May 2026. Finally. After being closed for over 17 years, Orchard Beach's neoclassical, historic Pavilion has been restored. The restored Pavilion was officially opened with a ribbon cutting by our NYC Mayor, flanked by other NYC dignitaries and witnessed by many guests. Some additional touches to complete the restoration will continue throughout the summer of 2026 to accommodate retail vendors and restaurants, among other areas. Finally. read more

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Lovely and well-maintained beach. Large parking lot charges $10 for cars during the week and $12 on weekends. These fees are only in effect during beach season which is typically from Memorial Day to Labor Day each year. Lovely walkway along the beach which has restrooms as well as two snack grills. There are also basketball courts, tennis courts and playgrounds. They recently reopened the Pavilion which is planned to have some vendors soon. Fairly short walk via trail path to City Island which has lots of shops and restaurants. Lots of adjacent walking paths throughout Pelham Bay Park as well. We went earlier on a weekday and it was very empty...through there was still some law enforcement patrolling the area...I suspect there are more present on busier days. read more

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It's my new home beach since I'm in the Bronx now. It's giving Jones Beach vibe. Even though Jones beach is massiv. I love this beach.

Great place to come and relax. Great trails, nice new pavilion, an island you can walk to, just great vibes all around.

This beach is pretty. However, it is not worth coming here because online it says that it closes at 10PM, however, you get kicked out at 7PM. I guess you can hike here, however there are tick warning signs in every path. Come to Orchard Beach at your own caution. read more

I can't believe I didn't already make my review for this beach. Growing up in the Bronx, my aunt used to come here religiously, every weekend of the summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day! I'd come with her super early to secure her favorite picnic area by the parking lot next to a rock to grill. I have so many childhood memories here. This trip we met up with some one else already there celebrating a birthday. This is a lively urban beach with a fun, cultural vibe with occasional live music on stage, sports courts, playgrounds, sandy shore, boardwalk that I used to love walking up and down, and decent amenities that seem to be a bit cleaner and more maintained than it used to be. it can get crowded, noisy, and a bit messy. I haven't been in the water since I was a kid, the quality isn't good. You can buy food from a vendor, I can't comment on the quality because we always cook our own. It's close by City Island if you wanted to get seafood after. read more

I had an amazing experience with the security guard Ms. Carrion, she was very kind, respectful and focused on the safety and wellbeing of everyone on the beach, she made our day much safer during our visit. read more

My favorite local beach Periodt. It's such a beautiful beach and it's never crowded; well, the section I like to go to is never crowded. So if you're thinking about going then pack a cooler and a blanket and be on your way for a beautifully relaxing day read more

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I've been coming here since i was a kid and they have def updated and upgraded this place. It's much cleaner than it use to be for sure. The park area and board walk are nice. I recommend coming here during the week because it gets too crowded on weekends and leaving the parking lot when the beach is closed is a joke. Insane traffic. The water also isn't clean but it's great to come to tan and have a beach day. read more

This place is actually a pretty good beach and honestly nothing really wrong with it. I normally don't enter many beaches in NYC in general, pretty much just get my feet wet that Is it, but I walked past the basketball courts and to the beach here. As a New Yorker, you can say this place is worth one visit in everyone's lifetime. Not that hard to get to once you are in the Bronx and it is close to City Island, a nice place to visit before or after. read more

I've been on a mission to find the best public beach in New York City that's easily accessible via the subway or bus. This brought me to Orchard Beach in the Bronx. I will say that it was beautiful, it didn't feel like I was the City or the Bronx for that matter. However, it's not super straightforward to get there. You ride the green line all the way to the end at Pelham Bay station and then transfer to a bus for an additional 20 minutes. You then walk around a bunch of construction to find the only open entrance to the beach. The beach itself has soft sand and was pretty clean, but the water is super shallow (great for kids). I had a hard time getting back since the busses run super infrequently. read more

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This beach is a big disappointment. The boardwalk railings and cracked stone boardwalk is over 50 years old and breaking down as we speak. The bathrooms at Section 7 are dirty and full of flies. The multple music systems on the boardwalk are played so loud that it hurts your eardrums. The smell of weed on the boardwalk and the beach is intoxicating. Vendors are selling illegal bear and liquor throughout the beach. Thieves vandalized my car and the police wouldn't even take a report. There should be fashion police patrolling that beach. Overweight woman wearing tiny bathing suits that don't fit correctly. Need I say more? read more

