Spray Showers In City Parks

Tons of city parks and playgrounds have spray showers, which are a great and easy way to let your kids cool down and let loose in the summer sun. For a list of the spray showers nearest you, click here.

Fishing

Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn: A great destination for off-shore fishing, Sheepshead Bay has a fleet of around 50 boats for rent; prices range from $24-40.

Steeplechase Pier, Coney Island: If you’d like to keep your feet on land, head to Coney Island, home to a diverse array of fish all year. If the fish aren’t biting, Nathan’s hot dogs make for a tasty Plan B.

Don’t Forget! If you and your family are first-time fishers, study up on New York fishing regulations before you hit the shores.

Kayaking

The Downtown Boathouse: Begin your free kayaking adventure from one of the Downtown Boathouse’s three locations (Pier 40, Pier 96 and 72^nd Street.) Free lessons are provided on Wednesday nights for first-timers.

Manhattan Kayak Company: Located on Pier 66, this school offers safe kayak instruction, a wide variety of tours and even off-season storage. Tours vary in level of difficulty and range; prices range from $35-$225.

The New York Kayak Company: Another great option for kayak beginners, The New York Kayak Company sells apparel and gear (as well as lessons and tours) at its Pier 40 location. Looking for a challenge? Try a stand-up paddle board class.

Boating

Circle Line Sightseeing: Hop on The Beast Speedboat Ride for an exciting 30-minute trip through the New York Harbor. You’ll fly by skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty at a whopping 45 miles per hour!

New York Water Taxi: For something a bit more relaxing, New York Water Taxi offers a variety of sightseeing cruises, including the Audubon eco-cruise and the hop-on/hop-off boat.

Staten Island Ferry: The ferry’s breezy, 25-minute trip across the harbor will get you great photos of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Lower Manhattan, and it won’t cost you a penny!

Sailing

Blessing Of The Fleet And Opening Day In New York Harbor: This Friday (6/4), watch hundreds of white-sailed vessels pass by and receive an official blessing as a start to the sailing season! (6:30-7:30 p.m., North Cove, Battery Park). Then, on Saturday (6/5), watch a fleet of up to 100 sailboats and yachts head past the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River, sporting festive flags and competing for various prizes! (1 p.m.-4 p.m., in and around NY Harbor and the Hudson River).

Offshore Sailing School: Offshore Sailing offers lessons (a two-hour excursion on the water) and courses (a 3-5 day course to get your sailing certification) from Chelsea Piers.

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater: Learn about the Hudson River’s eco-system, enjoy the water, and listen to music on a three-hour public sail.

Beaches

It goes without saying, there’s nothing like the beach—especially right now! These local beaches are all within an hour of the city and are reachable by car or train:

Jacob Riis Park, Queens. Jones Beach but closer. This beach-park offers a mile-long stretch of surf kids can swim in, plus ball courts, miniature golf, a boardwalk, a playground, and public grills. 718-318-4300.

Midland Beach, Staten Island. This beach is great for swimming and boasts concession stands, a playground, and the Sea Turtle Fountain, which has sprinklers kids can run around in. It’s also close to South Beach, which is popular for its boardwalk. 718-987-0709.

Sandy Hook, NJ.  Only a 40-minute ferry ride from Wall Street, this beautiful, well-kept beach-park includes seven miles of ocean beaches, salt marshes, and hiking trails. If your family enjoys historical sites, visit the oldest surviving lighthouse in the United States, Sandy Hook Lighthouse, which can be visited on weekends from noon to 5 p.m. Also, be sure to bring your bikes and take advantage of Sandy Hook’s amazing bike trails. 732-872-5970, sandy-hook.com. For ferry info: seastreak.com.

Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn. Going east, first comes Coney, then Brighton, then Manhattan Beach, which adjoins a community of private homes. There’s basketball courts, paddle ball, tennis, a great beach shaped like a half-moon, and a big public parking lot (get there early to claim your spot!).

Brighton Beach and Coney Island. They share the same beach and boardwalk.  Brighton has the infusion of Russian culture and restaurants. Coney has, in case you haven’t heard, rides, circus, Nathan’s, minor league baseball, and the aquarium. Whichever one you land at, it’s easy to visit the other.

Water Taxi Beach at Long Island City, Queens. Across from Manhattan, there are concessions and volleyball during the day, and dance parties at night. A great view, a great place for a family picnic.

Orchard Beach, Bronx. Once heralded as New York’s “Riviera,” it’s still quite a gem, with playgrounds, picnic areas, and more than two dozen sports courts—and a nice big and long beach front.

Long Beach, Long Island. Not to be confused with Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore,  Long Beach on Long Island is a year-round home to some, a great summer day to others. It has a Jersey Shore town’s mix of commercial stores and restaurants and club, with a heavy infusion of city cool and artiness. And a great  beach.

Jones Beach, Long Island. Hugely popular, lots of concessions,  public swimming pools,  a performance venue for night concerts, basketball, tennis, shuffle board, mini-golf, picnic areas, rustic hiking—but the crown jewel, of course, is the big beach and delicious ocean.

Public Pools
For a complete list of NYC public pools in all five boroughs, click here.