Beaches in New York You Can Reach by Subway

When summer in NYC rolls around, it's pretty common to wonder: what are the beaches near me? Good news, there are several beaches close by in New York City that you can reach on the subway!

The 2025 New York beach season started on Saturday, May 24 (Memorial Day) and runs through Sunday, September 7 (right after Labor Day).

Beaches in New York

Visiting New York's urban beaches is an outing that also gets you into some seriously authentic neighborhoods.

Go any time of year. The beaches you can reach by subway have their charm every month (just bundle up if you're going in winter!). Walking their classic boardwalks is unforgettable.

Now let me tell you which are the closest and most famous beaches, all reachable by subway with very few exceptions.

So let's start the list of beaches closest to NYC with the one that is literally the nearest, since it sits right in the heart of the city 😜:

1. Gansevoort Peninsula: Manhattan's New Beach

In 2023, the Meatpacking District added another attraction to its already original High Line Park and Little Island. It's Gansevoort Peninsula in Hudson River Park, and it's Manhattan's first public beach.

Swimming isn't allowed because of the Hudson River currents, but the spot has areas to sunbathe, a sports field, a dog park and sweeping river views.

You can catch some sun in classic Adirondack chairs on white sand brought in from Cape May, New Jersey.

This new New York beach sits in Hudson River Park, between Gansevoort and Little West 12th streets, across from the Whitney Museum of American Art (14 Street subway station, A, C, E and L lines).

2. Coney Island in Brooklyn

Getting to Coney Island from Manhattan takes a little over an hour. When you arrive in this Brooklyn neighborhood, it feels like time stopped. Walking the Coney Island boardwalk will transport you to the past and remind you of way too many movies and shows (Mr. Robot among the most recent ;))

In the warm months, starting in April in New York, the Luna Park amusement park is up and running right by the water. And when it's cold, the trip is still worth it just to try the hot dogs at the original Nathan's.

This is just a very quick rundown of the attractions of Coney Island, a neighborhood I'll never get tired of saying is one of my favorite places in the world. Don't miss it!

3. Brighton Beach in Brooklyn

Walking along that same Coney Island boardwalk, you'll reach Brighton Beach, a neighborhood also known as Little Odessa.

There you'll see signs in Cyrillic, babushkas soaking up the sun by the water, caviar in shop windows and restaurants serving pierogi and borscht. It's easy to imagine you're in Slavic lands.

4. Rockaway Beach in Queens

Rockaway Beach probably rings a bell thanks to the Ramones song, hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach, the best publicists this nearly two-mile-long surfer's paradise ever had 😜.

This Queens beach is ideal if you want to actually swim, since it's less crowded than the Brooklyn beaches. You'll find more details on the Rockaway Beach page.

Some sections of Rockaway Beach will be closed during the 2025 season due to safety concerns involving submerged structures and dangerous currents.

It's really important to pay attention to the signs and follow the lifeguards' instructions.

5. Beaches in the Bronx

Orchard Beach and the Promenade are part of Pelham Bay Park, a huge nature preserve in the Bronx.

You'll find close to 12 miles of white sand beaches there. The catch: it's about an hour and a half from Manhattan.

To get to Orchard Beach, take the 6 subway line to its last stop, «Pelham Bay Park,» and connect there with the Bx12, Bx29, Bx5 or Bx52 buses.

6. New York Beaches on Staten Island

Staten Island has several beaches, the best known being Cedar Grove, Midland and South Beach.

Getting there is a bit more complicated, since you have to ride the Staten Island Ferry, then take buses and walk.

Of all the options we've covered, the Staten Island beaches are the hardest to reach by public transit, but they're a real adventure, or a new place to discover for repeat offenders like us who come back to New York again and again 😀.

When do New York beaches open in 2025?

The 2025 New York beach season starts on Saturday, May 24 (Memorial Day) and runs through Sunday, September 7 (right after Labor Day).

When do New York beaches close?

New York's beach season normally ends on Labor Day (the first Monday in September).

There could be surprises on the closing date for New York's beaches: a city council member introduced a bill that could extend the city's beach and pool season by two more months.

The bill also proposes expanding beach operating hours.

I'll let you know if it passes!

What are the hours for New York beaches?

New York City beaches are open from 10 am to 6 pm.

New York beach rules

The basic rule at New York's beaches is that you can only go in the water and swim while lifeguards are on duty.

The other rule: never swim in areas marked with red flags or signs that expressly prohibit it.

NYC lifeguard hours

Lifeguards at New York beaches are on duty daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Swimming outside those hours or in closed sections is strictly prohibited.

NYC beach safety measures

In 2025, the city rolled out new beach safety measures, including drones equipped with flotation devices and communication systems to assist swimmers in an emergency.

Check current beach conditions on the official NYC Parks site.