One of Long Beachs biggest allures is what a breeze it is to get there. Hop on the LIRR from Penn Station, and youll have your toes in the sand, literally, within an hour. (We really heart public transitat least when it drops us off right at the beach.) Superstorm Sandy pummeled the seaside town in 2012, but the city rallied with a cool $42 million, and now its boardwalk boasts more than two miles of walking and biking bliss thats better than it was back in the day. Shoregasboard (you guessed it, its a beachified spin on Smorgasburg) features food truck vendors selling everything from meatball heros to acai bowls, and the community hosts a summer concert series, a weekly art festival and a farmers market on Saturdays in Kennedy Plaza, a mere six blocks off the beach. Plus the sandy groundswhich require a $15 entrance feeare debris-free and barefoot-friendly, and dont just take our word for it: The National Resources Defense Council ranked Long Beach among the cleanest beaches in the U.S. (and the spiffiest in New York).

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Best Beaches NYC Has Nearby From Coney Island to Rockaway