Coney Island Beach

Coney Island Beach has lifeguards between Memorial Day and Labour Day from 10 am to 6 pm. Coney Island Beach and the area around it have many other amenities including biking paths, restrooms, concession stands, fitness equipment, playgrounds, showers, wifi hotspots, volleyball courts, and an ice skating rink (known as the Abe Stark Ice Skating Rink).  Dogs on leash are allowed in Coney Island Beach between October 1 and May 1.  

Coney Island Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, picnicking, roller-skating, biking, basketball, handball, wildlife watching, volleyball, fishing, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodyboarding, skimboarding, paddle-boarding, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, boating, and wakeboarding. The water near Coney Island Beach offers fun surfing waves, which makes it ideal for surfers, skimboarders, and bodyboarders - in addition, the water here also occasionally has a long and winding right-hand surfing wave during low tide which is popularly labelled as "The Superbank." Many swimming organizations and groups also use the water near the beach for swimming lessons including the Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers and the Coney Island Polar Bear Club. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Coney Island Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to be occasionally cold and have unpredictable rip currents and strong waves. In addition, swimming in the water near Coney Island Beach is only allowed when a lifeguard is on duty. In addition, it is important to note that local authorities may seasonally restrict water activities in Coney Island Beach. 

Usually between May and June, you can watch many horseshoe crabs on Coney Island Beach - these crabs use the beach as a breeding ground and a nesting spot during this period. If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of birds around Coney Island Beach including downy woodpeckers, mourning doves, and palm warblers. Depending on the time of the year, you can also see dolphins in the water near Coney Island. If you like fishing, you can catch many kinds of fish in the water near Coney Island Beach including Atlantic silverside and northern kingfish. The Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier is also present on Coney Island Beach. This pier offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Atlantic Ocean and it is also a great fishing spot. However, if you are planning to fish in the water near Coney Island Beach, we recommend following the local fishing regulations. Coney Island Beach and the neighborhood of Coney Island also host many fun events throughout the year including Coney Island Polar Bear Club’s annual New Year's Day Plunge and the Mermaid Parade. The beach is also a great place to watch spectacular fire-works displays that are organized at 9:30 pm on Fridays between June and Labor Day.

The neighborhood of Coney Island is a popular spot for both visitors and locals and it has many theme parks, entertainment centers, recreational parks, and cultural landmarks including Luna Park, MCU Park, the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, and the New York Aquarium. One of the most iconic landmarks present on Coney Island is an exquisite 150-foot tall Ferris wheel named the Wonder Wheel – this Ferris wheel is a designated New York City Landmark and is currently a part of a popular amusement park called Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. The Wonder Wheel has also been featured in many movies and TV series including Mr. Robot, The Warriors, and the 2017 movie Wonder Wheel. We recommend visiting Coney Island between Easter and Halloween as many of its landmarks are generally open to the public during this time.

This beach also offers accessibility to visitors with disabilities – mobility mats for people with disabilities are present in certain parts of the beach. These portions are present near the southern ends of West 33rd Street, Stillwell Avenue, West 5th Street, Brighton 2nd Street, and Brighton 6th Street. In addition, beach wheelchair rental facilities are also available at West 22^nd Street and near the comfort station present on the Coney Island Beach Boardwalk. 

Getting to Coney Island Beach is easy - the beach is located along Surf Avenue between its intersections with West 37th Street and Ocean Parkway. Metered street parking spaces are also available near the beach. It is important to note that we recommend visiting this beach early during summers as the beach gets quickly crowded during this time. The beach is closed between 9 pm and 6 am.

There are many attractions near Coney Island Beach. Marine Park is a 798-acre recreational park that has many amenities including baseball fields, biking paths, nature trails, a 210-acre golf course, playgrounds, bocce ball courts, cricket fields, playgrounds, bicycle tracks, and a launching spot for kayaks and canoes. The park also has many kinds of habitats including salt marshlands and grasslands - you can explore the park’s vibrant landscape via a nature trail present here. Floyd Bennett Field was the site of New York’s first municipal airport and it is currently a part of a Federally-managed site named Gateway National Recreation Area. This area currently offers a campground, historic sites, an archery range, a bookstore, a kayak launching area, a sports center, and a marina. If you are looking for another attraction near Coney Island Beach, Seth Low Playground is named in honor of Seth Low, who served as the mayor of New York between 1901 and 1903. The park has many amenities including basketball courts, bathrooms, handball courts, playgrounds, and snack shops and it also has an interpretive marker about local history.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Coney Island Beach. Gargiulo’s is a popular upscale Italian restaurant that has an elegant decor - this restaurant specializes in serving amazing Neapolitan cuisine. The restaurant has also been praised by many print and online media publications including Time Out New York magazine and The Village Voice newspaper. Footprints Café is a popular restaurant that serves amazing dishes with Caribbean culinary influences including its signature rasta pasta, jerk chicken, and curried goat. This restaurant also offers live jazz music performances. Parkview Diner serves amazing dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including steaks, seafood, eggs, burgers, salads, and sandwiches. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Coney Island Beach, Nathan’s Famous serves delicious hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches, fries, poultry dishes, and seafood.

If you are looking for a hotel near Coney Island Beach, there are many great nearby options within a 30-minute drive. If you are looking for a 5-Star hotel, 1Hotel Brooklyn Bridge offers a seasonal rooftop bar, a gym, a restaurant, a pool, and a spa. As another upscale hotel, the 4-Star New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge offers many amenities including a fitness center, a pool, a spa, a restaurant, a bar, and a snack shop.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Holiday Inn Express New York-Brooklyn, an IHG Hotel which offers complimentary breakfast and complimentary coffee in the lobby. As another moderately priced option, the 3-Star Holiday Inn Express Building 107 offers many amenities including laundry facilities and complimentary breakfast. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Coney Island Beach, the 2-Star Best Western Plus Brooklyn Bay Hotel offers many amenities including a 24/7 fitness center and complimentary continental breakfast.