State of the Beaches 2025: What's open, what's new & is the Cyclone running?

Memorial Day has come and gone and that can mean only one thing: It's time to figure out how many calendar days between now and the end of September you're going to spend at the city's beaches.

As with many things in the city, you've got options when it comes to the beach, because we are after all a city made up of mostly islands. Before you head to the water and sand though, make sure you catch up on what's new in Rockaway, Riis, Coney Island and Brighton Beach and Orchard Beach courtesy of beach sickos Tim and Dave. There are boardwalk controversies, spots to buy legal weed and bathhouse reconstruction issues galore; though, as usual, the most important thing on your mind should just be getting there early enough to get a good spot near the water but not too near it.

The Rockaways

Are any beaches closed this year? 

No! Construction work on the jetties and beach rehabilitation projects wrapped up last year, with the last stretch reopening this month. That doesn’t mean they’ll be open all summer: erosion and beach conditions are always changing, but for now, none of the beach is off limits. Some Rockaway folks made a lovely, meditative movie called Jetty about the jetty construction.  

How are the trains there looking this summer? 

The long cold winter of subway repairs is over: the A train shuttle was shut down during the off-season for construction (to repair damage from Hurricane Sandy, which was 13 years ago, in case you ever wondered how long these things take). But the shuttle train that goes to Rockaway Park was restored earlier in May. 

What’s more: the super shuttle is already back. On weekends and holidays, you can get to the shuttle to Rockaway Park from any A train, not just the Far Rockaway bound ones. The shuttle will pick you up at Rockaway Avenue, which means you don’t have to go all the way to Broad Channel or pay attention to which A train you’re getting on. 

You can also take the Q52 or Q53 bus from Rockaway Park to Arverne or Rockaway Beach. The bus doesn’t have the advantage of a bus lane all the way down Woodhaven Boulevard, which sucks, but if you get to Rockaway Park and the platform is crush load capacity, it’s an easy way to escape the crowd. The bus is also a good option if you’re leaving the peninsula at night and it’s supposed to be there before a 20 minute shuttle wait; just take it right to Rockaway Boulevard.

More ferries (for more money) this year 

The ferry is one of the most luxurious ways to get to the beach, and this year it’s running more frequently, but will cost you slightly more. The boats are now running every 45 minutes from Pier 11 in Manhattan during peak summer times, and will cost $12 instead, an increase from $10. The prices are higher than the regular ferry fare because you can actually reserve a seat ahead of time. Try it at least once in your life, it’s fun. 

Ride the new Dave Colon Memorial Bike Lane

Most of the route isn’t protected, but the streets are for the most part pretty calm and small, with the exception of when you have to cross Linden Boulevard. Once you get to Howard Beach, the streets are suburban and quiet down to the Addabbo Bridge, which now has a protected bike lane thanks in part to dogged reporting by Dave.

There’s a separated bike path along the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Reserve and a protected bike lane down Cross Bay Boulevard until West 6th Road. Keep going until the Cross Bay Bridge, which now allows cycling and also has a much more reasonable ramp down into Rockaway compared to the old death drop ramp. All American Bagel II, right at the base of the Cross Bay Bridge on the Broad Channel side, is a good place to stop for a bagel or a Gatorade.

Can you still bike on the boardwalk or not?

Yes, mostly. While you were defrosting this spring, the Parks Department announced a controversial rules change: bikes would be banned at the busiest stretch of the boardwalk between Beach 108th streets and Beach 73rd streets. That’s typically the most jammed-up part of the boardwalk and the areas around the concession stands where clashes between sand-wiping beachgoers and fast-moving things on wheels can occur. 

But residents of the Rockaways got more than a little upset about it, turning internet groups that are typically violently opposed to the concept of bike lanes anywhere in the peninsula into ardently pro-bike-on-the-boardwalk sounding boards. A compromise was reached: instead of a ban, bikers will be asked to dismount and walk through the busy concession areas. On Memorial Day, a Parks Department staffer was enforcing the signage too. We’ll see how long that lasts. 

