New York City's Public Beaches Open for the Summer Starting Saturday, May 24

Learn more at TheCityLife.org

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Beachgoers are reminded to be safe in and around the water
this summer and only swim when lifeguards are on duty.
NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue has announced that the
city's public beaches will open for swimming on Saturday, May
24th and remain open through Sunday, September 7th, 2025.

(00:20):
All NYC Parks beaches are free and open to the general public.
Lifeguards will be on duty dailyfrom 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
At all other times, swimming is unsafe and strictly prohibited.
Closed sections are marked with signs and or red flags.
Each summer, our free public beaches provide millions of

(00:43):
people with an opportunity to cool off on hot days, enjoy
recreational activities, and relax with family and friends.
Beyond the sand and surf, our beaches offer much more to
enjoy, including a stunning nature preserve at Rockaway
Beach, iconic amusement rides inConey Island, and a Nature

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Center and athletic courts at Orchard Beach, said NYC Parks
Commissioner Sue Donague. As always, we're committed to
ensuring that all of our beachesare clean, safe and inviting
destinations, and we're thrilledto welcome back New Yorkers and
visitors from all over the worldfor another season of summer

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memories. City beaches span a total of 14
miles and include Orchard Beach in the Bronx, Coney Island and
Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn, Rockaway Beach in Queens and
Midland Beach, South Beach, Cedar Grove Beach, and Wolf's
Pond Beach on Staten Island. Brooklyn Coney Island offers an

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ideal respite from the hectic and steamy city.
With nearly 3 miles of sandy beaches, Coney Island's sunny
skies and rolling waves make forthe perfect summer getaway.
If your idea of beach fun involves more than just soaking
up the sun, Coney Island also offers plenty of recreation
choices such as beach volleyballand handball, as well as

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playgrounds and amusements. Enjoy the New York Aquarium,
take in a Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game, or enjoy Coney
Island amusements, including thehistoric Dino's Wonder Wheel,
legendary Cyclone roller coaster, or New York City's
newest coaster, the Phoenix. Named one of the top 25 beaches

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in the United States in 2024 by Travel Plus Leisure magazine,
Coney Island's beaches and boardwalk offer hours of
entertainment for a perfect day at the shore.
The Bronx Orchard Beach The Bronx's only public beach, was
proclaimed the Riviera of New York City when it was created in
the 1930s. Today, it remains a family

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friendly destination for summer fun as visitors can cool off
with a refreshing swim or soak up the sun at the 1.1 mile Long
Beach. Orchard Beach also includes
playgrounds, picnic areas and courts for tennis, basketball,
volleyball, pickleball and handball.

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In 2024, Parks completed a 2.35 million reconstruction of the
Orchard Beach Nature Center, which features educational
displays on local wildlife, tanks with live marine creatures
and programming by the Urban Park Rangers.
A reconstruction of the landmarkOrchard Beach Pavilion is

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ongoing, which will restore the structures historic
architecture, increase accessibility and create new
amenities for beach visitors. Additionally, a new NYC Parks
Maintenance and Operations building was completed in March
2025 following a 35.9 million construction project led by the

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NYC Department of Design and Construction.
The new building consolidated and improves MNO support for the
beach and Pelham Bay Park area, allowing the properties to be
better served. Other recent improvements at
Orchard Beach include the restoration of the original
double Ollie of Elm trees liningthe mall leading up to the main

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entrance. Queens Rockaway Beach is home to
the city's only designated surfing areas and its boardwalk
has become known for its diverseconcessions that sell both local
and international cuisine including Venezuelan, Caribbean,
Peruvian, wood fired pizza, raw bar and lobsters and more.

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The Arvin E Nature Preserve is acommunity resource that supports
5 unique maritime ecosystems across 35 acres with pedestrian
paths carefully integrated into the landscape providing access
from the beach and boardwalk. In fall of 2024, we were excited
to unveil the brand new 6,000,000 Namie Oak Park in

(05:02):
nearby downtown Rockaway. While the recently constructed
Beach 98th Playground received the prestigious Municipal Arts
Society Award for Best Urban Landscape Staten Island.
The borough is home to four of New York City's public beaches,
Cedar Grove Beach, Midland Beach, South Beach, and Wolf's
Pond Beach. Visitors to South Beach can

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sunbathe while enjoying lovely views of the Verrazano Bridge.
Bike through a scenic trail or enjoy a stop at the popular
Fountain of Dolphins, which features 6 bronze dolphin
figures that are illuminated at night.
The Franklin D Roosevelt Boardwalk connects South Beach
with neighboring Midland Beach, which offers swimming as well as

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a playground, bocce and shuffleboard courts, bike
rentals and kayak launch sites. Stop by the Ocean Breeze Fishing
Pier, which boasts spectacular views in addition to excellent
fishing opportunities. Cedar Grove, the city's newest
beach, is a charming and tranquil location popular with

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kayakers and local families. Wolf's Pond Beach is another
restful sight, ideal for those seeking A respite from summer
crowds. During summer 2024, NYC Parks
welcomed more than 7.4 million visitors at public beaches
citywide. Also, Travel plus Leisure

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Magazine's 2024 list of the bestbeaches in the United States
included two New York City beaches, Rockaway Beach and
Coney Island Beach. Beach Safety NYC Parks is
pleased to continue its free sunscreen program this summer,
providing dispensers at all beaches to protect New Yorkers

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from long hours in the sun with SPF 30 sunscreen in the
Rockaways. The sunscreen program is funded
by Episcopal Health Services in partnership with Impact
Melanoma. The foundation will also be
providing sun safety informationto beach visitors throughout the
summer. In an effort to enhance public

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safety, NYC Parks implemented anEmergency Response Lifeguard
Protocol at public beaches starting in 2024.
In the event a heat advisory is issued and the City's emergency
Heat Plan is activated, NYC Lifeguards will remain in their
lifeguard stations until 8:00 PMto respond to emergencies.

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To educate the public on water safety, our Urban Park Rangers
conduct tabling at beaches around the city to inform the
public on RIP currents and the availability of free Learn to
swim classes. Information is provided to
beachgoers in multiple languages.
Additionally, parks lifeguards are participating in school

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assembly events to inform young New Yorkers how to stay safe in
the water this summer. Accessibility.
To ensure that our beaches are accessible for all NYC, Parks
provides beach Mets at selected areas so that beachgoers with
mobility devices can safely travel from the boardwalk all
the way to the high tide line. Beach wheelchairs are also

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available at no cost to navigatefurther distances along our
beaches. Wheelchairs are available daily
from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM and advance reservations are
required. New this year, Parks has
unveiled a Beach Wheelchair Request Form to reserve a beach
wheelchair at least 48 hours in advance of your visit to the

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beach. Stay informed, sign up for
Notify NYC and opt into beach Notifications to receive real
time opening and closing notifications.
Water quality at all beaches is monitored regularly by the NYC
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
If necessary. Easy to read water quality

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advisory signs are posted to ensure that all beachgoers are
aware of any health or safety risks.
For more information, visit the Health Department's NYC Beaches
page or view its beach water quality map.
NYC Parks Outdoor pools will open on June 27th, 2025.