Don't denigrate the beaches of the Rockaways (including Riis and the Irish Riviera). Long term St. John's Basketball connections to the Rockaways Thanks to Mrs. McGuire who owned a legendary bar in the Rockaways (McGuire's) and sent her 2 basketball legends to St. John's--Al and Dick. Also, on the boardwalk at 97th Street you Can get the Best Lobster Roll around from the Red Hock Lobster Pond.
Beach Aficionados
- Thread starter classof2010
- Start date
You are right Red Hook has about awesome lobster roll
Silly Donovan
Well-known member
I suggest you take a dip into the East River, and let me know what you run into. Of course prior to eating that Lobster Roll.
I agree with you regarding the East River which is partially filled by Long Island Sound. If you think the water is bad in the Rockaways, remember it is the same water as at the Hamptons, Jones Beach, Long Beach, Atlantic Beach, etc. The tides on the south shore primarily run from east end to west end, Breezy Point. As a matter of fact, all of the beach erosion from the South Shore is caught by the Breezy Point Jetty (which was 2 miles long and now is less than one block) which was built to prevent the sand from clogging NY Harbor. I have been in the Irish Riviera for over 40 years and my walk to the shore has grown by over 1/3 of a mile so I now sit on "Hamptons' Sand".I suggest you take a dip into the East River, and let me know what you run into. Of course prior to eating that Lobster Roll.
This might be the most interesting topic that the old bastard mjmaherjr didn’t send off topic. This post is fascinating
I think Silly needs to realize that the beach experience like beauty is very subjective.
I have been a beach lover all my life and definitely agree that a bad day at the beach is still a good day. Have been to several Caribbean beaches in Bermuda, St. Maarten, Jamaica and Martinique and have also been to Siesta Key in Florida. All are beautiful beaches if you are just talking about sand and pretty water. But if you are looking for sand and ocean surf with real waves they do not compare with the beaches in Avalon, New Jersey or Wrightsville Beach NC. I’ve spent summer vacations in those two beaches with my family most
every summer between 1995-2024 and wouldn’t trade those beaches for any beach I’ve been to in Florida or
Caribbean but to each his own.
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Nothing date great best like the north shore of Long Island after a heavy rain when they close beaches for storm and sewage runoff. I’d there literally a difference frets de between Sunday and mj day ? WTF ?
Your posts are getting more mysterious.
Getting older and can’t see
Hempstead Harbor, where high bacteria in storm runoff is literally a crap shoot. When in Bayville, Rick would have known this, when in Cambria Heights Rick would have known Rockaway or Jones Beach, and on Lower East Side maybe Coney Island. BTW it's Riis Park.
At beach 108th street when I was a teen there was an aged, poorly maintained concrete full court, with grass shooting between the cracks. It was once the go to place for Queens and Brooklyn hs and college stars and across the city who would travel to Rockaway for epic games. I would bike the 10.miles or so to the beach on my Schwinn with a buddy, a basketball bungied to the carrier behind the seat. We'd shoot hoops on these vacant courts and imagined the best in the city playing all out games where reputation was the only stakes.
Al and Dick McGuire's dad owned Fitzgeralds bar a few steps away, and Al and Dick would slip away from work to get in some quick games before Dad noticed. Even the great Bob Cousy played there.
A few miles west, in the breezy point summer enclave there was still a great summer league there. Playing for a great cyo team there that had 3 guys who became college stars I was warned not to pick a fight with any of the tough Irish kids from Breezy. "Fight one and soon you are fighting 20 - they are all related!" I was told by a guy who later starred as a pitcher at St johns.
Gonna bet maybe Rick was aware of the rich bball history of the Rockaways when he chose the practice venue.
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I'm with you. The spot where McGuire's was is now part of the Rockaway Hotel -- which is a very nice place. The ferry out to Rockaway from Pier 11 or Brooklyn is an incredible ride for those who haven't taken it. I don't see any real difference between Rockaway beaches and the beaches on the Atlantic side of Florida. The Caribbean side of Florida is tough to compete with, I'll agree. The fact that you can take a 50 minute ferry from Manhattan and be on a beautiful beach after a 4 block walk is huge check in the pros column for me.
