MWA's Biweekly Guide to the Area's Best Waterfront Spots

It's no secret that the coastlines of New York and New Jersey have become generally much cleaner and more accessible -- but many people don't know how to get to the new waterfront parks, paths and piers that have opened in recent years. Likewise, some of the area's long-established waterfronts remain elusive to visitors. WaterWire to the rescue! Read on, and make this the summer that you discover more of this urban archipelago's beautiful shoreline.
(For previous Waterfront Day Trips, click here.)

Day Trip #7

Sandy Hook: A glorious beach within reach of NYC

It's a sweltering summer day in the city, the perfect day to get away to the beach. Imagine the refreshing waves, the breeze, sand castles, a picnic, a good book.

New Yorkers, this can be yours! Pack your towels, your sunscreen and your frisbee and head for East 35th Street or Pier 11 at the foot of Wall Street. This summer, two ferry companies -- Seastreak and American Princess -- are offering easy trips, both about $35 round trip, from these piers to beautiful Sandy Hook, New Jersey.

Located at the entrance to New York Harbor, Sandy Hook is part of Gateway National Recreation Area (see story and map above), a beautiful trio of harbor districts under the auspices of the National Park Service.

Getting there is half the fun. The ferry trip takes about 45 minutes: down the East River, through Buttermilk Channel where you can often get an close-up view of the Queen Mary 2 docked at the Red Hook piers; then across New York Harbor, passing tankers at rest; under the magnificent Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and on to Sandy Hook.

On your way to the beach, you can explore the Sandy Hook Light (first lit in 1764, it is the oldest operating lighthouse in the United States); go birdwatching (part of a major migration path, Sandy Hook attracts more than 300 bird species and more than 50 species of butterflies. Click here for information about New Jersey Audubon's Sandy Hook Bird Observatory), amble around Fort Hancock or take a missile tour.

Still occupied by the U.S. Coast Guard, Sandy Hook has always been an important site for defense of New York City. The earliest fortifications were built by the British in 1776. By the War of 1812, American forces held Sandy Hook and for the next 150 years -- until 1974, when the Nike Air Defense system was deactivated -- the men and women of Fort Hancock guarded the Harbor. Reminiscent of the historic buildings on Governors Island, the Fort Hancock Historic District features Officers' Row, a slightly eerie group of three-story houses occupied only by nesting ospreys, the Battery Potter, the country's first disappearing gun battery; and remnants of generations of fortifications.

There's so much to see and do, you're in danger of never getting to the beach! Better take the early ferry. At Sandy Hook, lifeguards are on duty from 10am to 6pm. Picnics are a great idea; otherwise, basic beach food like hot dogs, fries and ice cream are available at concession stands at Beach Area B, C, D, E, Gunnison and North Beach. The Sea Gull's Nest Restaurant is at Beach Area D.

At left, the line at 4pm at Sandy Hook to board the ferry to go back to New York.

All photos by Robert Simko except top photo.
Map courtesy of the National Park Service