Summer in New York – Riis Park Beach and Coney Island

There are 8.5 Million people living in the City of New York, and when the summer heat hits, the crowds and concrete become stifling. Some New Yorkers have the privilege of a house in the Hamptons, taking the Jitney or the LIRR out to beat the heat. This summer, I had the opportunity to see how a city dweller can enjoy a beach day without a Hampton-sized price tag.

Jacob Riis Park was created and made accessible for the inner-city folks by Robert Moses, the famed New York city planner, and founder of this and many other beaches on Long Island. Jacob Riis has the largest parking facility for those with a car. It’s accessible by bus and subway, or the way I went, a Water Taxi.

The fast ferry picks up passengers at the Wall Street dock and goes down the East River, around Brooklyn, and to the Rockaway Peninsula. A cool and breezy 1 hour boat ride (at $3 bucks a rider), this should be on every tourist or New Yorker’s list of things to-do. The guy sitting next to me spent the whole hour browsing best online casinos on his phone instead of looking up — his loss, because we sailed past the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and got a rare view of the Southern End of Manhattan.

Once we got off the boat and to the beach, there was little left to want. An Art Deco Bathhouse built in the 1930s still stands as a landmark as well as a museum. It also serves as just a place to get out of the sun. While I’m a sun bather and swimmer, there’s also a skate park, playground, and several spots to bring your grill and have some good summer food.

Tired of Swimming? Riis Park Beach Bazaar offers tents with local vendors (I bought the BEST cozy summer sweater), music, and bars serving my new favorite summer cocktail, the Frozé. In all, I’d give this beach an A for entertainment, shopping, and all around fun in the sun. It did take a while to get there, but the views were spectacular.

Coney Island is the notorious and more popular option for summer fun. Accessible by subway or car, Coney Island offers beaches with swimming, a ball park for their minor league team, and Lunar Park, home of one of the oldest Roller Coasters in America, the Cyclone. It was on my list to go here for the Fourth of July to check out the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, but we decided to avoid the estimated 35,000 people who had the same idea.

On the upside, I still got a hot dog from the Original Nathan’s.

Coney Island has been depicted in many movies, including my favorite, The Warriors, for good reason. The colors of the Amusement Park, the fishing pier that gives you a unique view of Coney Island behind you, and the vintage flair make you feel as though you’re on a photo or video shoot. And if you don’t like your wardrobe, you can always stop in at the many local shops for either a stylish souvenir tank top like the one I snagged for myself, or a beautiful vintage dress with bright colors.

And before your day ends, take a trip on the Wonder Wheel, the most iconic ride in Luna Park with its sliding ferris wheel carts, to catch the summer sun setting behind that jaw dropping New York City Skyline.

Your fun doesn’t have to end when you leave The City! I’ve chosen to take the sand I collected at Jacob Riis, a new addition to our Sandbank, and make a Wave Bypass Ring, with the Power Stone Pyrite on the smaller wave. The glittering darkness of the Pyrite will remind me of the city at night, with a memory of my urban beach day present in the larger wave.

Get your own Wave Bypass Ring and fill it with your own memories!