Centerport Beach - New York

Address:Centerport, New York

Most people think "Hamptons", "Fire Island" or other South Shore spots when thinking of Long Island beaches, but for a different experience try the beaches of the North Shore. Centerport Beach, NY is a good place to start. Like other area beaches, Centerport is well maintained by the town, in this case the town of Huntington. Centerport Beach has lifeguards on duty until 8pm and there are plenty of places nearby to stock up on food. The beach and the surrounding Centerport Beach Park welcomes picnickers. There are plenty of picnic tables and benches and there are some nice shady areas, for those who prefer to sleep the picnic off under a tree. There are even electric outlets if you would like to plug in a coffeemaker. All this and clean restrooms does not come cheap. Non-residents can expect to pay a hefty fee for a day pass, good at all town beaches. .

Now that you may be convinced that Long Island's North Shore beaches offer a different but very enjoyable experience than the more popular South Shore beaches, lets discuss the differences, starting with the last Ice Age, which made it just beyond the North Shore leaving rocks and pebbles dragged all the way down from Canada. North Shore beaches are not the wide expanses of sand you find 10 miles to the south, expect smaller more rocky beaches on the North Shore. As far as the body of water – the South Shore looks out on the Atlantic Ocean and the faraway islands of the Caribbean. And the waves can build up for some pretty good surfing. The North Shore points towards Connecticut, visible on a clear day, so the waves kind of lap gently on the shores – great for swimming and for kids. Conclusion for New Yorkers – give New York's Centerport Beach on Long Island a shot one weekend, instead of Jones Beach.