The sky is ablaze with orange and pink, but not everyone at Tobay Beach in Massapequa has stopped to take photos of the setting sun. Children are splashing around in the bay water; their families sitting in the sand nearby, watching, chatting and eating. Their conversation is somewhat muted by live music echoing from The Boatyard, a restaurant footsteps from the sand.
A cover band plays popular songs ranging in genre on a stage looking down on an open-air dance floor where people like Michele Harrington, 49, a speech language pathologist from Seaford, regularly congregate during the summer. "Any night there are no clouds is the best night to go down," says Harrington, who prefers when '90s bands play. The sunset view at The Boatyard "is the best sunset on Long Island, hands down," she boasts.
Local beaches offer visitors more than just surf and sand. Some feature eateries, live music, playgrounds and spray parks to keep beachgoers entertained day-into-night. Although town beaches are only open to residents during the day, come the evening, many parking rules end, the lifeguards are off duty and all residents are welcome to enjoy the amenities.
That sunset Harrington chases is also a major draw for shutterbugs and selfie snappers to come to the beach after hours. John Tarantino, 59, a funeral home administrator from Middle Island, notes he heads to Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai "usually about four or five times a week," to watch the daylight fade away.
Here are five Long Island beaches open to all once the sun sets:
Tobay Beach
1 Ocean Pkwy., Massapequa
Gisele Leib and Robyn Soberg enjoy food after the beach at The Boat Yard at Tobay Beach in Massapequa. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
SCENE: The Boatyard has a short row of concession-style kiosks serving a variety of food. There’s also a large bar and an elevated stage where bands play and a dedicated dance floor. Adult beverages include beer, wine, cocktails and frozen drinks. Outside is a second restaurant dubbed the Surf Shack flip-flop Coastal Kitchen with dining and a bar. People can also set up chairs and blankets along the bay. Food and drinks can be brought to seats on the sand.
ENTERTAINMENT: Live music starts around 7 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and at 4:30 p.m. Sundays
Mole Poblano chicken tacos with roasted chicken, pico de gallo, seasoned crema and toasted sesame seeds at The Boat Yard in Tobay Beach, Massapequa. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
FUN AMENITIES: The bay beach at Tobay is open to all ages and visitors are allowed to hang there after dusk. There’s a playground and a sprinkler park, which is turned off by 5 p.m., but kids are allowed to continue to climb the obstacles. The Boatyard is open to all ages for dining until 7 p.m., but it then goes 21-and-over and costs $10 to enter for nonresidents. Town of Oyster Bay residents are admitted free.
Swimmers in the water at Tobay Beach. Credit: Howard Simmons
PARKING: Free after 5 p.m.
SUNSET FACTOR: The view here puts the sun over South Oyster Bay and the Wantagh Parkway; look carefully and the Manhattan skyline comes into view.
MORE INFO: 516-324-8474, theboatyardny.com
Cedar Beach
223 Harbor Beach Rd., Mount Sinai
Late afternoon, as most beachgoers leave Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai, others like Cori Kresge, of Mount Sinai, remain to enjoy the cooler temps and lack of crowds. Credit: Jeff Bachner
SCENE: Tiki Joe’s is perched on a pavilion that has a small seating area reserved for dinner daily from 4 to 10 p.m., and a full bar where people can hang out while ordering beer, wine, cocktails and frozen drinks. Bands play on a small stage facing the bar. People can also set up chairs, blankets and tables on the beach. Guests may purchase food to eat on the sand.
Nancy and Steve Busa, of St. James, dance to the music of The Band Easy Street at Tiki Joe's at Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai. Credit: Jeff Bachner
ENTERTAINMENT: Live music starting at 6 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and select Tuesdays.
FUN AMENITIES: There’s a playground at the east end of the facility and a basketball court at the west end, plus a pair of cornhole boards near the pavilion. The restaurant has no cover charge and is open to all ages. Tuesdays are kids' nights, with Darlene Graham scheduled to perform Aug. 6 and 13.
People hang on the beach after hours at Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai. Credit: Jeff Bachner
PARKING: Anyone (resident or nonresident) without a parking permit must pay to park at one of the available pay stations until 10 p.m. Parking fees (credit/debit card only) are $4 hourly Mondays through Thursdays, $5 hourly Fridays through Sundays (and holidays); daily rates are $20 Monday through Thursday, $25 Fridays through Sundays (and holidays).
SUNSET FACTOR: The sun sets over Long Island Sound with the bluffs off McAllister County Park to the left; the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson ferry can occasionally be spotted crossing in the distance.
