Clean beach waters a lot cleaner than most beachs it's not the Caribbean but best by far in NYC soft sand . Nice playground with sand and water sprinklers . Plenty of showers clean bathrooms not many food to eat some food trucks ice cream hot dog hamburgers etc. less crowded than Coney Island . Patrolled by national park. Life guards on duty. Waves can get really high and knock you over but it's fun. Watch kids carefully. Had an awesome time with kids the q35 will get you there and back. No need to drive.
Today was a spectacular day in New York- cloudless,temperatures in the high 70's, low humidity-a perfect beach day. And Jacob Riis Park, part of the Gateway National Seashore, was the perfect place to spend a beach day. The beach is clean, well-maintained, and convenient-if you have access to a car, or you are ok with a subway bus combination.The National Park Service runs the park and beach-bad part is the $10 parking fee, good part is-the $10 parking fee, which keeps the crowds down, makes for easy access from the parking lot, and supports well-maintained, well-policed, family beach with lifeguards, clean rest rooms with running water, great bike paths along a concrete boardwalk, stunning views, great bodysurfing. Great mix of people-the best of New York in making everyone welcome. The water is warmer than further out on Long Island-probably because it is more shallow, and the Hudson brings warmer water during the twice daily tides.Forget the food here-need to bring your own. The concessions and trucks make the Jersey Shore feel like Zagat territory.Best time is in the AM-less crowded, and the wind picks up in the afternoon-cooler, but makes the water choppier.
Not a lot of people seem to know how nice it is at Jacob Riis Park. A Metrocard will get you there for pocket change, and really it is another world out there, a very lush green world, almost entirely free of buildings. Admittedly the combined C subway and Q35 bus ride from the Upper East Side takes about 2 hours, and the large part of that ride is underground, although the later part of bus part is delightfully scenic. I would say it's probably best to bring your own food and water.But that being said, you arrive in beach-lined, gigantic green park that it is hard to believe is part of NYC. The whole area was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, but is making a nice recovery. The Park is administered not by the city or state, but by the US National Parks Service, as part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. Clearly there is not a lot of money being lavished on this park, but if you don't mind the fact that it can appear a little desolate at a times, overall it is a really great escape from the city, an escape into nature, with lots and lots of rather fine beach. To my mind Fort Tilden is by far the most beautiful part of Jacob Riis, but FT has the disadvantages that there are no lifeguards at all, and almost no bathrooms.
Took a bike ride from sheepshead bay via the belt parkway all the way across the gil hodges bridge and then to fort tilden and finally Riss Beach.It was a beautiful sunny day. The beach is clean, paths are wide- enough from for bikers and walkers. It was weekday so there were not much people. Some beach tanners, few joggers and bikers.They have a huge parking log. Playground close to the beach. Plenty of BBQ stands.Highly recommended.Car tolls for the Gil Hodges bridge I think was $3.50Bikers can go on the side walkway for free!
You can get there by train to bus, bus only, car, cab, or NYC Beach Bus http://www.nycbeachbus.com . Short walk to Tilden Beach, which is completely empty. The beach has BB court, children park, BBQ pits and more. I've been going here for over 15 years. Always a great time.
It took me 1.5 hours from Penn Station using Subway #2 and Q35 bus on Saturday, it felt like a bit long and tiring.I did like that the water is deep: 60 feet into the ocean and you are up to the head in the water. Beach is much wider than Long Beach. There are showers and restrooms at each end of the beach and in the middle, a water fountain on the west end. I did not like that volleyball is on Wednesdays only. No volleyball courts per se: bring your own poles, net, ball.I saw one run-down tennis court on the west end. I doubt it would be fun playing there: cracks are all over the surface.It was somewhat boring picture: a few people were playing paddle tennis, a few Frisbee, but most were playing with the phone. There are quite a few basketball courts in good shape, looks like recently renovated. Bike rentals, food and ice cream trucks were on both ends. Beach was clean in the morning, but by the end of the day, there was trash all over.Trashcans are on a walkway, far away from the sunbathing public. That might be another reason why people don’t clean after themselves. East end meets Rockaway Beach, which is much narrower then Jacob Riis Beach.
3e etage from Paris performed a most charming dance series filled with humor and technical excellence. A must see!
This beach is by far the best I have been to in NYc area. To get better, in my experience, you have to go further or much much further. You can get there by bus, easy, if you travel light. If you want to pack up, there are two causeways out there which are low priced. The parking is also plentiful and not a fortune. Picnic area, basketball courts, clean large ladies and men's facilities. I was there on a gorgeous summer afternoon which was jammed, yet the ocean was still the main attraction. The layers of beach umbrellas were a sight. If you want beach and you are in NYC, go.
We were there Labor Day, 2014...As a fan of southern beaches...(Ocean City, MD, Virginia Beach, VA, Myrtle Beach, VA, the Keys -to name a few) I came to this NYC beach not expecting much but hungry for some "last-of-the-season- beach time. Well I was pleasantly surprised, despite have to pay (a toll) for entry and again for parking (-and again -a toll- for exit!).The space was ample, the parking convenient and there is even a section for picnics and grills. Definitely well used so local "flavor" abounded but all were there to relax and enjoy themselves so the occasional wafts of music were not so much intrusive but rather just part of the background.Long story short I would definitely go again. The bathrooms were not bad...but the floor of the shoreline was very rocky/"shelly" (reminiscent of Myrtle Beach)...we had food and beverages on the beach with no issue. If the occasion arose I would even do a full blown picnic/bbq (tents, tables, etc) which I would find cool with the beach only a few steps away...Yeah, we will definitely be returning, it will be nice to have a "beach-option" on our trips to NYC...
This is our go-to city beach when we don't have a whole day or weekend to spare to fight the traffic out of town. It is very convenient by car to most of Brooklyn and Queens, with $10 all-day parking. I've never been there by public transportation but it sees like a long ride. It is much less crowded than any of the Brooklyn beaches, probably because it doesn't have all the amusement park stuff, and very clean. The end by the picnic area and playground is much more crowded than the Ft. Tilden end (the far end of the parking lot). As other posters have noted, there are not a lot of boardwalk amenities, so people come here solely to enjoy the beach, which is totally pleasant.TIPS:1. Sandy trashed the snack bar at the Ft. Tilden end, it has been temporarily replaced by food trucks. There is also a pop-up bike rental which seems popular. 2. Take note of the red flags at the Ft. Tilden end - the lifeguarded area stops considerably before the end of the beach. Families with kids should especially be aware of that. 3. If you plan on actually swimming (rather than splashing at the shoreline), make sure you know how to escape a rip tide, they are common in the Rockaways!