Having a beach so close to campus was actually a factor I considered choosing St. John's and something we should sell in recruiting. How many schools are less than an hour from beaches and skiing?
Was the bar named McGuires? Really dumb question but it doesn't click. We'd kind of slip in to use the bathroom on quiet weekdays without patronizing it but no one bothered us. I haven't been down there in a long time but spent a lot of summer days there. Even then Rockaway Playland was fading.
Main Man's 2024 Guide to Beaches
(to further derail this thread and draw the wrath of the mods):
Beach growing up: Rockaway, B108 St.
Beach now: Long Branch, NJ.
Most stunning beaches: Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
Most overrated beaches: Bermuda
Best sunset: Indian Shores/Rocks Beach; Sanibel Island Fla.; Cape May, NJ; Rarotonga
Best year-round beach weather: Aruba
Best off-beach snorkeling: Caneel Bay, St. John, USVI
Best mix of town and beach: Manly Beach, Australia
Favorite CA beach: Dana Point
Best calm surf: Bahamas facing Carribean Sea.
Most turbulent surf: Bahamas facing the Atlantic Ocean
Prettiest beaches where I have no intention to swim: Ireland
Favorite beach in the world: Trinity Beach, Australia
(to further derail this thread and draw the wrath of the mods):
Beach growing up: Rockaway, B108 St.
Beach now: Long Branch, NJ.
Most stunning beaches: Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
Most overrated beaches: Bermuda
Best sunset: Indian Shores/Rocks Beach; Sanibel Island Fla.; Cape May, NJ; Rarotonga
Best year-round beach weather: Aruba
Best off-beach snorkeling: Caneel Bay, St. John, USVI
Best mix of town and beach: Manly Beach, Australia
Favorite CA beach: Dana Point
Best calm surf: Bahamas facing Carribean Sea.
Most turbulent surf: Bahamas facing the Atlantic Ocean
Prettiest beaches where I have no intention to swim: Ireland
Favorite beach in the world: Trinity Beach, Australia
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That to me is the key part of this conversation! It's all relative, and depends on what you think of New York City. For what NYC offers as a whole, and then having a beach like Riis that nearby, I think it's fantastic and satisfies my itch for a beach day every time.
You'll wish this thread was about beaches in four months. lol
Silly Donovan
Well-known member
Have you ever been to Cocoa Beach. The Olympic Gold Medalist for surfing, Caroline Marks trains here regularly and is from the Melbourne beach area. There are also many surfing completions there. While certainly not the huge waves in Hawaii, good enough for world class surfers to surf on.
In terms of judging beaches, beaches should be judged by the quality of sand, clarity of water and to some extent accessibility. New York, beaches fail in comparison when it comes to those measures. I guess many on this site have not been to many quality beaches to make some of the comments above. Hell, I use to think that Coney Islad was a great beach till I went to Jersey.
I visited Montauk recently and never saw a beach with such filthy sand. When Rick and the players arrive in Nassau, Bahamas, they will get to see what a quality beach is like.
With or without Lobster Rolls. I don't think a single person here is calling Riis Beach a top destination beach. I've been fortunate enough to visit a lot of beautiful ones across the world (a lot, frankly, also surpass the Atlantic-facing beaches like Marillac said), and I'm not comparing them to them.Have you ever been to Cocoa Beach. The Olympic Gold Medalist for surfing, Caroline Marks trains here regularly and is from the Melbourne beach area. There are also many surfing completions there. While certainly not the huge waves in Hawaii, good enough for world class surfers to surf on.
In terms of judging beaches, beaches should be judged by the quality of sand, clarity of water and to some extent accessibility. New York, beaches fail in comparison when it comes to those measures. I guess many on this site have not been to many quality beaches to make some of the comments above. Hell, I use to think that Coney Islad was a great beach till I went to Jersey.
When Rick and the players arrive in Nassau, Bahamas, they will get to see what a quality beach is like.
But to say the NYC/LI beaches fail and there's filth is just a totally different argument and not really accurate. Just think NY/NYC has become this punching bag that's become socially acceptable to say even if it doesn't match the experiences of the people living there.