Brighton Beach

Brighton Beach is a popular sand beach facing the Atlantic Ocean that's part of Coney Island Beach. Its a New York City beach and as such it is managed by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. There are lifeguards. They are New York City lifeguards and wear orange. There is wheelchair beach access. The group Coney Island Open Water Swimmers (CIBBOWS) congregates behind the chair at Brighton 4. The chair is informally called Grimaldo's chair after a lifeguard who passed away due to cancer several years ago. CIBBOWS is a fun group and they do activities in the water in addition to group swims. If there's any current, it will be minimal. There are no waves to speak of. It's a wonderful swimming beach. Brighton Beach is easy to get to. On weekends take the Q subway to the Brighton stop. Upon getting off the Q look for the Home Made Cooking Cafe storel It sells the greasy fried dough pirozhok on the sidewalk. You may also drive there but one would imagine the parking lots fill up very early. There are bathrooms. If you are wet when you get on the train, you may freeze from the A/C. You're a short walk or swim to Coney Island. The location is for Grimaldo's Chair, but Brighton Beach is quite wide. The area is not pristine. On a hot summer weekend it will be crowded. If you like people watching and hearing lots of different languages (though mostly Russian) you'll like it. If you are looking for an empty beach this is not for you. There are many eating options. Roving vendors will try to sell you stuff on the beach. There are upscale Russian restaurants along the beach. And you can walk a short distance to the main drag (Brighton Beach Avenue) or to Coney Island Beach for many more choices. Power craft may come very close to the swimming area. The lifeguards try to warn them off with whistles and handwaving but that's all they can do. It is advisable to tow a pull buoy if you are going for a long swim a good distance from the beach. This will identify you as a serious swimmer to the lifeguards who then will not bother you.