Filed under: beach, day trip, Long Island, neighborhoods, top-feature
A Daytrip to Long Beach, NY
As much as I love New York, at many times my heart lies in Long Island. I worked on a project there for a client for several months, so got to know this busy strip of land pretty well. At first glance it appears to be the land of commutes and folks zooming on their way to the more famous party mansions on Fire Island and the Hamptons, but really there are tons of charming communities worth a visit, even for a New York day tripper. It’s a great way to get a better flavor for what it is like to live in the shadow of New York City. Here’s a good place to start: Long Beach, New York (map).
Getting to Long Beach
Getting to Long Beach is pretty easy using the extensive Long Island Railroad (LIRR) that can take you all over the island. It’s run by the same organization that runs the subway system, but it’s a different network – you need to get to Penn Station to make a connection to a LIRR train (or Long Island City if you happen to be staying in Queens/Brooklyn and it is more convenient). From Penn Station, you’ll want to find a train that says Long Beach – the Long Beach station is a terminus station – it would plunge into the ocean if it kept going – so if the TV monitors do not say that the train goes to Long Beach, you don’t want that train.
The MTA website has maps and easy-to-use schedules and travel times, so it’s worth having a look before you make the trip. There is a specific page on the Long Beach Branch train, but it is a PDF of the brochure (which you can get in the station if you prefer) so its hard to read online. The website’s travel planner is a bit more user friendly.
Exploring the Town
If you look at a map, Long Beach is sort of like a mini-peninsula that is floating out along the edge of Long Island – so, you can get around by walking pretty easily. The train station is right in the middle of town, so before heading to the beach you might want to walk around town and just see what interests you. Park Street is one of the main roads with shops and restaurants alongside, though there are plenty of nooks and crannies with places to stop and visit. One must-see is the Long Beach Historical and Preservation Society (map). They have a gift shop full of those old fashioned postcards and coffee table photo books that are a great souvenir, and the museum exhibition is a period home that’s been restored to pristine conditions. The museum is only open in the summer.
Another great photo opportunity is the Holocaust Memorial on Kennedy Plaza (map). It is a massive upside-down triangle made of polished marble with inscriptions and carvings on each side. The piece was the idea of a local resident who was a survivor of “Schindler’s List.” A local architect was commissioned and in 1987 the pyramid was put into place.
And Then There’s the Beach!
Arguably the biggest attraction in Long Beach is its namesake – and long it is! The beach itself runs approximately 3.5 miles long, and there is a boardwalk running about 2 miles along that. I’ve always found Long Island sunsets to be dreamy and gorgeous – almost better than the their Caribbean counterpart – but all day long you can occupy yourself either with a relaxing spell in the sand or roller-blading/walking/running the length of the strip.
The boardwalk was built in 1914, and there is a charge now to get onto the beach ($12 last time I checked), so while that might be off-putting, it means you get a nice clean beach. When you purchase your LIRR ticket, however, you will also notice a pop-up asking you if you want a discounted beach pass, which can be good value.
Swimming is only allowed in certain parts of the beach – I’m not sure if it’s a water quality problem or seaweed or what, but the lifeguards seemed pretty vigilant about it when we were there, but I didn’t swim so not sure what the fuss is about.
Many of the establishments on the boardwalk now are chains, but you can still find some decent coffee shops and bars – there’s a supermarket in town if you’d rather just make sandwiches or snack on potato chips. Five Guys is a chain but is a favorite for burgers and fries. Gino’s is the typical pizza joint, and the best service in town goes to the deliciously-named Yummy Yummy restaurant on Park avenue.
It’s not Australia, but for less than $20 round trip and a 45 minute ride, your New York experience can include a beach boardwalk. What’s not to like?
Photo Credits: Antonio Bonnano, Tracy Kopsachilis
2 Comments
Boy this looks inviting right about now…