Manhattan Beach

This beach is cleaner than Coney Island but it is a smaller beach which means it can feel crowded when it really shouldn’t be. Parking is cheap on weekdays but expensive on weekends. I usually prefer to l go early morning so it feels I have the beach to myself. There are some picnic tables if you perfer to barbeque but those get full quickly. Overall pleasant beach.

Considering it is a beach located within the 5 Boroughs, I will not give it 1 star. But do yourself a favor: If it is the weekend, any weekend between June and December, find other beaches. Unless you are into crowded beaches. So crowded that sometime you can’t even see the sand. If it is a weekday, it will do.
And in the winter it is beautiful like every beach in the world is (In its own way ;)

I think I fell in love with this beach… It may not be the biggest beach in the nyc Long Island area but it was convenient for me exit 8 off the belt parkway. Especially with kids the walk to set up camp was not bad at all considering the walk to set up at jones beach. There was enough space for the kids to throw sand without disturbing anyone else. Parking was $ 20 for weekends and holidays and $ 6 for weekdays. There’s no parking on the local streets as the sign said May 15– Sept 15. When you first enter, there are Picnic tables were everyone was grilling and plenty of seating assuming you get there early to claim your spot. The primary reason why I love this beach. They had a basketball court and and playground outside of the beach area. They also had a carvel ice cream shop another shop to by food.

This is a nice beach for the area, it is not Jones Beach but it is still nice with clean bath house. Spaces for picnic and bbq and lifeguards on site. During the week we paid $ 6 cash ONLY to enter. Not a bad deal.

Eh… It was pretty crowded when we went on a Sunday recently. Lots of rowdy, disrespectful people — not sure how it is at other times. We had a group decide they were going to play football right over the spot we were laying… Practically no street parking so you’ll be forced to spend 20 dollars on parking.

Favorite NYC beach besides the beaches out east in LI. Love the fact that it’s so small and secluded, also like that there’s a section with tables for grilling. I hate the rowdiness at Coney Island so this is perfect for me. Parking is cheap on weekdays ($ 8) but there’s always street spots outside of the lot. On weekends parking is a little more pricey but its worth the money since your car is safe and sound in the lot and your only steps away from the beach.

Hmm — Cleaner than Coney but still dirty.
Manhattan Beach is a bit smaller so it looks crowded. My friends always opt to go here because it is «cleaner». I found a couple of pieces of glass on the spots where we put our towels on. Additionally, I held onto my boyfriend for dear life as several onion rings and band aids floated around us. Super Gross, but it’s expected. At least the birds had something to eat as they did nose dives around us for those rings.
On the plus side :
Life guards are active, Police drive by constantly, Bathrooms are sanitary and large. There is a small place to get food and drinks when you enter.
Still Cleaner than Coney.

It was an A-​OK beach… there wasn’t much to do or anything. Be warned, maybe it was just today, but there are creeps on the beach… like perverted thirsty creeps on the beach, so be prepared and ignore them.

This review is for the dog park:
Just like its beach counterpart, this place is a dump. Though I would say that since the people who come here are tons better than their beach compadres, then this park is an improvement and also: DOGGIES! Yay!
Quick tips: Bring your own waste bags and don’t make the same mistake I did by bringing in a squeaky toy for your little friend. A very friendly pit bull hounded me for an hour because she knew I had that bugger inside my pocket.

Went here twice over Labor Day weekend. Friday the parking was $ 6. Beach was not that crowded. We had a really good day. Went back on Saturday and the parking was $ 20 which is just ridiculous. It’s a shame how dirty the entrance to the beach area is where the picnic tables are. Garbage all over the place. Does the Parks Department come and clean this? Beach was not as packed as I thought for the Saturday during Labor Day. The $ 20 fee probably keeps people away. There were a ton of people in the picnic area BBQing and very loud Spanish music, which didn’t bother me cause I wasn’t staying in this area. We made our way to the sand and was able to get pretty close to the water. The beach and water were clean. Great that we are so close to home. I prefer this beach to Brighton or Coney. Did not use the bathroom so I cannot comment on the cleanliness. I would come back here.

This is the closest dog park to where I live, so that’s nice. That being said, I wouldn’t mind having a nicer one nearby. The dog run is a good size, even for larger dogs. It’s completely fenced in, but does not have one of those double fence entrances. The ground is not concrete, and not completely grass. It’s mainly dirt and wood chips.
Some things to note:
–No water (Bring your own)
–No Bags (I usually have my dog go to the bathroom before we get there, but if you’re not going to do that, then definitely bring a bag.)
–No separate large and small dog runs, they’re all in one area. This can be a little intimidating for some smaller dogs, especially if not properly socialized. I personally have a small dog, 20 lbs, and she takes about a minute to get used to the bigger dogs, but then shes down to play no matter the size.
–If you’re not into sitting on a dirty ground or fence, then you will have to stand. There is no formal seating — benches, chairs…
An ok run if you’re a local or happen to be in the area, but I definitely wouldn’t travel here if it wasn’t close.

