For New Yorkers, summertime often means making that epic train trek just to experience the feeling of your toes in the sand once again. Or if you’re lucky, staking out a beach adjacent abode to spend a lazy weekend soaking up the sun. Long Island is THE place to go for New Yorkers looking to summer in style.
The proximity to the city makes the jaunt an easy one to do for a day or two—but deciding which beach to hit is often the bigger dilemma. So, we’ve carved out a few of our favorite spots to ensure that your summer is one to remember.
Fire Island
This 31-mile thin Atlantic Ocean barrier island off the southern shore of Long Island, New York is known for its protected beaches and seasonal resort communities. This is your spot if you want to relax, unwind, and feel like you’ve actually escaped from the concrete jungle. Try Island Mermaid on Ocean Beach if you feel like fresh seafood with views of the bay. If you’re in the mood for some action, hop on over to Cherry Grove for their epic dance parties and drag shows.
Montauk
NYC’s style set is all about vacationing in Montauk for the summer. And with the plethora of activities it’s not hard to see why. Check out one of the many live music performances at the uber-trendy Surf Lodge (some of today’s biggest artists play all summer long) or visit Gurney’s Montauk, whose oceanside deck gets transformed by Wellth Collective into an outdoor fitness studio for summer. Dining options are a plenty in Montauk (Duryea’s, The Gig Shack, The Crowe’s Nest, Inlet, East by Northeast, St. Peter’s Catch, just to name a few) but our fave is Scarpetta Beach for its panoramic view of the ocean.
Sag Harbor
Mentioned in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, Sag Harbor is a little beach town that lies just between the villages of East Hampton and Southampton in Suffolk County. Despite the increase of tourism and development of luxe properties in the surrounding parts of the Hamptons, Sag Harbor is an old whaling town where all the buildings are in their original state. And that soul is still palpable. If you’re into vintage finds, check out Ruby Beets. It’s actually housed inside a historic silent movie theater (so cool!) and boasts locally hand-made pottery and bespoke furniture alongside an expertly-curated vintage collection. You can also browse the beloved farmers market or check out LongHouse Reserve—one of the most beautiful art gardens in the country.
Photo Credit: @linusbike