Connolly’s, the seasonal bar famous for its frozen drinks, has perhaps nodded to this controversy in the design of their annual T-shirt (full disclosure: Tim bought one last weekend). 

Can you legally buy weed in the Rockaways now?

Indeed you can. The era of ubiquitous grey market weed bodegas is over, the era of ubiquitous legally licensed dispensaries is upon us. The peninsula’s first legal dispensary, Munchies, opened late last year in the Key Food Plaza at Beach 87th Street. Most legal dispensaries in the city are basically identical, but this one is big and the walls are painted with an homage to the old Rockaway Playland amusement park, a nod to a time when the only way to get high at the beach was on a roller coaster. 

Is there an influencer-bait photo booth on the boardwalk now? 

Yeah. Fresh off the buzz of a single old-fashioned photo booth that drew long lines of identically dressed youth in the Lower East Side over the past year, Rippers has added a similar black-and-white photo booth too. 

How can I find out when there’s surf, brah? 

Count Surfline — the app and website that used to be the easiest ways to check surf reports around the world — as another victim of private equity. Since a massive private equity investment in 2020, users of the app have reported it’s gotten worse and less useful, while it has also gobbled up competitors like Magic Seaweed. 

As always, you’re best off sticking with the local forecasts anyway. Phase Surf, the cafe and board shop at Beach 96 Street, posts surf alerts and conditions on its Instagram page. Also, get yourself on the mailing list for Locals, the surf camp/shop/cafe empire, which sends out surf alerts when the big swells are coming. 

Jacob Riis Park and Fort Tilden

Are all the beaches open this year? 

No! Due to erosion — and despite the 360,000 cubic yards of sand that were dumped on the beach in 2023 — sections of Riis are considered dangerous right now, and will be closed to access and swimming this summer. That stretch runs from bays 1 to 4, on the northeast side of the beach, including the longstanding queer beach and the area in front of the Bathhouse.

Aren’t we due for some new stuff there soon? 

The big art deco bathhouse that’s sat vacant for ages is undergoing a massive renovation by the purveyors of the Brooklyn Bazaar/Riis Bazaar/Rockaway Bazaar empire; those renovations were supposed to be completed this summer but work is still underway. The concessions at bay 9 are still open, with a few restaurants and weekly music shows. Overall, Riis is a long way from the glory days as both a queer beach and a party beach, but maybe when that bath house reopens, there will be a whole new scene. 

Can you still climb around all the creepy old hangar buildings at Fort Tilden?

Not as much. Fort Tilden is the city’s greatest beach that also feels like the part of a post-apocalyptic movie where nature reclaims all the old war machines. One of the old hangar buildings built during World War I was slated for demolition last year. More and more of those buildings are disappearing over the years, so poke around in them while you can. 

How do I get there?

Public transit: There’s no subway directly here, you’ve gotta take the bus. You can catch the Q35 in Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue-Brooklyn College 2 and 5 stop, and then just hope you don’t get caught in Flatbush Avenue traffic on the way to the beach. You can also take the subway to Beach 108th Street and take the Q22 from Rockaway Boulevard and Beach 108th Street. You can also catch the ferry shuttle, which runs about once an hour and gets crowded enough that the information page recommends people take the Q22.

Bike: The easiest route to Riis and Tilden is to just ride Bedford Avenue all the way to Emmons Avenue, make a left at the water and ride to the greenway, then cross Flatbush Avenue and take the separated bike path down to the Gil Hodges Bridge. The bridge path is narrow but it has room for two people going in opposite directions. If you want supplies before you cross the bridge, which you should because there’s no stores near either beach, we’re partial to Shoreway Convenience, which is at Emmons Avenue and Haring Street.

Coney Island and Brighton Beach

What’s new this year? 

