New York City Beaches
Every summer, New York City’s beaches are a favorite recreation destination. The NYC Health Department is responsible for beach surveillance and monitoring for permitted City beaches. This consists of routine water quality monitoring and inspections of beach facilities. The results of routine water quality monitoring and inspections are compiled in the Annual Surveillance and Monitoring Beach Reports.
Know Before You Go
Save time by finding out beach water quality conditions before you go. Sign up to receive free text alerts on beach water quality advisories and closures. You can also get real-time opening, closing and water quality information before you head to the beach by calling 311, or texting "BEACH" to 877-877.
Beach Conditions
Water quality conditions are analyzed on a regular basis. Beaches may be classified as:
| OPEN | Open — Swimming and wading permitted |
| ADVISORY | Advisory — Swimming and wading not recommended |
| CLOSED | Closed — Swimming and wading not permitted. |
If a beach is closed to bathers, or if there are advisories due to wet weather or pollution, you can get up-to-date information on this page, or by calling 311.
Beaches classified as “Closed” or “Advisory” may be contaminated with sewage or storm runoff. Contact with contaminated water may cause vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, respiratory illness and infections. Children, pregnant women, the elderly and the chronically ill are especially vulnerable to contaminated water. If you or someone you know become sick from swimming, call 311.
You can also submit an online complaint about a beach or pool. You can report unsanitary conditions, improper maintenance, or missing or broken safety equipment at public or private beaches, or at public or commercial pools or saunas. If a private residential pool is attracting mosquitoes during mosquito season (April 1 to October 31), you can make a standing water complaint.
The map below shows the city's eight public beaches, as well as the 17 beaches run by private beach clubs. To see the current status of a beach, browse the map below. Click on the beach name to see detailed water quality information.
More Information
- NYC Beach Monitoring and Surveillance
- Know Before You Go – Texting Program
- Water Safety Tips for Pools and Beaches
- Obtain or Renew a Permit to Operate a Bathing Beach
- Risks of Swimming in Polluted Water
- Preventing Illness from Water Recreation
- Environmental Action and Education
- Other Local and Regional Beach Resources
- Making Waves — Swimming and Water Safety Classes
- Learn more about how to prevent: