New Yorkers Sunning Gotham-Style2

Summer is up and cities across the world have planted palm trees and trucked in tons of sand to urban riverfronts to create the feeling of a lazy day at the shore. Urban beaches are a hit and Momondo guides you to our favourites.

New York: Life's a Beach

Water Taxi Beach Photo: Isurusen

Sweaty metro stations, pungent garbage bags and steaming streets... welcome to summer in NYC! But before you follow the hoards down to the Hamptons, remember that you don't need to escape the city to, erm, escape the city. With more urban beaches than ever opening this summer, New Yorkers in the know will be staying put and sunning themselves Gotham-style. Here's where to join them...

South Street Seaport

The brand-new beach at South Street Seaport gives sweltering Manhantanites a place to cool down with a cocktail and a leisurely game of ping-pong. Big it ain't (think studio apartment filled with sand) but the downtown location and stellar views of Brooklyn Bridge mean it should be good for some buzzy summer nights.

Governor's Island

New York Water Taxi is the mastermind behind these new sandy spots, and they're set to open a new location on Governor's Island this July. This quaint, car-free island, which is just half a mile off the tip of Manhattan, can be reached by a free weekend ferry that leaves from South Street Pier. I feel a beach-crawl coming on!

Water Taxi Beach

If you don't mind heading a little further afield, the original (and argueably, the best) Water Taxi Beach is in Long Island City. Either take the shuttle boat or the 7 from midtown and you're all set for an evening of alfresco, beachside drinking, with the Manhattan skyline as your backdrop. Sweet.

Brighton Beach

For old-school seaside lovers who're after more space to sunbathe, take the Q train down to Brooklyn's Brighton Beach for unbeatable paddling opportunities. While local Eastern European teens spar by the water's edge, you're free to doze off in the sun to the sound of the seabirds, wondering how it's possible that you're still in New York City.

Gowanus Yacht Club

If, however, you're such an committed city-dweller that even urban beaches bring you out in a rash, there's still a place where you can sample New York's beach-life safe in the heart of landlocked Brooklyn. The Gowanus Yacht Club (ironically named after the local canal, which in days gone by was famed as a mafia body dump) is hipster heaven: a nautical themed sanctuary from the New York heat, where you can chow down on bbqed dogs and burgers, safe in the knowledge that you're not going to get sand in your cut-price cocktail.

Go Further:

Beach Life in Stockholm

Beach Life in Amsterdam

Beach Life in London

Beach life in Copenhagen