There are other beaches in New York, but this is the finest that I have been to that is also accessible without a car.
How to get there (from Manhattan or Queens, via Long Island Rail Road--all you gas guzzlers, consult mapquest): Take the Long Beach train from Penn station or Jamaica. The city of Long Beach is the last stop on the Long Beach line. When the train stops, follow the swim-suit clad crowd to the boardwalk, just a ten minute walk away. Tickets are approximately $13 or $14 round-trip for adults during off-peak times. For children, I can't remember exact price, but they're quite cheap. Trains leave to and from the city hourly, and take approximately an hour to reach Long Beach from Penn Station. Look at the
MTA website for more clear details...
Cost: Admission to the beach is approximately $10 for the day. Pay admission at any of the little kiosks along the entrance ramps to the beach. Summer passes are available in the park/recreation district building along the boardwalk. Take a look at the
City of Long Beach website for more details.
Description: The crowds here aren't as rowdy as at some other NY beaches, and the sand is fine and soft. The length/breadth of beach itself is seemingly limitless; I have walked for hours along it and never hit an end. There are ice cream vendors along the boardwalk.
Other things to do in the area: Although Long Beach looks like a cute town, if you're on foot, you won't see much of it between the train station and the beach. However, you'll probably be looking for someplace to eat during your time there. There are a few restaurants near the train station. Wandering around, you'll find a
Burger King, a
Chinese Restaurant, and a
Duncan Donuts all nearby. There's also a grocery store on the corner, across the intersection from the train station.
The place I always go for lunch/dinner is a little Italian eatery, easily identified by a black awning (this place has no name, as far as I can tell) and a couple picnic tables outside their doors. You can locate this restaurant by crossing the street outside the train station and turning right at the grocery store on the corner. It's on the left hand side. This may sound vague, but you don't have to walk far to find it, as it's less than a block away. The salad bowls are good, as is the pizza itself (available by the slice). Order in the front, and carry your food to the back to eat.
Walk further down the street from the pizza place, and on the right hand side you'll find a
Starbucks, about one block from the train station. However, if you're looking for a decent
bathroom, I recommend the pizza place. The bathroom at that particular Starbucks could win awards for its indecency, and of course, bathrooms on the beach are never clean.