Beach Days & Little Notes
5 NYC Beaches to Escape to This Summer — and the Scallop Card to Bring Along
There’s a certain kind of quiet you only find at the beach.
The city feels a little farther away. You sit in the sun, listen to the waves, feel the sand under your feet, and suddenly have time to notice the little things you usually miss.
This August, we’re taking that feeling with us.
From classic New York boardwalks to quieter stretches of sand, we’ve rounded up five beaches that make the perfect summer escape from the city. And because some beach days are worth remembering, we’re pairing each one with Scallop Card inspired by the colors, textures, and feeling of the sea.
Pick a beach. Pick a card. Make a little memory.
🌊 01. Rockaway Beach, Queens
For Surf, Sand & Summer Energy
If you want your beach day to feel unmistakably New York, start with Rockaway.
The long stretch of beach in Queens brings together everything you want from a summer day by the ocean: waves, surfers, a wide boardwalk, casual food spots, and plenty of room to find your own little corner of sand.
Rockaway is also home to NYC’s designated surfing areas, making it the city’s go-to beach for catching a wave.
Bring the Peach Scallop — bright, warm, and full of summer energy.
Getting there: Take the A train toward the Rockaways, or check current MTA service before heading out.
🎡 02. Coney Island, Brooklyn
For the Classic New York Summer
Coney Island is less about escaping New York and more about experiencing it in a completely different way.
There’s the beach, the ocean, the boardwalk, amusement park rides, and that unmistakable summer atmosphere. It’s colorful, nostalgic, a little chaotic — and still one of the easiest places to turn a simple beach trip into an entire day out.
Come for the sand. Stay for the boardwalk, the rides, and the golden light over the water.
Bring the Rose Scallop — warm, romantic, and a little nostalgic.
Getting there: The D, F, N and Q trains all serve the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue area.
NYC Parks — Coney Island Beach
☀️ 03. Jones Beach State Park, Long Island
For Long Walks & Wide Open Horizons
For a beach day that feels a little more like a getaway, head out to Jones Beach.
With miles of white sand and a long boardwalk stretching along the shore, Jones Beach is made for slow mornings, long walks, and watching the horizon without a skyscraper in sight.
One of our favorite ways to experience it? Arrive early, walk the boardwalk before the crowds build, and stay for the afternoon.
From Manhattan, you can take the LIRR to Freeport and connect to NICE’s seasonal n88X service to Jones Beach. Check the current seasonal schedule before you go.
Bring the Ivory Scallop — soft, natural, and inspired by sunlit dunes.
Jones Beach State Park — New York State Parks
NICE Bus — Jones Beach Service
🌾 04. Sandy Hook, New Jersey
For a Slower Kind of Beach Day
Sometimes you want to get away without going very far.
Sandy Hook feels different from the busier city beaches. Part of Gateway National Recreation Area, it combines beaches, dunes, trails, historic sites, and the 250-year-old Sandy Hook Lighthouse.
And getting there can be part of the fun.
During the 2026 beach season, Seastreak operates seasonal ferry service between Manhattan and Sandy Hook Beach. The ride takes you out of the city and onto the water before you even reach the sand.
Bring the Lavender Scallop — quiet, dreamy, and a little mysterious.
Sandy Hook — National Park Service
Seastreak — NYC to Sandy Hook Ferry
🌊 05. Orchard Beach, The Bronx
For an Easy Afternoon by the Water
Looking for something a little closer and calmer?
Orchard Beach sits inside Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx and offers a completely different kind of beach day. The water is calmer, the setting is more relaxed, and there’s plenty of space for a slow afternoon by the shore.
There’s also something new to see this summer: the historic Orchard Beach Pavilion reopened in May 2026 after a major restoration, bringing back one of the Bronx’s most recognizable waterfront landmarks.
Bring the Ivory Scallop — simple, soft, and easygoing.
🐚 A Little Note From the Sea
Nature was making beautiful things long before we ever picked up a brush.
That idea inspired our EARTH MADE Scallop Card series.
Each card captures the natural shape and texture of a real scallop shell, transformed into a small card made for your own words.
Four colors. Four moods. Four little pieces of summer.
Ivory Scallop
Soft ivory tones, rhythmic amber dots, and gentle radiating ridges.
Like sunlight stretching across the dunes at Jones Beach.
Rose Scallop
Warm tones and romantic depth.
Like the last golden light along the Coney Island boardwalk.
Lavender Scallop
Quiet, muted, and slightly mysterious.
Like Sandy Hook when the sun begins to disappear.
Peach Scallop
Warm, bright, and full of summer.
Like a long afternoon at Rockaway with nowhere else to be.
Each card is crafted from premium 310g paper and measures 10.2 × 10 cm. A translucent envelope lets the scallop silhouette peek through before the card is even opened.
✍️ Write It While You’re Still at the Beach
There’s something different about writing a note when you’re not sitting at a desk.
Maybe it’s the sound of the waves. Maybe it’s the sunlight. Or maybe it’s simply having nowhere else to be.
Slip a Scallop Card into a small ziplock bag with a pen before heading to the beach. When you find a quiet spot, write down whatever comes to mind — a favorite moment from the day, a message to someone you love, or simply the date and place you want to remember.
Mail it when you get home.
Or keep it for yourself.
Tuck it into a journal, a favorite book, or a drawer and let it become a tiny souvenir from one ordinary summer day.
Because sometimes the smallest things are the ones we keep.
🌊 Find Your Shore
Whether your perfect beach day means catching waves at Rockaway, riding the rides at Coney Island, walking the boardwalk at Jones Beach, watching the lighthouse at Sandy Hook, or simply sitting quietly at Orchard Beach, there’s a shoreline waiting for you.
Before You Go
NYC public beaches are open through September 13, 2026, and lifeguards are on duty daily from 10 AM to 6 PM during beach season. Swimming is only permitted when lifeguards are on duty. Beach conditions and closures can change, so check the official beach status before you leave.