I have been going to Orchard Beach since I was a child. I hadn't been there for a while, yesterday I went to celebrate a friends mother's birthday and had a fantastic time. Neither wind nor rain can stop a good party, these people are regulars there and they know how to throw a party. The music was great and the food and atmosphere were fantastic. It was byob and I brought my drinks with me and I had a great day. People that didn't know anyone there joined in on the fun and were welcomed like family. This is how good people roll. read more

I love the beach, and has lived in the Bronx for 2 decades but never set foot in Orchard Beach until yesterday And I'm pleasantly surprised. Lots of parking on the off season & it's free. Very peaceful & not a lot of people on a cold weekend morning. Only locals taking a walk with their dogs, family with little kids. We Felt very safe. I saw a few park workers doing clean up work. The beach & water looks cleAn & no garbage lying around. There are bathrooms available but didn't check them out, i saw they have food for sale too but close for the season. Perfect place if you just want to walk along the water & feel the salty breeze for an hour or two. Glad to discover this Riviera of the Bronx. I plan to come back in the spring when its warmer maybe for a picnic before it gets crazy for the summer season. read more

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I have to rate this beach a 4 because is been apart of the community for so many years. I understand, different people have different opinions about this beach, but, that doesn't mean you have to take away the experience of another. Yesterday, which was when the picture was taken, we went to go watch a firework extravaganza show. Once you arrive the parking fee is $8. Try to remember where you parked as well because you can easily forget. They also have decent size restrooms ( if not overcrowded of course ). Orchard beach even has a concession stand with limited options ( i didnt get to try the food though) so if you have tried it let me know on the comments. Can't go wrong with all they have to offer, parks, sprinklers for the kids, tennis court, & if you go all the way to the left into the hiking trail you can see their beautiful scenery. The Dj was up on stage doing the damnn thing, had everyone dancing, laughing, & making great memories. The vibe was immaculate yesterday. Their was food trucks and different little vendors around to buy whatever you needed. Funniest thing though, the scam was real with the glow in the dark toys. Before the fireworks each item was $5 right!? why when we was leaving they started selling them for $5 for 2 i was like no wayyy!!! You can't make this up so yeah people sometimes is better to wait for the after math when everythin goes on sale. Afterwards, if you're crew is hungry ya can always head down to City Island which is only 5 mins away, Many different restaurant options to choose from. Seafood city personally is my favorite and they only accept cash, as well as, Tonys & Johnny's. Overall, the experiences have been amazing. If you are not looking for problems or don't have beef with people and looking for a close spot in the bronx to chill Orchard Beach is definitely a cool spot. They have it all for you. Hope you guys enjoy. read more

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I visited Orchard Beach with confused expectations because of the mixed reviews, but I really don't know what the negative ones were about. I had a lovely time. Even on a Saturday afternoon in July, it wasn't crowded; there were plenty of people enjoying it, but it was nothing like Jones Beach on a Sunday or Coney Island on Labor Day weekend. Parts of the beach were even empty. The vibe was very chill, with lots of families. No line at the snack bar. The sand and water really weren't dirty. I won't claim it was pristine, because I saw some litter here and there and some cigarette butts, but I was expecting so much worse from the reviews! The bathrooms were fine, not crowded at all, mostly clean, exactly what I'd expect from a city park bathroom. $2.75 for a subway-and-bus trip from Manhattan. Would definitely come back! read more

Orchard Beach - Looking north from the front and center of Orchard Beach. Not crowded on a Saturday afternoon in July. - Beaches Near Me

Not crowded in the edges left and right of the beach. People were chilling and I liked how peaceful it was. I took an uber here from Queens and it was about 26 mins. Water had a few garbage and wasn't insanely clean but that's every beach I went to in NYC. It was still clean for the most part. Had a good time. The park workers don't allow you to go deep into the waters. This a first for me as other beaches they didn't care. After 5 pm apparently you can't go in water anymore so go earlier. read more

Orchard Beach - Beach - Beaches Near Me

If you are uptown or in Da Bronx it is easy to get to. On Sundays near the parking lot there is salsa music and dancing. There are also three tennis courts in good condition, as well as handball and basketball courts. There are concession stands as well as empanadas being sold on the beach. If you want quiet and relaxation field one is supposed to be a quiet zone but I wouldn't swear to that. It is a lively beach with clean bathrooms, free sunscreen and lifeguards on duty until 6pm. Pretend the water is aqua blue. It is a cool spot to chill by the water. Parking is $8-$10 per car. read more

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Rangers don't care about loud music everywhere and yesterday after they send everybody home they close the public bathroom. The promenade was full with families on the boardwalk, cooking bbq and playing on the court. I asked the lady, who was supervising the cleaning and closing the bathroom, what these people could do if they need a bathroom. Her answer was just that she could wait to everyone go home. You pay U$ 12 to park your car and there's is no public bathrooms available for you and your family. That's a shame! read more

Nice beach has all to offer parking lot is big plenty of parking, if you go down to section 1 is a nude beach.

