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New York City is giving summer a one-week extension, at least for anyone reluctant to pack away the swimsuit.
The city’s public beaches will remain open for swimming through Sunday, September 13, meaning New Yorkers have two more weekends to squeeze in a dip at Rockaway Beach, Coney Island or one of the city’s other sandy escapes. Lifeguards will be on duty daily from 10am to 6pm throughout the extended season.
That extra week feels especially welcome this year, when summer has already stretched well beyond the unofficial Labor Day finish line. (And remember, Memorial Day arrived on May 25, which is the earliest possible calendar date the holiday can ever occur.) It also gives beachgoers another chance to enjoy the city’s 14 miles of shoreline without the peak-season crowds—or the peak-season fight for a remotely convenient patch of sand.
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All eight of the city’s public beaches are free to visit. In Brooklyn, swimmers can choose between the boardwalk energy of Coney Island and Brighton Beach or the comparatively mellow atmosphere at Manhattan Beach. Queens residents have the sprawling Rockaway Beach, while Bronx beachgoers can head to Orchard Beach, the borough’s 1.1-mile-long former “Riviera of New York.”
Staten Island has the most options, with Cedar Grove Beach, Midland Beach, South Beach and the secluded Wolfe’s Pond Beach all included in the city system. (Cedar Grove, converted from a former oceanfront bungalow colony, is the newest and smallest of the bunch.)
Before making the trek, check the status of your chosen beach. Individual sections—or, occasionally, entire beaches—can close because of water conditions, weather or other safety concerns. NYC Parks recommends signing up for Notify NYC beach alerts or consulting the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s beach page for current water-quality information.
And no, an open beach does not mean unrestricted swimming around the clock. Swimming is prohibited whenever lifeguards are not on duty and in any section marked with signs or red flags.
Free SPF 30 sunscreen will also remain available at all eight beaches, courtesy of NYC Parks. Bring a towel, check the flags and make the most of those final beach days: After 6pm on September 13, New York’s swimming season is officially sunk.