MORE INFO: 631-743-9410, tikijoes.com
Jones Beach State Park
1 Ocean Pkwy., Wantagh
Kevin and Susan Reilly, of Glen Head, play cornhole at Field 4 at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh. Credit: Howard Simmons
SCENE: The park hosts live free sunset daily events (around 8 p.m.) in the bandshell located along the boardwalk at Field 4. Shows include concerts, dancing and DJ sessions. Next to the bandshell, there’s a concession stand and a bar at the Yummier Beach Club, which serves a variety of adult beverages. People attending the show can bring chairs to sit inside the bandshell seating area or on the surrounding boardwalk. The Beach Club bar sells drinks until the live events begin and beachgoers can bring their drinks to the show or out to the sand.
A Creed cover band performs at the Jones Beach Bandshell. Credit: Howard Simmons
FUN AMENITIES: To the west of the bandshell, the outdoor West Games section features mini golf ($7, $3 ages 5-12), boccie ball ($10 per person, per hour), cornhole ($5 per person, per hour), pickleball and paddle tennis ($6 per person, per hour), table tennis ($5 per person, per hour), shuffleboard ($8 per person, per hour) and volleyball ($15 per court, per hour) daily until 11 p.m.
Visitors can also drop into the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center at West End 2 for free daily until 5 p.m., except on Thursdays when the hours extend to 8 p.m. For an another adventurous experience, the WildPlay aerial adventure park is to the left of where Field 4 meets the boardwalk. Open to guests ages five and older, it includes such obstacles as a 40-foot jump and a 700-foot-long high-speed zip line,as well as a kids-only course. WildPlay is open daily until 8 p.m. through Labor Day; prices start at $34.98. Grab a meal at Gatsby on the Ocean, a restaurant and bar located at the park's West Bath House. It's an event space, but when not booked for private parties, the public can drop in until 9 p.m. daily to dine or for a drink.
Teams play volleyball under the moon at Field 4 at Jones Beach State Park. Credit: Howard Simmons
PARKING: Free starting at 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 6 p.m. weekends and holidays
SUNSET FACTOR: Facing the Atlantic means the sun sets behind the bandshell and boardwalk but people who position themselves east of the iconic water tower can catch some spectacular photos when the sky is clear.
MORE INFO: 516-785-1600, parks.ny.gov
Coopers Beach
268 Meadow Lane, Southampton
People head to Coopers Beach for fun in the sun. Credit: John Roca
SCENE: The shack hosts a cafe that serves mainly grill food and snacks. Adult beverages include beer and wine. Guests may purchase food and drink to eat in the sand.
ENTERTAINMENT: 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays. Thursdays host live acoustic music, Sundays are a roster of bands.
Beachgoers grab a bite at Coopers Beach in Southampton. Credit: John Roca
FUN AMENITIES: Bands play under an awning next to a few tables on the shack’s deck. People checking out the band can set up chairs in the sand facing the show. There are no playgrounds or kid-friendly amenities.
PARKING: Free after 5 p.m.
Coopers Beach in Southampton. Credit: Randee Daddona
SUNSET FACTOR: Coopers Beach, which is annually rated one of the top beaches in the United States by Dr. Stephen Leatherman "Dr. Beach," faces the Atlantic Ocean, so while guests can enjoy the sand and shoreline, the sun sets behind the shack so any photos will be of the sun setting behind the shack.
MORE INFO: 631-283-0007, shippys.com
Cedar Beach
100 Cedar Beach Way, Babylon
Debra Hickson, of Freeport, left, and Sofia Cimino, of West Islip, dance during Touch The '80s performance at the Salt Shack in Babylon. Credit: Morgan Campbell
SCENE: The shack is a two-level structure, with a bar, dining and dancing space on both. Bands play a full, elevated stage that sits before a dedicated dance floor. There’s also a sandy courtyard where patrons can dine away from the show and bars. Beyond the shack, the beach is about a brief walk away. Guests may purchase food and drinks and bring them to their seats on the sand.
ENTERTAINMENT: Live music daily, 4-5 p.m. Sundays and Mondays, 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Thursdays, 4 and 7 p.m. Fridays, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturdays
Amy Karrol, of Garden City, left, Evelyn Martinez, of Islip Terrace, and Eileen Feltz, of Smithtown, in the beach dining area at the Salt Shack in Babylon. Credit: Morgan Campbell
FUN AMENITIES: There’s a playground and basketball court, plus 70 volleyball courts where leagues play Mondays through Fridays, but are open to the public. The beach and its amenities are open to all ages, but the Shack is 21-and-over starting at 6 p.m.; no cover charge.
The Salt Shack in Babylon offers waterside eateries, live music and more. Credit: Morgan Campbell
PARKING: Free after 4 p.m.
SUNSET FACTOR: This is also an Atlantic Ocean-facing beach, so the sun sets behind the shack and its nearby dunes.
MORE INFO: 631-422-7222, saltshackny.com
