Jacob Riis Park (Gateway National Recreation Area) — Attraction in New York

Wow. This place has changed for the worse. Very busy and crowded day on July 4 this year. Generally, this isn't a problem as there is plenty of parking and beach front. Haven't been here in a few years so was surprised that parts of the beach are still off-limits which means you get squeezed into a tiny area with thousands of other folks. Only two life guard stations the entire day. Minus one star for that. Parking was mayhem and not even half full by the time we got there around 1pm but mayhem nonetheless. If you see a parking attendant trying to lure you into an empty lane on a busy day, do not go through that lane unless you have your ticket printed out. If the other lanes are long, that means they are accepting payment with your credit card. Today, that was the right two lanes. No cash payments allowed. Why introduce an online parking system in an area with no WiFi, ticket kiosks or cellular service for our mobile devices? And when you pay online there's no way to indicate you paid with a license plate number like at an airport parking lot. How would they know I paid unless I printed my receipt? The honor system? Fat chance! Minus another star for that. My friends thought I was overly concerned but I wasn't taking any chances. Thank goodness we walked back to the ticket booths where a really nice parking attendant let us pay with a credit card. And I'm glad we did as there were tow trucks towing cars parked in illegal spots and cops ticketing cars. There are small signs warning you but I can see how people may make that mistake as the painted yellow lines have faded beyond recognition. They must have made a killing today in fines. Wish there were more services and food options. At least they put a few port-o-potties around. That's new. The burgers joint is great but you will wait almost an hour in line on a busy day like today. Even the ice cream truck had a 15-30 minute wait. Bring your own...

In some perspective, the beaches at Riis are probably among the finest in the world: the sand is perfect & the water is cold. However, if you prefer clear blue water, not for you - the Atlantic around here has rarely been clear, and foam, dead bugs and minor garbage can appear with the tides, especially after a rainstorm. But that doesn't stop the beaches from being packed on Holidays and weekends. Paid parking is nearby, and public transit is accessible, Restrooms are available and life guards are prevalent, but the concessions have been closed at the bathhouse (classic building with the two spires) for eventual repairs, leaving only the Dropout and three smaller stations to provide specific food and drinks. The Two Dudes (I think that's the name) by Bay 1 (traditionally the LGBTQ-centric area by the probably haunted abandoned hospital) serves standard fare and could make a killing as the only game in the area, plus you can rent chairs, umbrellas and order food to your setup with LIDO (see qr code pic). Wise Clock is very good for brunch items, a bit pricey, but selective in what they sell (people have come by for soda or Gatorade which they do not sell). The Dropout is the main concession area with ice cream, raw bar, standard fare, and alcohol like frozens, mixers and beer, but you can't leave the area with the drinks. Riis does have nude bathing areas, as does neighboring Fort Tilden beaches, which are not life guarded. Worth noting that Riis and Fort Tilden are Federally-managed, not wholly NYC...

I spent a day at the park on Labor Day 2020. It is a large park managed by the National Park Services. It is modestly maintained and has the appearance of decline. The last time I visited this park was a few years ago.

The parking was adequate, with a reasonable fee of $10. The beach was very crowded, with many people not observing social distancing. I also watched several people going inside the men's room, not wearing masks.

The park has a large picnic area, but it is, in my opinion, a little far from the beach and does not have sufficient picnic tables or covered zones to protect from rain or harsh sun lights.

There were no garbage containers on the beach. A few garbage receptacles were on the boardwalk, but most of them were overfilled.

The beach water was filthy. It has lots of debris and seaweeds floating everywhere.

There are some playgrounds but were not sure if they were open to the public at the time of my visit.

Thee were several vendors on the beach selling "Icee" ice cream and others offering liquors. None of the vendors displayed a vendor license and there were no apparent enforcement effort to check them out.

If you are looking for a better experience at the beach, I recommend Jones Beach or...