A bit further than Coney island, could be very crowded on hot days. Fair facilities. People BBQ near the park, kids have playground not very far from the beach.
Nice soft sand, water not very clean, but acceptable.
$ 20 for parking on weekend. $ 7 for weekdays.
Absolutely no street parking in summer weekends.

Once you’ve lucked out finding that special parking spot after hours of searching, and hiked up to Manhattan beach; you will be rewarded with its sweet shore. The shore is the true diamond amongst the filth here. The clean water and okay sand alone kick a significant amount of ass; despite frequent overcrowding. The litter can get on the heavy side (avoid the used syringes in the sand, unless that injects your archeological sensibilities like mine), but as long as the water is clean (and it is usually), I’m happy.
Super-​cool trick to avoid parking miles away and instead park only like 3 blocks away around the Shore Boulevard area: If one of those fancy mansions there is currently not close to being built yet (housed in wooden construction planks), there’s a 40%-57% chance that parking in front of it won’t net you a ticket, regardless of what the vague and stupid parking signs say. Ok, it’s not foolproof but it might save you 20 bucks on the overpriced Manhattan Beach parking garage. It worked for me … once and I’ve tried it once.
There’s a food stand here that I thought doubles as a shady welfare office during off hours, but the kicker is that the food costs more than an arm and a leg of poor quality –speaking from past experiences; or if the arm/​leg are washed ashore from the neighboring coney island beach –beach burn-​. And not only that, but I’ve tasted vomit of higher palate-​satisfying quality than the hamburgers at this particular concession stand/​welfare office. But alas, bring your own food or suffer doling out 5 bucks for a bottle of water.
Fond childhood memory: I caught crabs at this beach.
…hermit crabs hiding under the jetty rocks, that is. I took one home as a kid, put it in a faux fish tank and named it Hermie! It died soon after ;(.

This beach has the potential to be a gem, but sadly it has a long way to go before it can earn this title.
I visited for the first time on Monday 8÷26÷13 and based on what I saw and experienced, I would not go back until changes are made. The parking fee during weekdays is reasonable at $ 6/​day (on weekends and holidays it increases to $ 20/​day). The parking lot however was trashy. Empty drink cans and litter lined the fence that enclosed the lot and there were pockets of garbage and broken glass, along with weeds poking through the cement throughout the lot.
The sand on the beach looked pristine from a distance, but once I made my way toward the shore’s edge I noticed bits of broken glass, bottle tops, cigarette butts, small twigs and the occasional piece of paper and foil wrappers imbedded throughout the sand. It is a small beach area so it is not clear why the staff is not able to do a better job of clean-​up.
As for the water, it was definitely murky with the occasional plastic utensil floating to shore. I also learned after my visit that this beach tends to have a higher concentration of enterococci bacteria than say Coney/​Brighton Beach or the Rockaways (
). While Manhattan Beach’s higher levels are still acceptable for swimming, I am hitting my stop button for now as far as a return visit.
It is a pity that more is not done by the parks department as far as upkeep and cleanliness at this beach since it does have the potential to be as idyllic of a spot as one can get in NYC as far as a beach experience, especially for families (depth is fairly shallow and it was quiet and peaceful during my visit). I also wondered why the area residents have not done more to transform the beach and park areas here, particularly since the surrounding homes are some of the priciest in the area, but then again they are probably not frequenting this beach.

Located in south Brooklyn and within walking distance from Coney island beach you will find this small beach.
It’s small but it gets crowded and it’s also very clean and safe. Compared to coney island beach this is almost perfect.
Police officers from the nypd patrol here so it’s very safe, even though you get some rift rafts who venture over from coney island.
The beach itself is pretty clean for the most part, well except the restrooms, but that’s usually a given.
You also have a park where you can bbq, read a book or just relax.
They also have a small snack area where you can purchase dogs, burgers and drinks.
Parking is a pain, you can park in the lot for a fee but don’t park on the street unless your a resident. You will be ticketed and possibly towed. There are public transportation options such as the bus or subway.
If you do come to this beach please help keep it clean and don’t pee in the water.

This is my least favorite beach in NYC and Long Island. It is too dirty for me the day I went. It is small which is a plus. But too noisy and rowdy for me. I like quiet peaceful beaches. It is great for kids because on the way in you have the playgrounds and the picnic benches/​area. The concession stand was closed but there was an ice cream truck parked at the entrance so they had something to where you can get refreshments. I like it here only when it is less people and when they clean up the trash.

