1. Rockaway Beach, Queens   Watch the longboarders catch some of New York’s best waves at this surfers delight.  Close to the city, Rockaway Beach Park offers a quick get-away.  Free admission.  A to Broad Channel then S to Rockaway Park-Beach 116th St. 
2. Jones Beach State Park, NY   If you don’t want to wade in the surf of this 6.5 mile beach, try the calmer bay beach or one of the two pools.  Summer concerts in the outdoor amphitheater.  $8/day, LIRR to Freeport then JB62 to Jones Beach.   
3. Long Beach, NY   A few years ago, on my first trip to Long Beach, I exclaimed “I feel like I’m in California!”  Located on the Atlantic Ocean, the town of Long Beach has a great laid back beach vibe and  enough white sand that will make you feel like you’re in Hermosa Beach, California.  $6/day, LIRR to Long Beach 
4. Brighton Beach and Coney Island, Brooklyn   The neighboring communities of multi-ethnic Brighton Beach and all-American Coney Island have a little something for everybody.   Russian and Ukraine eateries line the boardwalk of Brighton Beach while you can get a Nathan’s Hot Dog in Coney Island.  B, Q to Brighton Beach. 
5. Spring Lake, NJ   So quaint, this town deserved its own post earlier in the month.  Located just two hours south of New York on the Jersey shore, this idyllic stretch of white beach is the longest non-commercial Boardwalk in New Jersey.  Private beach, but hotels and B&Bs have passes for guests.  Jersey Transit to Spring Lake.  
6. Atlantic City, NJ   The classic South Jersey getaway, A.C. has undergone a transformation, of sorts.  You can’t help but think of the glorydays of Atlantic City when you walk wooden boardwalk.  Frequent bus departures from Port Authority on Academy Bus Lines and Greyhound Bus Line.
7. Great Kills Park, Staten Island   A great swimming beach, nature trails, fishing, and a marina with a public boat launch comprise this Staten Island recreation getaway.  S78 from Staten Island Ferry Terminal. 
8. Ocean Beach, NY   One of the most happening towns on Fire Island, Ocean Park is one step below the Hamptons.  LIRR to Bayshore then water taxi to Ocean Beach.  
9. Orchard Beach, Bronx   This man-made beach neighbors the forest and marshland of Pelham Bay.  Walk the promenade or catch one of the free concerts that take place throughout the summer.   Bus: Bx12, Bx29, Bx5, Bx52
10. Hampton Main Beach, NY  Located in East Hampton and nestled between other notable beaches, Main Beach has long had the reputation for being the best of the bunch.  Click here for transportation option to the Hamptons.

Photo credit (top to bottom): Rockaway Beach, flickr; surfer at Long Beach, flickr; Spring Lake boardwalk, personal collection; Atlantic City boardwalk, flickr; Main Beach, flickr

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

1. “New York City Rhythm” Barry Manilow
2. “City of Blinding Light” U2
3. “I Love New York” Madonna
4. “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” Beastie Boys
5. “Christmas in Hollis” Run DMC
6. “New York State of Mind” Billy Joel
7. “Take the ‘A’ Train” Duke Ellington
8. “Autumn in New York” Ella Fitzgerald
9. “Bleecker Street” Simon & Garfunkel
10. “Theme from New York, New York” Frank Sinatra

Do you love this playlist?  Click here to download this iMix playlist or each individual song at iTunes (iTunes required). 

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

New York City is known as one of the priciest cities in the world, but there is a huge selection of fun activities that don’t cost a thing!  Here is a list of 10 free finds in the city– in no particular order.

1. Staten Island Ferry  Why pay for a harbor cruise when you can do like the New Yorkers and take the Staten Island Ferry. 
2. Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology  While The Metropolitan Museum of Art may charge an arm and a leg, this hip joint is always free.
3. New York Public Library  Branches all over the city offer free author readings, art exhibits, Internet, and film screenings.  Or just relax and enjoy the ambiance in The Rose Room at the Main Branch.
4. Attend a T.V. taping  New York isn’t Hollywood, but it still has its share shows taped in the city.  The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, The View, Saturday Night Live, and Live with Regis and Kelly, just to name a few.
5. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge  See the bridge up close and check out amazing views of Lower Manhattan.       
6. Central Park  This 843 acre park is the crown jewel in the sometimes-hectic city.  Take a stroll by Turtle Pond, Strawberry Fields, Bethesda Fountain, or join a game of Frisbee at The Great Lawn.
7. Take a tour with a Big Apple Greeter  Explore New York’s unique neighborhoods with your very own local tour guide, a “real” New Yorker.  Two hour tours are free and there is a “no tipping” policy.
8. Go to church Check out the architecture of St Patrick’s Cathedral or head out to Brooklyn for a Sunday gospel service at Abyssinian Baptist Church.
9. Visit art galleries  Stop by one of the over one hundred art galleries in Chelsea for some of the most avant-garde art ever seen.   
10. The New York City Downtown Public Boathouse  Free kayaking and other activities are offered.  You need only to know how to swim.

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

1. January 1, 2007 brought Elliott Spitzer’s inauguration as Governor of New York. Nine months later, Spitzer found himself in the middle of the immigration debate by issuing an executive order directing that New York State allow illegal aliens to be issued driver’s licenses. The State Senate overwhelmingly voted to oppose the plan leading Spitzer to seriously backtrack.
2. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New York State Senator Hillary Clinton announced they were running for President and are considered by many to be the front runners for their respective parties.
3. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad brings his comedy act to Columbia University. He generated some serious conversations on free speech and provided the American public with unforgettable sound-bites. Everyone’s favorite seems to be his claim that there are no gays in Iran.
4. The Mitchell Report brings shame to Yankees, Mets by naming names. Two of the biggest names are Yankee “greats” Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens. Pettite has since admit to using HGH (human growth hormone) while Clemens is still in denial.
5. Broadway strike, WGA strike cripple the entertainment industry in New York. The Broadway strike lasted nineteen days and and cost the city an estimated $38 million. The Writers Guild is entering its second month and production of many shows, including Saturday Night Live, has shut down. Just last week, late-night host Conan O’Brien announced he will return to television sans-writers on Jan 2 while Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart are set to return on Jan 7.
6. A-Rod’s new nickname becomes Stray-Rod when photos of Alex Rodriguez and a peroxide-loving blonde stripper (not his wife) hit the front page of the New York Post this past May.
7. Just months after Isiah Thomas was signed to and a multi-year contract for an “undisclosed amount,” Madison Square Garden settled a sexual harassment suit, brought by a former Knicks exec against Thomas, for $11.6 million.
8. It is the end of an era when Joe Torre hands in his pinstripes and heads west to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers. I don’t blame him, after George Steinbrenner threatened Torre with a firing then offered a one-year contract. We will miss you, Joe.
9. A tornado hits Brooklyn. It was the first tornado to land in Brooklyn and the sixth to hit New York City since the weather service began keeping records in 1960. Which brings me to number ten…
10. Al Gore catches the attention of New Yorkers and makes Chinatown waterfront property. Sure, An Inconvenient Truth was released in 2006, but it wasn’t until this year that the vast majority of New Yorkers heeded the warning of global warming.

What a year New York has had! Next year is sure to be just as exciting in “The City That Never Sleeps.”

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Post from: The New York City Traveler