Beach Aficionados

[Section9]

Can the mods please separate the ad nauseum beach posts to a separate thread and then silly can do his travel agent bit there.

 

[Amaseinyourface]

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

You are one well traveled son of a beach

 

[Silly Donovan]

One last comment then I promise I’ll stop bitching errr beaching. Comparing Long Island Beaches to Florida Beaches is like comparing Florida eateries to New York eateries….. in short, while the Florida beaches are great the Italian food, for one, sucks.

 

[SJU85]

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.

I grew up in Cambria Heights and indeed hit Jones (more prevalent) or Rockaway Beach with the occasional jaunt to Long Beach.

Now it’s either Robert Moses or Sunken Meadow or a day out at a beach further East.

 

[Spocky Ramone]

 

[MainMan]

September is the best month for NY/NJ beaches.
Crowds are gone.
Water is at its warmest.
Air temp is usually warm but not too warm.
We usually swim at the beach until at least mid-October. Surfers in wetsuits go much longer even into winter but we're not that nuts.

 

[Silly Donovan]

Hey are you one of the original Ramones?? My brother in law knew Joey and designed cloths for the band. Or just a fan?

 

[fuchsia]

I grew up in Cambria Heights and indeed hit Jones (more prevalent) or Rockaway Beach with the occasional jaunt to Long Beach.

Now it’s either Robert Moses or Sunken Meadow or a day out at a beach further East.

I moved to Rockaway in 1954, later rented on Boardwalk and B. 106th overlooking McGuire Court. I remember four games going at once at Riis Park courts with Sonny Dove and Vaughn Harper as stars of the two teams on the #1 court, probably in the mid 60's. Dan Tubridy , unofficial mayor of Breezy, owned several bars and restaurants near McGuires.

 

[SLYFOXX1968]

Can I slip 1 more comment before I’m expelled ?
Most of the South Shore Beaches in NY are Public and on that category there are as good as the Masses are going to get . I’d include NJ Shore Beaches too. But , many of them are Private .
All of the Hawaiian Beaches are World Class


In my now Home State , Folly Beach and Kiawah are top notch . Hilton Head has nice beaches but, the Water is always muddy brown . Why,?
There are many , many inland Rivers in the Low Country and with the tides are always depositing mud into the HHI beaches and water .
Still enjoyable though .

 

[dk423]

What's everyone's favorite beach that they've visited?

 

[NCJohnnie]

Can I slip 1 more comment before I’m expelled ?
Most of the South Shore Beaches in NY are Public and on that category there are as good as the Masses are going to get . I’d include NJ Shore Beaches too. But , many of them are Private .
All of the Hawaiian Beaches are World Class


In my now Home State , Folly Beach and Kiawah are top notch . Hilton Head has nice beaches but, the Water is always muddy brown . Why,?
There are many , many inland Rivers in the Low Country and with the tides are always depositing mud into the HHI beaches and water .
Still enjoyable though .

The beach on Isle of Palms (Wild Dunes) is also a nice one.

 

[rehobie]

Can I slip in a plug for Rehoboth Beach. Nice beach, beautiful town, excellent restaurants. Only bad thing is all the security when Joe Biden comes to town

 

[SJUWillRockNYC]

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.

Speaking of the Irish Riviera, it's some B's with what they did to 103rd street, you never know what was once there, 103rd doesn't even exist anymore. It's like they just wanted to forget about it.

 

[L J S A]

What's everyone's favorite beach that they've visited?

Waimānalo Beach and Hạ Long Bay for me. Honestly after that, I'm good with Ponquogue, Robert Moses, Meschutt Beach (for all you Latina lovers out there), and Foster Memorial.

Florida never wowed me to the point where I'd travel there specifically for beaches. Have never been to North Carolina beaches though.

 

[Spocky Ramone]

Hey are you one of the original Ramones?? My brother in law knew Joey and designed cloths for the band. Or just a fan?

Just a fan/that’s awesome!

 

[SJU85]

I’m a big fan of beaches in Maui, Kawaii and Bermuda.

 

[Marillac2]

Speaking of the Irish Riviera, it's some B's with what they did to 103rd street, you never know what was once there, 103rd doesn't even exist anymore. It's like they just wanted to forget about it.

The Irish Circle bar?

 

[BrookJersey Redmen]

Beautiful beaches are found in parts of Florida and the Caribbean. Northeast beaches are far far far from beautiful.

SILLY'S NEVER BEEN TO STONE HARBOR NJ CAPE MAY COUNTY. perfect clean fine sand, and pristine waters, with beautiful low dunes.

 

[SJUWillRockNYC]

The Irish Circle bar?

That was on 102nd street, but they closed 5-10 years ago, building apartments there now.

 

[NCJohnnie]

SILLY'S NEVER BEEN TO STONE HARBOR NJ CAPE MAY COUNTY. perfect clean fine sand, and pristine waters, with beautiful low dunes.

Exactly BJR. I spent 16 years vacationing on the 7 mile island with my family. We generally stayed on the Avalon side of the island and went to beach around 75th street so we could walk to the Windrift for steamers and a cold brew for lunch.
Sand is pristine, as you say nice dunes and good ocean surf.
Luckily when I moved to NC we found Wrightsville beach which reminds us a lot of Avalon except we can actually afford to rent a place right on the oceanfront where we walk home for lunch!