Not much! The forever-rotating venue under the Cyclones ballpark has a new name, the Coney Island Sandbar, where beers are actually more expensive than inside the baseball stadium. It has a beer pong table and precisely zero vibes, but plenty of outdoor seating at least. 

Brighton Beach is still Brighton Beach: Less packed than Coney Island, more Eastern European and a place to eat some khachapuri after you’ve hung out in the sun all day.

Is the Cyclone actually open this year? 

The iconic rollercoaster turns 98 this year, and it’s been feeling its age lately. It was closed for a few weeks at the end of last summer after the ride broke down, leaving riders stranded on one of its hills. So far, it’s open and running this year, but always check ahead of time to make sure it’s operating that day. 

Didn’t they open a boardwalk music venue in Coney, what’s up with that? 

The outdoor amphitheater at Coney Island opened in 2016 with a lot of promise, it being the only venue directly next to the ocean in all of New York City. That first summer featured shows from Sting, Erykah Badu, Kool & the Gang and Ziggy Marley, but headliners have been hard to come by since. 

We’re now past Memorial Day and the only things on the calendar for the venue (now called The Amphitheater at Coney Island, part of the Seaside Park Community Arts Center) are a show from Nems and a Shrek rave and a few other things. Siren Fest, we miss you. 

How do I get there?

Public transit: To get to Brighton Beach, take the B train, which runs express to Brighton Beach. Easy! On weekends the B doesn’t run so you need to take the Q, which runs local. Also easy, but slower. Coney Island has a few more options, since the D, F and N all run there as well.

If you want to bike, the Ocean Parkway bike lane might seem like an easy choice, but as Tim has gone over, the century-old bike path also basically looks like it hasn’t been fixed in 100 years and also has a whole bunch of awful intersections that are not easy to cross. So take Bedford and hit a right at the water if you want a slightly easier ride down.

Orchard Beach 

Hey what’s all going on up there?

Orchard Beach is the Bronx’s very own spot for sun’n’fun. The swimming though, is not ocean swimming, but rather Long Island Sound swimming, so don’t expect any big waves when you’re there. It also might be where anyone in danger of drowning will hear the disembodied voice of Eric Adams telling you everything is going to be OK.

How do I get there?

This is probably the city’s most car-friendly beach destination, unless you want to argue about why Jacob Riis should get that distinction. But we don’t feel like having that argument, we’re too busy enjoying the beach! If you drive there, parking is $10 on weekdays and $15 during weekends, and if you’re gonna drive all the way there then yes you have to pay, there’s not really a nearby neighborhood to stash your car.

If you want to get there by public transit, you need to take the 6 train to Pelham Bay Park and then take a City Island-bound Bx29 to Orchard Beach Circle and walk to the beach. On summer weekends, you can take the Bx12 directly to the beach.

Biking to Orchard Beach is a little more challenging, but the basic gist is you need to get on the Pelham Parkway bike path and head east and follow the signs towards City Island and Orchard Beach. One bonus if you bike to the beach is that it will be much easier for you to take a post-beach trip to City Island by bike than if you drive to the beach, because City Island has one lane in and one lane out.

What do I get up to there?

Beach stuff. The beach itself is a 1-mile long strip, buf if you get bored by the Sound, you can also play handball, basketball and volleyball. You can barbecue in the picnic area too. Orchard Beach is also part of the larger, sprawling Pelham Bay Park, where you can wander some trails and check out a nature center.

Is there a big Robert Moses-era bathhouse that the city let fall apart over the decades here, like in Jacob Riis?

Yes actually, and like the Jacob Riis bathhouse, the Orchard Beach bathhouse is getting a big expensive renovation, an $87 million facelift to the 1937 landmark that’s supposed to restore the roof of the building, add accessible ramps and modernize the concession and retail bays. Construction on at least one phase of the renovation is supposed to be done by this summer, but there’s no word on whether that means new concessions or if that focuses more on the physical pieces.