Best Beaches In & Near Staten Island

By The Beach Guide | Last Updated: March 1, 2022

Contents

Jacob Riis Park Beach
Coney Island Beach
South Beach (Staten Island)
Gunnison Beach
Brighton Beach
Rockaway Beach
Asbury Park
Orchard Beach
Jones Beach
Staten Island beaches map

Map featuring Staten Island beaches. Click on pins to view beach details

1. Jacob Riis Park Beach

Steven Pisano

Travel time from Staten Island: approx 0.5 hrs

Jacob Riis Park Beach makes up the westernmost part of the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. Named after the social journalist who urged the city authorities to purchase the land to create a public park and beach, its long length of sand is dotted with original art deco structures from the 1920s and 30s, including the bathhouse (bath pavilion).
The beach's northern end is paralleled by a 140 foot wide concrete boardwalk… read more »
2. Coney Island Beach

Travel time from Staten Island: approx 0.5 hrs

Brooklyn's iconic seafront is home to a generous stretch of sand backed by a boardwalk and vast array of amusements. This is the beach people instantly think about when you mention NYC beaches, and judging by the summer crowds it is the one they go to as well!
Only marginally less busy than nearby Rockaway, Coney Island beach is guaranteed to be jam-packed when the mercury hits the red. And… read more »
3. South Beach (Staten Island)

Tommy Miles

Travel time from Staten Island: approx 0.5 hrs

With beautiful views back towards Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, South Beach is a long stretch of sand where Upper Bay opens out into Gravesend Bay. Its northeast end – closest to the bridge, is edged by Battery Hudson historic landmark and the Camp Gateway campground, while its opposite end runs into Midland Beach without a break. The Franklin D Roosevelt boardwalk and bike path follows its entire 1.5 mile length.
South Beach is… read more »
4. Gunnison Beach

Richard Arthur Norton

Travel time from Staten Island: approx 0.5 hrs

Washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Gunnison Beach is a beach that is difficult to fault. It is situated within Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District, part of Gateway National Recreation Area. Its views include those of Verrazano Narrows Bridge, connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn, New York. During the summer months there are even direct ferry services between Manhattan and Gunnison Beach, making it… read more »
5. Brighton Beach

© Gianni Carco

Travel time from Staten Island: approx 0.5 hrs

The easternmost portion of Coney Island Beach, Brighton Beach is located close to Luna Park amusement park and the New York Aquarium. Partially sheltered by the tip of Long Beach to the south, it is sometimes known as 'Little Odessa' because of historic immigration to the area from Russian-speaking Europe.
Part of the Borough of Brooklyn, Brighton Beach is at its busiest on summer weekends, when New Yorkers make use of… read more »
6. Rockaway Beach

Shinya Suzuki

Travel time from Staten Island: approx 0.5 hrs

Long Island's Rockaway Beach stretches along the Jamaica Bay oceanfront a short distance from the take offs and landings of JFK Airport. Forming the southernmost parts of the Borough of Queens, it holds the record for being the largest urban beach in the United States.
Sometimes called the 'Irish Riviera' because of the number of residents in the neighbourhood with ancestors back on the Emerald Isle, Rockaway Beach had to undergo… read more »
7. Asbury Park

Fred170

Travel time from Staten Island: approx 1 hr

Hitting its heyday in the 1920s, Asbury Park Beach in New Jersey remains an attractive proposition for those seeking out a day beside the Atlantic Ocean waves. Rated as one of the state's top beaches, in more recent times it has had some allure with the surfing community, while still drawing in those looking to relax on a wide expanse of clean sand.
There are plenty of places to eat and… read more »
8. Orchard Beach

Bebo2good1

Travel time from Staten Island: approx 1 hr

A lovely broad stretch of clean sand, Orchard Beach edges Pelham Bay for a length of well over a mile. Brought to a definitive stop at either end of the bay by stone seawalls, it faces out towards Long Island from the East Bronx on Long Island Sound.
Part of Pelham Bay Park, the beach is subdivided into 13 sections backed by a paved promenade spotted with food stores and other… read more »
9. Jones Beach

thelittleone417

Travel time from Staten Island: approx 1 hr

This six mile white sand beach faces out into the Atlantic Ocean from the chain of islands that form the southern extent of New York's Long Island. Although one of the most popular and most visited beaches in the region, its size helps to ensure it never feels overly crowded, even on busy summer days.
Named after a seventeenth-century militiaman, Jones Beach includes a two mile boardwalk and an outdoor concert… read more »