Brooklyn's Best Beaches and Pools: A Guide

Beaches

Coney Island – Look no further for outlandish 4th of July celebrations. Events include the 79th annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, the Coney Island Circus Sideshow (runs from 1 to 8 p.m., $10 for adults and $5 for kids) and fireworks extravaganza (starts at 9 p.m.). Check out Friday Night Fireworks on July 5, too (starts at 9:30 p.m.). Take the Q, D or F train.

Jacob Riis Park – Situated on the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, Riis Park has a historic ocean beach and bathhouse, as well as a snack bar. There's a large parking lot for a fee and is also accessible by the brand-new NYC Beach Bus ($12 r/t) leaving from the Barclays Center. There's also a New York Beach Ferry from Pier 11 on Wall Street. For those in Williamsburg and Queens, there's also Rockabus ($15 r/t) as well as the Q35 and Q22 buses.  

Rockaway Beach – Once an under-the-radar secret of NYC surfers and beach aficionados, the open-ocean strip has fantastic waves and is subway accessible. But a few years ago it was discovered by the Williamsburg hipster crowd, and by 2011 its boardwalk attained the title of "the new Bedford Avenue" lined with shops serving up quinoa black-bean burgers and rice-milk smoothies." It was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy, but more than enough of Rockaway Beach's amenities have been restored. You can get there on the A train, or via the the brand-new NYC Beach Bus ($12 r/t) leaving from the Barclays Center. There's also a New York Beach Ferry from Pier 11 on Wall Street. For those in Williamsburg and Queens, there's also Rockabus ($15 r/t) as well as the Q35 and Q22 buses.  

Manhattan Beach – This small beach on the edge of Brooklyn is bookended by playgrounds and boasts two baseball diamonds as well as tennis, volleyball, basketball and handball courts. The gentle waves, short walk to the ocean and small size make it a good choice for young children. Take the B49 bus.

Brighton Beach – Located in the neighborhood of Little Odessa, Brighton Beach has a boardwalk, ocean-facing restaurants (check out Volna) and nightclubs. Take the Q or, on weekdays, the B train to Brighton Beach Avenue.

Long Beach – About an hour's LIRR trip from Atlantic Avenue-Barclay Center, Long Beach is the easiest Long Island beach to get to from Brooklyn. But it's not cheap. The LIRR Long Beach package costs $22 and includes round-trip train fare plus admission to the beach, a significant discount. 

Pools 

Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a break for pool cleaning between 3 and 4 p.m. We've listed them here in order of preference (ours). Care to differ? Let us know in the comments.

McCarren Park Pool – This 37,950-square-foot pool in Greenpoint has a wading area, sprinklers, a sand volleyball court and locker rooms. 475 Lorimer Street between Bayard Street and Driggs Avenue (take the G to Nassau Avenue). For entry, you must arrive in swim gear.

Red Hook Pool. This one is a major hike, so we didn't include it in the list. But you can take the bus there (the B63 to the B61), at 330' x 130' x 4', it's absolutely enormous, and people love it. (718) 722-3211.

Sunset Park Pool. Located in Sunset Park on Seventh Avenue between 41st and 44th Streets, this pool is because it is HUGE, olympic sized: 259' x 162' x 3.5', and an easy subway trip (though a good 10-minute walk when you arrive). (718) 965-6578. Hop the Brooklyn-bound R train to the 45th Street station or the D train (from the Atlantic-Pacific station) to 9th Avenue. 

The Double D – This 75’ x 60’ x 3’ historic pool, built in the early 1970s, still flows at the Thomas Greene playground at Third Avenue and Nevins Street – as does a kiddie pool.

The Clermont Pool – For those trying to avoid the crowds, this kids-only pool is smallish: 40’ x 20’ x 3’. P.S. 20/Parnham Playground, 225 Adelphi St. at Willoughby.

Kosciuszko Pool – This Bed-Stuy pool is massive at 230’ x 100’ x 4’. The facilities also include a kiddie pool and locker rooms. Located on Marcy Avenue between DeKalb and Kosciuszko (take the B38 up Lafayette Avenue or the G to Myrtle-Willoughby).

Commodore Barry Park Pool – Located at Commodore Barry Park, this one is fairly large (75’ x 60’ x 3’) and has a separate kiddie pool. From July 4 to 7, the park will hold the International African Arts Festival featuring musical performances and fashion. Between Flushing and Park Avenues, and Navy and North Elliot Streets. 

Amy Sara Clark contributed to this report.