What a beautiful getaway,this beach is super clean...so this is in the Bronx out by city island!!! You have to pay a $10.00 parking fee for the whole day .My husband and I got here at about 11:00am and the beach was already getting pack .People were just loving and living life today!!! There was also a festival going for Puerto Ricans day not to mention there are basketball courts,little park so if u don't do sand there also other options at orchard beach There where trash cans every where and the staff change the cans regularly so there's no trash over flowing do need a upgrade with the food at the snack bar staff is nice there are literally teenagers just making a living and doing an amazing job but the food is trash!!! Overall get day getaway would recommend going early read more

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went there for the nude beach and no one was nude and no signs allowing it as well as a creepy drone flying around

This beach is nice. Tonssss of parking and the beach and boardwalk is huge! There are some nice picnic spots and nature trails and I just discovered a new section today that was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately the beach and parking lot usually have trash everywhere and the staff and volunteers try their best to keep it clean but it can be very overwhelming. It's such a shame because it really is beautiful there. Hopefully with time the city can come up with a plan to make restore it back to its glory. read more

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As promised y'all I am back at the beach. Not bad really not a bad experience at all. My fur never got dirty, and I was really pleased with the quality of the water. It wasn't terrible. Y'all should check it out, and if you see a big cat on the sand don't throw anything at me. read more

Orchard Beach - Orchard beach - Beaches Near Me

Well. Can't say I'm either impressed or dissatisfied. I'm from The BX originally so I know this Beach very well. It was nice. People were distancing mostly except in the water. The Orchard Beach Snack shop was open (I would give the shop 4 stars on it's own honestly) and pumping out orders. The wings were home made with a brother in the back that resembled my uncle and fried like him too. So that was good. I don't know if the slurpee machine broke down or if it was just ghetto af but we asked for 2 slushies and this young kid was in the back mixing it by hand. It looked tedious and slightly ticked me off because it's a BEACH. Kid must get a thousand orders for slushies daily smh. Looked torturous and to be frank I was irritated on HIS behalf because I just know it's a minimum wage position and those always seem to suck the most. Poor baby. But he did it with a smile, a tired smile, but a smile. So the reason for the 3 star rating? Yes, let's get to it. There are NO garbage cans stationed on the beach sand area. At all. Not one. So guess what comes floating into the water while swimming? Garbage. First it was a plastic bag. Then a wrapper. Then another bag. And a plastic cup. The lifeguards looked at me like I lost my shit when I grabbed the bag and started grabbing all the things floating into it. I mean, I know Orchard isn't Jones that leads to the Atlantic because it is man made. Still, there is life on those waters and plastic is a big NO for Aquatic beings. After I collected a pretty absurd amount of plastic, I get out the water to toss it in a garbage and realize there are no friggin garbage bins! So now I have this random bag of garbage and I have to trek across what feels and looks like a mile of SCORCHING hot sand to throw it out? Sheesh, where's my reward for good samaritan? At least convenience me for Christ's sake! I had to stick it in the sand and wait until we gathered our things to leave to throw it out because babbbbyyy, I was not trying to trek across that fiery sand twice. So for that, and because it brought back less then desirable memories of Orchard back in the hay days, 3 stars only. read more

Was a amazing beach, but ranger park officers is not professional at all, we was at black belt martial arts testing, my students was walking in the water NOT SWIMMING, the park range officer came say we can't be in the water, with actitud, the other female officer is laughing not professional at all, read more

Orchard Beach - Beaches Near Me

I've been going here for years and this beach has come a long ways since I was a child. I remember when you couldn't walk an inch barefooted on the sand without getting glass lodged somewhere in your feet. I went a week ago with my family and the beach is kept much cleaner. There is a much higher police presence so you don't have as many out of control persons. This police presence must contribute to the cleaner beach in my opinion because people tend to not want to drink alcohol in front of police officers. read more

