NYC KEEPS SWIMING
NYC Extends Swimming Season Through September 13 at Rockaway Beach in Queens, Coney Island & Brighton Beaches in Brooklyn, Midland and South Beaches in Staten Island, and last but not least, Orchard Beach, The Bronx.
New Yorkers will enjoy an extended swimming season at NYC’s most popular
beaches beginning Tuesday, September 8. Stretches of Rockaway Beach in Queens, Coney Island and Brighton Beaches in Brooklyn, Midland and South Beaches in Staten Island, and Orchard Beach in the Bronx will remain open through September 13. The FY16 budget
provides $687,000 to fund lifeguards, maintenance workers and other parks staff for the additional week. The final swimming day for NYC beaches has traditionally been Labor Day; this year’s extension adds a full six beach days to the calendar.
The beaches operating on an extended schedule will open daily from 10 AM
to 6 PM. For updates on which sections of the beaches are open, visit www.nyc.gov/parks/beaches
“New York City’s shoreline is one of our greatest treasures, and this year we have more time to enjoy it. Led by Council Speaker Mark-Viverito and Parks Committee Chair Mark Levine, the strong demand for this extended schedule is a clear illustration that our resilience and recovery efforts have succeeded in restoring our beaches for all New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“With 14 miles of the world’s greatest city beaches, New York truly is a beach town – and any beach town worth its sand is happy to squeeze just a little more summer out of the calendar. Thanks to the Mayor and the Council, New Yorkers now have more time to swim, play, and unwind,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver.
“New York City’s beaches offer great public space for residents of all five boroughs to enjoy,” said Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “The City Council is proud to support the extension of beach hours with a $1.65 million dollar investment in the FY 2016 city budget. I encourage New Yorkers to take advantage of the extended beach season and enjoy our beautiful shore lines in the coming week.”
"For families who can't afford a vacation in the Hamptons, our beaches offer exceptional recreational opportunities that are free for everyone," said Council Member Mark Levine, Chair of the City Council Parks Committee. "As global warming advances, the month of September will only grow hotter and hotter, which means the demand for our beaches will continue to rise. By extending the season, we're giving thousands of New Yorkers a chance to relax and enjoy the leisure of summer for a little while longer."
This summer marked the continuation of a dramatic upward trend in beach attendance since Hurricane Sandy, with more than 19 million visitors to NYC beaches since Memorial Day, an increase of 1 million visitors over 2014, and 4.2 million over 2013. Attendance rose especially at Rockaway Beach, with year-over-year increases of more than 25%, due in large part to the opening of new sections of strong, resilient boardwalk this year and last. As a result of the de Blasio administration’s push, the Rockaway Boardwalk will be continuously complete by Memorial Day 2016, with intact sections of the old boardwalk and new sections linked together. The boardwalk will be entirely completed as new construction by Memorial Day 2017.
