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TRANSCRIPT
The Ultimate
SUmmer ShoreS
38
Beach Finder
Hot dogs or pierogies? Surfing or cruising? A sea of humanity or just the cool, blue sea? To find the stretch of sand that suits you, play our handy recommend-o-matic. By Lane Brown
how soon would you like to be at the beach?
Photograph by Joshua Bright
Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey
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40 n e w y o r k | j u n e 2 8 – j u l y 5 , 2 0 1 0
Eww! No way
clothiNg-optioNal
clothiNg- maNdatory
yEs
Are you actually
planning on going in the
water?
aBoUT 2 hoUrS
What do you look for
most in a beach?
aN activE boardwalk
a gay pickup scENE
aNd/or uNofficially saNctioNEd toplEssNEss
hugE crowds
What would you
like for lunch?
Which potential
annoyance is not a
deal-breaker for you?
How do you prefer
your surfing?
sElf-caught fish piErogiEs 68 hotdogs
suN-blockiNg
high-risEsaErosmith coNcErts
EvErythiNg about coNEy
islaNd
aBoUT an hoUr aBoUT 3 hoUrS
ROCKAWAY BeACh
The quintessential urban beach—and a
fine place to barbecue. 1 hr. 30 min. via a
train to rockaway free
Near beach 103rd st. there’s a wider
strand, and past beach 73rd st., a quiet
conservation area.
LONG BeACh
Action-packed boardwalk jammed
with cyclists, surfers, and rollerbladers.
1 hr. via lirr to long beach
$19 round trip plus beach pass
good swell? long beach surf shop rents
boards for $40.
JONeS BeACh
There’s something for everyone, which is why
everyone is here. 1 hr. 15 min. via
lirr to freeport, transfer to N88
$16.50 round trip stick to the East End and Zach’s bay for
swimming; west End is closed for the season.
JACOB RiiS BeACh
Spaciousness plus shabbiness equals
semi-legal clotheslessness. 1 hr. 30 min. via 2
to flatbush, transfer to the Q35
free the pickup scene
heats up on the far east end of the beach.
CONeY iSLAND
Nathan’s, Shoot the Freak, the Cyclone, and
now a new classic: Luna Park.
1 hr. via d/Q/f/N to coney island-
stillwell ave. free
the brooklyn cyclones are back:
cheap seats just $8!
BRiGhTON BeACh
Coney Island’s less kitschy, more Russian boardwalk neighbor.
1 hr. via b/Q to brighton beach
free a good-eating beach:
the gold label deli, just two blocks
from the sand, has the best meat pies.
SOUTh BeAChBocce and picnics
in the literal shadows of the Verrazano bridge.
1 hr. 20 min. via staten island ferry
and s51 bus free
the harbor water is questionable, but kids
can cool off at the spray park at the nearby
midland beach.
fORT TiLDeN
Former U.S. Army fort slowly being
reclaimed by nature. 1 hr. 30 min. via 2
train to flatbush ave., transfer to Q35 bus
free No lifeguards so
beware of riptides. bring food and water—
and toilet paper.
lack of amENitiEs
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GUNNiSON BeACh
Clean sand, plentiful wildlife, and many a carefree nudist.
1 hr. on the seastreak ferry, 10
minutes on the shuttle $40 round trip ($5 bike fee)
cyclists love the five-mile bike trail; canned
beer is welcome.
Gunnison Beach
Long Beach
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aBoUT 2 hoUrS
Would you like to visit the beach recently ranked No. 1 in the U.S. by expert Stephen “Dr. Beach”
Leatherman?
souNds crowdEd
How do you feel about
screaming children?
How much are you willing
to spend for parking?
Are you a Springsteen
fan?
Which is your favorite
beach activity?
Whose gym-toned
abs would you most like to
ogle?
Would you actually
like to appear on Jersey
shore?
What’s your second-
favorite beach activity?
grEat!
No thaNks
$10 $25 $20$40
yEsyEsNo
yEs
cElEbrity spottiNg
fist pumpiNg
swimsuit rEmoviNg
thE situatioN’s
diddy’s stEvEN spiElbErg’s
cruisiNg bird-watchiNg
No
CheRRY GROveFire Island’s legendary
gay meet-up. 2 hrs. via lirr to
sayville and ferry to cherry grove
$15 peak, $10.75 off-peak one-way; ferry
$14 round trip No cars allowed: hire a kid with a wagon to tote your belongings
along the boardwalks.
GeORGiCA BeACh
Bring your binoculars for a shameless
peek at the mansions on Lily Pond Lane. 2 hr. 30 min. by car
free park at the lumber lane lot in town,
then walk or bike three miles to georgica.
mAiN BeAChBustling East End
scene with plenty of concessions, restrooms, lifeguards, and the odd
celebrity drop-in. 2 hr. 30 min. by car
free parking passes have
already sold out for the season. use the free lot on lumber lane, and
huff two miles to main.