Very large run that is nothing special, but has potential.
Things it has going for it:
— Plenty of shade in summer
— Good fencing
— Large run
Things it has against it:
— No poop bags provided
— No separate large and small dog runs
— No water
— Dirt ground cover
— No double gate entry area
— No seating
— Don’t live locally… parking will be a pain since especially after May 15^th when you are not allowed to park on the main drag.
I have been to this park only once and I have to say this dog run is big by NYC standards… thats the only reason it got 2 stars in my opinion. There is nothing much to this run compared to others in NYC. Add a separate small dog run, bring in water, upgrade entry gates and add seating… this is a solid 3 star run. Upgrade ground cover and this could be a 4 star run.
Dog runs/​parks I have been to so far:

Ok… I’ll keep this as brief as possible.
You don’t come here to enjoy the wonderful clear blue water and piña coladas.
The little shop sells hotdogs burgers Budweiser and nachos chicken fingers n fries… All pretty sub par, and they have the nerve to close it down at 4 and ONLY take cash. Like honestly who doesn’t take cards in this day and age?
I won’t even discuss how criminal the price of parking is. I only go in the middle of the week, the two times I went this summer, I was fortunate to find street parking.
I recommend you get bottled soda, cups, ice, and sandwiches from a. Store. Don’t go for the overpriced food at the stand.
Just sneak your own beer and liquor but be mindful for the cops that consistently patrol. The last time I came here it was… Hmmm filthy, but a heat wave so I had no choice but to get into the water or sweat n die on the beach. People do tend to leave their garbage on the sand. Cups, tissues, diapers (oh my), various cutlery. The occasional pizza box… But if you go super early with the mission to tan like a rock star, I rather come here. Only because the beach is so freaking small. You can meet up with anyone and find them. There was a seaweed heaven in the water last time which was a bit displeasing, but as I said if you want to tan… Quietly, this could be your place, I plan on going to other beaches moving forward as something that I do not know bit me the hell up while I was on the beach and I haven’t the slightest idea what the hell it was.
So if you can put up with the ratcheness of this beach, be my guest and travel there… I’ll go to long island next time myself

Nice NYC beach within reach of public transportation. I like Rockaway, Coney and Brighton OK, but this place is much more family-​oriented and not as crowded. There’s no «scene» here, just people with their kids looking to have fun at the beach. Sure it’s not pristine but come on people, this is the city. You can’t expect a wildlife refuge.
Definitely bring your own food and drink even if it’s sandwiches in a cooler. The hot dogs, while not outrageous at $ 3 each, are nasty. And unless you want to pay $ 5 for Bud Light, BYO.
Parking costs $ 20 and there’s no street parking May-​September, so consider the Q and the B1 bus as an alternative. Still a quick trip from most of Brooklyn.

What a little slice of unexpected heaven!
I’m still a fan of the Rockaways, and Coney and Brighton have their «charm», so to speak (i.e. — large crowds, loud music, as much weed smoke as you can handle, and eventually unappealing overall bawdiness), but Manhattan Beach is in a category of its own.
Surprisingly easy to get to, it’s a hop, skip, and jump away from the Q train to the eastbound B1 bus. (A mere 90 minutes from my place in Washington Heights! HURRAY!) Walk through a playground and a picnic area with large families roasting hamburgers and marshmallows on charcoal grills, and you enter a very nice horseshoe shaped cove, punctuated by a rock jetty, blue waters sparkling with the Rockaways and Breezy Point across the bay. The sand isn’t perfect, but by New York City standards, it’s comparable to the freaking Hamptons.
It’s secluded in terms of it’s not connected to any other beaches; you’ve got a ways to walk westbound if you want to get to the boardwalks again. That’s part of the appeal to me, I feel: This isn’t a beach for tourists. This is a beach for locals. I like that. There were a few rabble-​rousers, but you’ll find that at any beach. I’ve found the crowd to be very pleasant and family-​oriented.
Note: BRING FOOD! They have a subpar concession stand with overpriced EVERYTHING, and the variety ain’t nones too good. Hamburger. Hot dog. Fries. Pretzels. Ice cream. Chicken fingers. Bud Light. All are marked up about 64 827 293 890 135 717 838 848% percent (rough estimate). A cooler full of iced cold water, fruit, sandwiches, chips, and a few brews is absolutely worth it.

2 – 3 stars. but I’m feeling in a 2 star mood on this one.
Manhattan Beach… I went here about 3 times in my life… I like it because I can be half naked in the blazing sun… but from my experience. it is dirty. Dirty and too rowdy for me. I’m a calm spirit and that beach has too much drama at times.
The sand is whatever… THE BATHROOMS!!! GOTTT DAMN!!! I might as well piss on the floor. The WATER!!! GOTT DAMN! as I stepped through the dry sand heading to the wet part. I looked up and as I looked up about 800 meters out I see 4 oil rigs just sitting there. WTF? The water was and is filthy! I’ll never go back here for this beach. If I do go back to Manhattan Beach for an event I will not be entering the water. If I’m hot I’ll go to the showers.

Trashy beach meaning lots of trash on the beach — broken glass, plastic bags, chicken bones and wrappers of all sorts — and it makes its way into the water everyone! Do you want to swim in trash? Some people don’t mind, but I do.
The water is dark, very dark. I wonder if people even go out far enough to piss.
Police patrol the area for alcohol, so beware.