3.5 stars. I've been here only in winter, and I'm kinda happy about it. I've heard nightmare stories about the density of human bodies here during the summer months, and I wouldn't be interested to come here during that time and fight for an available square foot of sand. Just look at the huge parking lot, and you'll understand how crowded it gets here. On winter days it might be cold, but the boardwalk is deserted, and the beach very atmospheric. In the summer you can bathe and play sports on the multiple available playgrounds. However, when it's more quiet you can enjoy walking around, especially along the nature trails leading to the Twin Island, Two Trees Island and Hunter Island. Kazimiroff Nature Trail is the best path, leading to the woods and eventually to a coastline overlooking Hog Island and Glen Island. Beautiful. read more

Orchard Beach - Beaches Near Me

Golly gee!!I By far this is one of the most dirtiest beaches I've ever been to!!! A while back, after dinning at City Island, we decided to walk it off and head to Orchard Beach to check it out. The walk itself was about 2 miles which we didn't mind. However, the beach itself was definitely not an oasis once we arrived. Understandably this is a small beach, but my god was this beach absolutely filthy!!! Cans and bottles littered all over the place with boom boxes competing with one another just to out play each other. Worst off, this beach was super crowded. Perhaps, it was hot that day and everyone wanted to visit the beach but personally for me, this is one beach that l seriously do not care to revisit again...EVER!!! read more

Orchard Beach - Beaches Near Me

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The reviews are scary, but my experience wasn't that bad. It's a small beach, a man made beach that's been around since the 1930. The crowd is definitely a diverse crowd, this is New York City people if you are scared of Blacks and Latinas then why the hell did you move here...fuggedaboudit....get over it already ... it's The Bronx.. c'mon son really. The sand was clean and life guards were on deck. Everyone had their radios out but the volume was at a distant roar. I visited on a week day and found the surroundings peacefully mundane. Serene view of the water. Children's laughter in the distance. Lifeguards leave at 6 p.m. Beach closes at 7 p.m. The concession stand is over priced, bottle water is $4.00.....moral of that strory, bring your own water. Basketball and volleyball courts are well maintained and picnic area with green grass and bar-b-cue pits are clean and near by. 3 stars... the bathrooms are sketchy. S-K-E-T-C-H-Y. P.S. This is not the Caribbean, this is The Bronx. read more

Orchard Beach - Lifeguards on deck until 6 p.m. - Beaches Near Me

I'm not a beach person - I'll go to them but it's not something I crave as soon as the warm weather comes. If I do go to the beach, I usually drive out to Robert Moses or visit my godmother's house for the day on the Jersey shore. That being said, I've never actually "beached" at Orchard Beach. When I was a kid we used to take annual school trips here and spend time on the grassy fields and walk the nature trails. Since admission and parking are free after Labor Day, I decided to spend my morning walking around and exploring. This is a man-made beach situated on the Long Island Sound; but before you get to the beach, take note of the parking lot - it's huge! I think every teenager who grew up in the Bronx (including myself) learned how to drive in that lot; obviously the parks department caught wind of it because as I pulled in I noticed a sign stating "no driving courses allowed in parking lot" =p The beach is closed during the off-season, but you still have access to the boardwalk, nature trails, sports courts, and playgrounds. It was an overcast day so there weren't too many people there, but it was nice because I felt like I had the place to myself - very peaceful. There's an impressive pavilion located on the boardwalk which looks like it houses a number of concession stands and shops - however the pavilion is original to the beach and has experienced extensive structural damage. As such, it's gated off for restoration/renovation. Overall I had a pleasant morning walking and exploring - there's definitely a lot to do besides the beach. I can't say how the beach itself is or how it's like during the on-season, but for a quiet, peaceful autumn morning walk it's a great option. read more

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The beach is open from 7:30-3pm you are urged to wear you facial coverings wether its a scarf or a mask and also maintain you social distancing. That being said there are numerous trails you can walk through and enjoy the sights of nature. Many people were fishing on the back end of the beach where are you take the trails through the woods there's a nice open area that opens up to some rocks where people were fishing off the rocks. When we went to the beach they were sifting the sand and leveling it with the machinery so there were not that many people on the beach. Everyone has been cramped inside the house for weeks and now that the weather is getting nice people are definitely flocking to the beach to enjoy being outside and enjoy being around other people even if you have to stay 6 feet apart. The parking lot was full of cars and to the side of the parking lot they have areas for barbecuing and many people did camp out with their families and had a nice outdoor meal together and played music and danced and laughed and just had a fun time read more

