New York Beaches to Visit Before You Die

Aerial view of the beach at Coney Island
Photograph by David Jay Zimmerman / Getty

City Beach

Take the downtown Q train to the last stop, head to the abandoned factory where there was that triple homicide, and find Ivan, an elderly Belarusian who will ferry you over in his rowboat for $85.57 (exact change only). Once you arrive, listen to the rollicking waves that almost drown out the construction noise from the causeway above. Fun fact: at low tide you can find cigarette butts dating back to the seventies. There are no public restrooms, but you can walk five miles to use the porta-potty on the causeway.

Good for: New Yorkers without cars.

Bear Beach

This upstate New York haven is a popular destination for swimmers, campers, and bears. Oh, so many bears. Brown bears, Kodiak bears, grizzly bears—all the bears just gravitate to this beach for some reason. Luckily, bears are more scared of you than you are of them, which is what that fateful group of campers told themselves before they were mauled to death by a bear. But don’t worry, not every bear wants to chiffonade you with its claws. Some will be too busy creeping up on you while you’re swimming.

Good for: families, adventure seekers, bears.

Actual-Fire Island

Similar to nearby Fire Island, only this beach is always empty because it’s always on fire. Sunscreen is a must.

Good for: beachgoers who want a little elbow room.

Demon Bay

Though you will encounter soul-sucking ghouls at this secluded beach, you won’t have to pay for parking. Kids will love collecting sea glass and human teeth, while adults sip cans of rosé cider in the tranquil setting—any noise may wake Tola, the mercurial demigoddess of chaos and despair. Visitors are encouraged to leave offerings at Tola’s altar or risk Her reaching down their throats with Her delicate spindly fingers to yank out their living essence.

Good for: people who’ve been baptized.

Sandy Beach

We know what you’re thinking—every beach is sandy! But not like this. After visiting this beach’s miles of soft, white sand, you’re guaranteed to have granules in every orifice. Kick back with a cool drink and wash down the pounds of sand that are somehow in your esophagus. Keep an eye on the kids, because these sand dunes shift fast. Relax with a beach read as sixty-m.p.h. winds whip your face and body raw with sand until you don’t know where you begin and the sand ends, and you wonder why you even came to the beach in the first place, because you’re not a beach person, you are a city dweller, and you should be on your couch, blasting the A.C. and watching crime documentaries about women who were murdered at the beach.

Good for: people who enjoy discovering sand in their butt weeks after they’ve left the beach.

Pleasant Point

Palm trees. Crystal-clear waters. Velvety sand that doesn’t pose a threat. No crowds or parking fees. And the best part? You can easily reach this destination by hopping on the next flight to the Caribbean.

Good for: New Yorkers with money.


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