Sarah

I'll be visiting this summer. Can any one tell me where are some nice beaches in Westchester county NY, where I won't need a resident's pass? Thank you-

jules

I may be stupid but I can't think of any beaches in Westchester, you may find a spot on the Hudson, but Oceanfront? You'll need to travel to Jones Beach on Long Island or cut across Jersey to the shore.

Other posters may be able to give you a little more insight.

JM

Sal

I know there are some beaches in the Mamaroneck,Larchmont Rye area that are on the Long Island Sound. Just not sure which have public access that you won't need a town resident's identification pass.

karen

No great beaches in Westchester. Depending where in the county you'll be, it's only about a 45-60 min ride to Jones beach; a better bet for sun and sand. However, Rye Playland (an amusement park - where the opening and closing scenes of "Big" were filmed) has a smallish beach and you can combine that with some amusement park rides for a fun afternoon. Most of the other beach areas are either residential or part of beach/yacht clubs.

barbara

access to L.I. Sound in nearby Connecticut, but unless you like rocky beaches, head for Jones Beach, not a short ride, though, and lots of traffic

Sarah

The closest in CT then would be Greenwich. Can you tell me how to get to their beaches? Thanks-

evelyntrav

The Greenwich Beach on LI Sound had been restricted to residents only. There was a big lawsuit concerning this and it is still not settled. I think the temporary fix is to charge about $20 (or perhaps more on the weekends) for parking. If I can get the information, I'll add to this reply.

sandy

When I was a kid living in Westchester, we always used to go to Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, CT. The Greenwich beaches were nicer (we had friends that lived there that got us in as guests), but I don't remember Sherwood being particularly rocky. I've been to CT beaches further east and they were very hard on the feet.

Rye/Playland beach is very small. On weekends it's packed with city folk who don't go in past their knees.

Merilee

Two that come to mind are Croton Point Park Beach and Harbor Island Park Beach in New Rochelle...as other posters stated there's also Rye Beach at Playland...the majority of the beaches in Westchester County belong to private clubs.

antoinette

The Greenwich Beach, I believe is now open to the public for a $20 non resident usage fee. It's about a 15 minute ride from the PortChester, NY area.

Howard

Forget the beaches in Westchester County. The Greenwich beach may not be worth the hassles or the price! Sherwood Island is worth the drive.
Heed the previous advice and go to Jones Beach. It's well worth the extra time to drive there.

Westchester Resident

Previous advice is all correct... Westchester is one of the nicest places to live in the country (and one of the more expensive), but it lacks good beaches. Long Island and the Jersey Shore have some of the best beaches in the world. But get there early (before 10:00 am) to avoid considerable traffic. If you go to Jones beach on a weekend, expect VERY VERY crowded conditions on the ocean side in the "fields" near the bath houses. Best bet - the far western side. Stay away from the bay side if you like swimming... the bottom is mucky.

chris

"Westchester Resident", just curious - What makes you say that this county is one of the nicest in the country? I've been offered a job there and thinking of taking it.Any info is appreciated.

karen

Chris: Maybe I can help you a little. Westchester is beautiful with lovely homes, great school systems (for the most part) and the proximity to NYC makes it attractive for commuters (as well as for theater goers, museum goers and gourmets and gourmands alike). Do you have any specific qustions about the area?

Howard

Adding on to what Karen said, Westchester is one of those "best of both worlds" location. As Karen mentioned, we're close enough to NYC to really take advantage of all that great city has to offer. At the same time, wse live a beautiful GREEN environment. Lots of trees! And, there is much to see within a two-hour driving radius.

Land Ho

I live in CT and can't figure out why you want to head to the beaches around here??? They are kinda gross and smelly, frequently they are closed for toxic reasons, I would never go in the water. As others have suggested, head to Jones Beach, the Jersey Shore, or Masquamicut (sp?) just across the CT border into RI where the sound starts to open to the ocean. There is not much enjoyable about the Sound unless you're from Nebraska. I'm not trying to be all negative but I really think you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

It's funny that Greenwhich even came up since it's been such a battle around here. $20 might get you in but how about your car? Aren't they asking for tremendous parking fees?

I've heard they did a nice rennovation to Seaside Beach in Bridgeport but not sure I'd recommend going down there.

Another popular spot is Hammonnasset near Clinton, CT, it's a state park so you can get in.

Maybe I just got spoiled by living in Florida for a while where all the beaches are mandated public.

Another nice suggestion for lunch or drinks is The Longshore in Westport, CT - on the water-lots of boats-lotsa richies-usually some sort of reggae band at Friday happy hour.

evelyntrav

More info on the Greenwich Beach. Our local paper just enlightened me that for non -residents it is a $20 parking fee, plus $10 per person.

As Ct residents, when we want to go to the beach we go to the nearby Rhode Island beaches for the day, especially Misquamicut State Beach. It is a long day and we include a wonderful dinner on the water in Stonington.