When do NYC beaches open for the season?
NEW YORK (PIX11) – The summerlike weather in New York City means beach season is right around the corner.
New York City’s public beaches will reopen for swimming on Saturday, May 25 – Memorial Day weekend. Beaches will remain open for the season through Sept. 8, according to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation website.
During the season, beaches will be open each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., when lifeguards are on duty. Swimming is only allowed when lifeguards are on duty. Swimming is also prohibited in the closed sections of the beach, which are marked with signs or red flags.
New York City is expecting a larger roster of lifeguards this year than last, but an ongoing shortage will still prompt partial beach closures, city officials warned. Throughout the season, a lifeguard shortage and work by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will close some segments of the beach, Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi said on Tuesday.
“There will be still some segments of the beach that are closed,” Joshi said. “But we are confident that we will be higher than we were last year.”
The Army Corps work will happen for a short period of time over the summer, Joshi said. At the start of beach season, around 20 blocks in the Rockaways will be closed for swimming due to the Army Corps work, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Parks and Recreation. The beach closure is expected to decrease to about 10 blocks by June.
The eight public beaches in New York City are 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 Wolfe’s Pond Beach on Staten Island.
Each of New York City’s public beaches offers something a little different. You can learn more about the beaches here.
Two beaches in New York City were recently ranked among the best in the United States by Travel + Leisure. Rockaway Beach in Queens and Coney Island Beach in Brooklyn made the travel magazine’s list of 25 of the best beaches in the country.
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.