Orchard Beach - Freah air. - Beaches Near Me

Lots of good things: space (if you walk a little, you can set up 20 feet at least from other people), tons of parking with a easy way to drop off, sprinkler playground for kids, bathrooms (not clean but usable), snack shack with only slightly overpriced drinks and food, at low tide, there is a good amount of beach for kids, tons of life guards, some food and drinks sold on the beach (like cotton candy) Other things: lots of music from many people, found at least three pieces of glass in the sand where kids were playing, water is crowded with a steep drop off to deep water, it's huge but some parts were dirty--it's hard to maintain. read more

My friends, you may not realize that human bones from Hart Island Cemetery have been washing up on Orchard Beach. (Hart Island is NYC's potter's field. If you can't afford to be buried in a cemetery, you wind up on Hart Island.) Due to erosion on Hart Island, especially because of Hurricane Sandy, human bones have been washing up on Orchard Beach. CBS News has reported that FEMA won't begin to repair the cemetery until 2020. read more

I love Orchard Beach primarily because its on the sound and doesn't have any heavy waves like the open ocean. It has its drawbacks, mostly people being really noisy taking their speakers out onto the sand with no regard for anyone else, and they for some reason removed all the garbage cans from the beach itself relocating them on the boardwalk, however the beach is cleaner now go figure. The bathrooms aren't very clean but they are usable. The snack bar is ok, nothing great but burgers and fried stuff. You can rent umbrellas for $10. Parking is also $10. Sometimes they have concerts which is also really noisy if you're trying to relax. No one will ever touch your stuff on the sand, you could leave your wallet there and it will still be there when you return. Sometimes there is a discarded plastic bag or aluminum can on the beach or in the water but not much considering the huge amount of people that use this beach. The huge pavilion from the 1930's is empty, I heard years ago it was being revitalized but nothing has ever happened. A real shame showing how the Bronx is marginalized by the City. But its great taking the 12 bus, walking 100 feet and being on the beach or the picnic area. read more

This is the go to beach for people in the Bronx. Having never been here, I ventured up to see what it was all about. The beach itself was clean but I was surprised how empty it was. In fact, it is located inside a very quiet part of Pelham Bay Park and right before you reach City Island. All in all, it is a good beach for relaxation with very few food options. Probably will not be back though. read more

Orchard Beach - Beaches Near Me

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Maybe it was less crowded here than usual last Saturday because of the threatening thunder and lightning storms (that never came, by the way). Still, I think that this beach has been underrated by most of its reviewers! An incredible journey to the end of the local 6 train line brought us to Pelham Bay Park. So quiet there, and the nearby arboreal Hutchinson Parkway evoked feelings of being on the edge of the countryside (which New England is, in comparison to New York City, at least). We wanted to catch the Bx5 express bus to Orchard Beach, but the Bx12 arrived earlier, and was essentially the same thing, and there was only one other person on it at noon. The bus took us RIGHT THERE to a beautiful park that opened up to the crescent shore mirrored by an ampitheatre structure that was a home to vendors of butt-font shorts with "Orchard Beach" printed on them, assorted swimwear, and concessions. One cool thing to know about this beach is that it was artificially engineered in 1936: http://www.lehman.edu/vpadvance/artgallery/arch/buildings/orchard_beach.html Therefore, it has more of the aspect of a pond or lake, and the waters were super calm. I have no idea how clean or dirty the water is scientifically, but when a plastic bag blew into the water, rowdy swimmers toyed with it only briefly before placing it in one of the numerous yet inoffensive (because they were spotless and empty) wastebaskets peppering the beach. At one point, a cleaning crew also came by, spearing the last few bits of detail on the beach with looks of grim satisfaction on their faces. Young, cheerful lifeguards in bright orange clothing sat three to a chair, making sure everyone was safe...so the only scary and disruptive thing about this beach might have been the hungry seagulls constantly on the prowl, but mindful packaging of our food kept them at bay. People, don't feed gulls...don't even throw your trash at them; they will be encouraged!!! Yeah, a few groups were loud - cussing, laughing, flirting, whatever...but where aren't there these sorts of groups? On the whole, this beach was very quiet, and anyway, no one bothered anyone else. There was some "naco" music, but I liked it. I felt like I was in a totally different land, actually. A great and accessible escape from the concrete jungle. read more

