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

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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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