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4 Great NY Beaches You Can Easily Get to Without a Car

By

John Del Signore

Published Jul 27, 2010

Modified Jul 27, 2010

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Fort Tilden: The beaches at this decommissioned military base in Queens can be tricky to get to without a car, but two wheels are good enough. Either plan for an epic two hour bike ride from Manhattan or take your bike on the B/Q train to the Sheepshead Bay / East 16 Street station (at Avenue Z). From there, it's about a 7 mile bike ride, first through relatively quiet residential streets, then on a bike path along the beaches, and finally over the Marine Parkway Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge and into Fort Tilden. (Map it.) Lock your bike at a bike rack behind the bathroom across from the baseball diamonds, or pedal a little further to the beach and lock to a chain link fence by the dunes.There are no lifeguards, so watch out for riptide. There are also no amenities other than that bathroom by the bike rack. So bring your own food. But what's great about the Fort Tilden beach is its DIY vibe; it's also relatively uncrowded. It's also part of Gateway National Recreation Area, and when you're done with the sand there's lots to explore along the trails. Like this!

 

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By

John Del Signore

Published Jul 27, 2010

Modified Jul 27, 2010

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It's sometimes easy to forget that New York is a city surrounded by great beaches, some accessible for just the cost of a luxury MetroCard. Click on the images here for details on four excellent beach options within easy reach from downtown Manhattan: Fort Tilden, Sandy Hook, Manhattan Beach, and Jones Beach.

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best beaches

fort tilden

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John Del Signore

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Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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