What Happened to Plum Beach?…read more
Two years ago, I gave Plumb Beach five stars. It was a peaceful little Brooklyn treasure where individuals, couples and families relaxed, people walked their dogs, windsurfers enjoyed the water, and others simply came to enjoy nature.
After visiting last weekend on July 28, 2026, I barely recognized it.
The issue wasn't the normal sounds of people enjoying the beach. It was extremely loud amplified music from large speakers that could be heard far beyond the groups using them.
A senior beachgoer objected when a massive 4'x 3' speaker, positioned only about 10 feet from him and his wife, was turned on at full blast. This couple, along with dozens of other individuals and families, had already been peacefully enjoying the beach before a group of approximately 20+ people, (including babies) arrived and set up beside them with a large tent, enormous speaker and barbecue grills.
When the gentleman objected to the volume, the music was initially turned down. Shortly afterward, however, the entire group packed up their tent, speaker and belongings and relocated approximately one city block farther down the beach, near where I was sitting. They then turned the music up extremely loud again.
What demonstrates just how excessive the volume was is that even after moving that considerable distance, their music could still be clearly heard back where the gentleman and his wife had been sitting. Near me, it was so loud that I couldn't hear my small personal radio sitting beside me.
I watched other beachgoers become frustrated, pack up their belongings and leave what had been a peaceful beach before this group arrived.
TO BE CLEAR, this is not about the type, language, or culture of the music. It could have been American, Caribbean, Chinese, Pakistani, Russian, or any other genre or language. The issue is not the music itself--it is the VOLUME. No one person's music should be so loud that everyone around them is forced to listen to it or leave. Public spaces are meant to be shared respectfully so everyone has the opportunity to enjoy them.
A few days later, I returned to Plumb Beach hoping my experience had been an isolated incident. Unfortunately, what I found was even more discouraging.
The area where the large gathering had been was covered with garbage. There were beer bottles (including broken glass), food containers, disposable plates and cups, plastic bags, charcoal remnants, citrus fruit, and even soiled diapers scattered throughout the sand and among the protected dune vegetation.
These aren't just cosmetic issues. Broken glass creates a hazard for people, pets and wildlife, and trash left in the dunes damages one of the most environmentally sensitive parts of the beach.
My concern has never been about families gathering or people enjoying themselves. It's about respecting a public beach that belongs to everyone. If you can carry coolers, grills, diapers, food, beverages, and supplies onto the beach, you can carry the empty containers and garbage back off the beach.
Plumb Beach WAS one of Brooklyn's peaceful hidden treasures. I sincerely hope stronger enforcement of littering, noise, grilling, and dune protection can help restore the beach so future visitors can enjoy the natural beauty that once made this place so special.
