Cedar Beach

Cedar Beach sprawls along the Atlantic with a kind of bracing, blue-collar charm that feels quintessentially Long Island. The sand here is soft, the dunes wild, and the soundtrack alternates between crashing waves and the thump of live music drifting from the Salt Shack grill. Volleyball nets stand ready for impromptu matches, and there's always a salty breeze that keeps the crowds from getting too thick—unless you show up on a summer weekend, when families, locals, and city escapees all unfurl towels side by side. The parking might sting your wallet, but it's the price of relative tranquility compared to the packed mobs at Jones Beach or Robert Moses. Birdwatchers, kite surfers, and sunset hunters each carve out their territory. The grill’s cold drinks and nightly summer bands inject the place with a celebratory energy: part beach club, part local haunt. Cedar Beach acts as an informal bridge between Long Island regulars and day-trippers from the city—a breezy meeting ground for all stripes of New York beachgoer.