BeLmAR BeACh
Where slightly less-orange
twentysomethings come to sun and party.
1 hr. 40 min. via New Jersey transit to
monmouth $15 round trip
there’s certain to be bros icing bros at bar
anticipation.
SeASiDe heiGhTS
The Jersey shore’s Jersey shore.
1 hr. 45 min. by car $5 beach-entry fee pay $3 to use the
showers and changing rooms at hiering
avenue before hitting the beachcomber for a
frozen margarita.
ASBURY pARK
Gay-friendly, culture-rich, Boss-approved.
1 hr. 50 min. via NJt $30 round trip
time your trip to catch a show (steve
Earle, built to spill) at the stone pony, the
cornerstone of asbury’s rock scene.
COOpeRS BeACh
A Southampton classic with a gorgeous coast
and ritzy regulars. 1 hr. 50 min. by car
$40 parking fee skirt the steep lot
price by parking at the train station for free, then riding your bike two miles to the sand.
meCOXA family hideaway
sandwiched between a Bridgehampton
beach club and stately mansions. 2 hrs. by car
$20 parking fee unless you want ice
cream for lunch, bring your own provision-
packed cooler.
SOUThOLDRelatively tranquil,
with a small-town vibe and views of the Long
Island Sound. 1 hr. 50 min. by car $25 parking fee
when the kids have had enough sun, corral them into the Nautical museum and horton
point lighthouse.
SmiTh pOiNT
More expansive (it’s five miles long) and nature-focused
than other Fire Island options.
1 hr. 40 min. by car $10 parking fee the seaside beach hut includes an
impressive raw bar.
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ROBeRT mOSeS pARKFire Island’s vast
westernmost beach gets a fraction of the Jones
Beach crowds. 1 hr. 30 min. via
lirr to babylon, transfer to s47 bus $19 round trip Enough with the
gaga! take refuge in the no-radio zones.
Belmar Beach, New Jersey
Southold
Georgica Beach
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aBoUT 3 hoUrS
DiTCh pLAiNSSurfer haven with
reliable waves and the occasional washed-up
alien creature. 3 hrs. via Jitney
to montauk, 10 min. cab to beach.
$53 for Jitney, $10 for cab
don’t miss the veggie sandwich at
the ditch witch truck.
mARGATeNo scene to speak
of, but exceedingly clean beaches.
2 hr. 40 min. by car, $15 beach pass park near the
benson ave. entrance, close to lucy (that six-story elephant)
and one of the few public bathrooms.
NORTh WiLDWOOD
Frenzied boardwalk with activities
galore, including whale- and
dolphin-watching. 3 hrs. by car
free stargazers welcome: the beach stays open
until 10 p.m.
iNDiAN WeLLSWhite-sand spread
swarmed by the postgrad summer-
share set. 2 hrs. 40 min. by car
free channel your inner
baldwin with a post-sun bbc (banana bacardi cooler)
from cyril’s on the edge of amagansett.
hiGBee BeAChA dog-friendly
wildlife preserve in Cape May, N.J.,
with an aggressive tide. 3 hrs. by car
free pack bug spray,
and keep your clothes on: undercover cops have been
known to arrest nude sunbathers.
ATLANTiC CiTYUnlimited gambling,
boozing, and shopping beats the actual beach.
2 hrs. 30 min. by car
free less than desirable sand is no problem
with a drink in hand, ideally at the chelsea hotel’s pool or trump
plaza beach bar.
OCeAN BeACh pARK
A Connecticut family magnet, with
an arcade, mini-golf course, and water park. 2 hr. 40 min. by car $18 parking fee
tuesday movie nights screen kid flicks
on the boardwalk.
ROCKY NeCK STATe pARK
Secluded, small beach in East Lyme, Conn., favored by fishermen
and campers. 2 hr. 20 min. by car $22 parking fee
secure a camping pass (from $17) in
advance if you want to barbecue
or pitch a tent.
Which out-of-town
oddity is most worth the
drive?
Exotic wildlifE
frEE parkiNg
rEd sox faNs
From where would you
prefer to taunt them?
But at what
cost?
No lifEguards tourists
Which undomesticated creature would you most like to
encounter?
moNstErsa 65-foot-
tall woodEN ElEphaNt
dolphiNs alEc baldwiN
a boardwalk
with aN amusEmENt
park
NaturE trails
aNd campsitEs
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Atlantic City, New Jersey
Indian Wells
The Ditch Witch food truck on Ditch Plains
Additional reporting by Kat Ward
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