I love the beach. Like, my bedroom is painted turquoise because I wanted to bring some beach-y vibes into my NYC apartment. Some people crave nature while living in Manhattan, I just want the beach. I was starting to get worried that a beach day wouldn’t happen this summer. I know, I know it’s only the middle of July, but summer is going fast!
When my friend texted me asking if I wanted to head to the beach Monday, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. What’s the fun of not working full-time if you’re not going to take advantage of it, right? I got some time sensitive work done Sunday night so I could enjoy my day at the beach all day Monday.
We decided to go to Coney Island. It’s not the nicest option around, but it’s free, super easy to get to via subway and the people watching is pretty entertaining. It was SO easy and makes me wonder why I’m not spending every weekend at the beach.
Here’s what you need to know to plan your beach-y escape from Manhattan
How to get there: Take the subway. It took about an hour on the Q train from Union Square. From the subway it’s less than 5 minutes to the beach and almost impossible to get lost on the way. Couldn’t be easier to get there.
What to bring: We stopped at Whole Foods and came armed with lots of snacks. I currently can’t get enough of plantain chips with guacamole. I probably would’ve gotten some chicken nuggets from Nathan’s otherwise (I’m not a hot dog fan.)
If I owned beach chairs or they would fit in my tiny apartment, I would’ve also brought beach chairs, but towels did just fine since all we did was alternate between eating snacks on the sand and going in the water. It was also freaking hot so staying in the water ended up being a good choice.
Best decision of the day was bringing a frozen water bottle, it stayed cool even though it was 90+ degrees out.
Things to do: We stuck to the beach this time around.. okay and took a detour on the boardwalk for some refreshing frozen margaritas. If it wasn’t so freaking hot out I would’ve insisted we went to Luna Park to ride the Cyclone, or at the very least the Wonder Wheel. If you need a break from the heat there’s also the aquarium nearby.
I am now rocking the most awkward sunburn on my back, but can’t complain because it was still well worth it.
I’m now determined to visit all the easily accessible beaches near NYC, next up Rockaway, which I hear is a lot nicer than Coney Island but takes a bit more effort to get to.
What’s your favorite beach near NYC?
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