want to venture outside the beach, there’s plenty to do. Visit the Rockaway Hotel & Spa for food and drinks at the Rooftop or grab some margaritas and tacos at the Rockaway Beach Surf Club and adjacent Tacoway Beach. So “hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach” or even better, take the ferry for a true NYC experience.
“Because [Rockaway Beach] is so far away from the City, there’s a sense that anything goes. It’s been around for so long as a summer destination that it feels like that sense of endless summer is baked into the community, and you feel that when you’re there. People are coming to the area to have a good time, whether that means putting their kids’ feet in the ocean for the first time or sitting at a bar having a beer and watching live music. You’re surrounded by all sorts of people from different walks of life, different cultures, different ethnicities. It has that special urban beach feeling.” —Diane Cardwell, former New York Times journalist and author of Rockaway: Surfing Headlong into a New Life