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I ventured up to the Bronx today with my husband to visit two places we'd never been before: City Island & Orchard Beach. We love beaches, so we're always eager to visit one, particularly a new one, when the opportunity arises. Orchard Beach came up during my Google search for beaches in/around NYC. I was interested because of its geography and history (on Pelham bay, which feeds into a side of the LI sound I'd never been to... man-made in the 1930/ under the supervision of Robert Moses...), and further intrigued because it was referred to in several article as "the (French) Riviera of New York City." I was super skeptical of this title, especially since it's a sound/bay beach in the Bronx, but we wanted to visit City Island anyway and figured we'd hit up the beach afterward and make a day of it. The Riviera, French or otherwise, it is not. The beach is relatively small and, as it's on the sound (Pelham Bay is not actually a bay), the water is shallower (therefore warmer!) and calmer than that of ocean beaches. This is a plus if you've got a bunch of kids in tow, which most other visitors did, or if you're a weak swimmer. This isn't the case with me, but I knew what I was in for beforehand. Despite the utter lack of waves, there were a ton of lifeguard at duty... More per square foot/per person than in the Rockaways, I'd say. There were also lots of stressed out moms yelling at their kids, and adults who had clearly brought more children than they could handle. The boardwalk has concession stands and large (and relatively clean-ish, at least when we were there!) bathrooms. We didn't spot showers or anything to rinse off, which was kind of a bummer... Although you get a lot less sandy when there are no waves to cover you in tons of salt & sand. We stayed till 6:00pm, at which point lifeguards started blowing their whistles nonstop the get people out of the water, some beach/park employee drove his ATV into the water (saltwater is really bad for... everything, dude. Hope you scrubbed it down after!) to scold people for still being in the water, and a woman came over the PA system (hadn't realized there was one!) to announce that the beach was closing, and that the last bus (Bx12) was leaving at 7:00. It was a decent way to kill a few hours and a respectable place to sunbath/wade around in the shallow water, but definitely not my scene. I like bigger waves, more adults, more food choices in the immediate area, and more accessible public transportation. I think I'll be sticking to ocean beaches in Queens and on Long Island for the rest of the summer. read more

Orchard Beach - Beaches Near Me

If you are like me and love going to the beach but would rather beat an hour and a half of traffic going out to Long Island, then Orchard Beach is the place for you. There are many negative comments about the water, prices, and people that frequent this beach but if you take it for what it is and don't have such high expectations, you'll be quite pleased. A view of the water, a nicely paved Boardwalk with food and beer, and the sand beneath my toes, and I'm happy. This is my first summer coming here and I always notice that the garbage cans aren't overflowing with trash, unlike most beaches I've been to in NY. They take very good care of the beach, bathrooms, and boardwalk. Yes, people come here with their loud families on the weekends. They play whatever music puts them in the mood to dance and raise their plastic cups. Babies cry. Old people complain. Officers patrol the sand frequently making sure no funny business is going on. It's all American. If sports is your thing, then bring a racket and/or a ball of any sort. You can find FREE tennis, basketball, handball, volleyball courts, and charcoal grills to smoke whatever meat and vegetables you choose to bring. I can't think of anything they've missed. As I lay alone in my beach chair sipping on this $6 coors light without anybody bothering me, I'm at ease and I already can't wait to be back. read more

Orchard Beach - Lifeguards on duty from 10-6 - Beaches Near Me

I was a part of a meet up group that walked from Pelham Bay Park, Orchard Beach and City Island. This was my first time visiting this beach and I wasn't worried because I was with a group but I didn't know what to expect. Growing up in Brooklyn and living in Queens we heard so many negative things about Orchard Beach I said I would never go. However, you get older and you realize you have to check things out for yourself. I am so disappointed in myself that it took all these years to see that this beach was just that a beach/park where everyday people were just enjoying themselves. It was a lot cleaner than I expected and I didn't witness any madness or craziness that I naively envisioned. I said to myself, "sh*t this isn't any worse than Coney Island." Granted we only stayed on the beach for about an hour but I really enjoyed myself while there. I liked that they had areas where you can picnic and eat your food. Any views by the water is a plus and it was hot outside so that breeze from the water felt good. The one negative thing I saw was that you had to pay for parking. However, that would be a fee I would pay because the beach is way out and the closest mode of public transportation was a bus which stopped right by the beach, talk about convenience. I picked up an Italian ice from one of the many vendors on the beach and just chilled for a while before we moved on with our walk to our next destination. I plan on visiting this beach again but this time for the day and just enjoy the water and environment. Stop listening to naysayers and check out a place for yourself and then make your own assessment. Keeping in mind we're NOT in the Caribbean so don't have high expectations and try to compare ANY NYC beach to that gorgeous beach vacation you had in the past. LOL read more