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Long Beach, NY

Frequently asked questions

Long Beach, NY

Long Beach is an oceanfront city in Nassau County in New York, United States. It takes up a central section of the Long Beach Barrier Island, which is the westernmost of the outer barrier islands off Long Island's South Shore. 

It was incorporated in 1922 and is nicknamed "The City by the Sea" (the Latin form, Civitas ad mare, is the city's motto). The Long Beach Barrier Island is surrounded by Reynolds Channel to the north, east, and west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. In 2022, Long Beach was named the best East Coast town for a summer getaway by Time Out magazine.

The city of Long Beach's first inhabitants were the Algonquian-speaking Lenape, who sold the area to English colonists in 1643. From that time, while the barrier island was used by baymen and farmers for fishing and harvesting salt hay, no one lived there year-round for more than two centuries. The bark Mexico, carrying Irish immigrants to New York, ran ashore on New Year's Day. 

Austin Corbin, a builder from Brooklyn, was the first to attempt to develop the island as a resort. He formed a partnership with the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to finance the New York and Long Beach Railroad Co., which laid track from Lynbrook to Long Beach in 1880. That same year, Corbin opened Long Beach Hotel, a row of 27 cottages along a 1,100-foot (340 m) strip of beach, which he claimed was the world's largest hotel. In its first season, the railroad brought 300,000 visitors to Long Island. By the next spring, tracks had been laid the length of the island, but they were removed in 1894 after repeated washouts from winter storms.

In 1906, William H. Reynolds, a 39-year-old real estate developer and former state senator, became involved in the area. Reynolds had already developed four Brooklyn neighborhoods (Bedford–Stuyvesant, Borough Park, Bensonhurst, and South Brownsville), as well as Coney Island's Dreamland, the world's largest amusement park at the time. Reynolds also owned a theatre and produced plays.

On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck Long Beach. As a result of the flooding, hundreds of vehicles were destroyed and houses suffered various levels of damage. The estimated cost of all the damage was over $250 million. The city was without power and running water for two weeks after the storm. The boardwalk was also destroyed during the storm. The city began rebuilding the boardwalk with grants from FEMA and the State of New York. The first two-block section of the new Long Beach boardwalk reopened on July 26, 2013, and the entire boardwalk opened on October 25, 2013. The final costs of rebuilding the boardwalk were $44 million, of which ca. $39 million were FEMA grants and the final $4.4 million was reimbursed by the state.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.90 square miles (10.1 km²). Of its total area, 2.22 square miles (5.7 km²) is land, and the rest is water.

Long Beach places a strong emphasis on health and wellness, with multiple options for outdoor activities and healthcare services. The Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center at Jones Beach State Park provides educational exhibits and programs about the local marine and wildlife, making it a great destination for families and nature enthusiasts. Health services are provided by the Mount Sinai Doctors - Long Island, ensuring that the community's medical needs are well-catered to. Elemental Wellness provides a serene retreat with massages, facials, and holistic therapies. Orangetheory Fitness offers high-intensity interval training sessions designed to improve cardiovascular health and strength. The Yoga Nook hosts yoga and meditation classes focusing on flexibility, strength, and mindfulness. East Park Chiropractic specializes in spinal health, pain relief, and overall wellness through comprehensive chiropractic care. 

Top Sites in Long Beach, NY: St. Mary of the Isle Roman Catholic, Long Beach Historical Society, Lido Beach West Town Park.

Population: 35,029 (2020). ZIP Code: 11561. Area codes: 516. Elevation: 0 ft (0 m). Area: 3.90 sq mi (10.09 km²).

FAQs

What is Long Beach, NY known for?

With the ocean on one side and the bay on the other, Long Beach developed as a seaside community. By the beach on the oceanfront there is a 2 ¼ mile-long boardwalk (built in 1914 with the help of some elephants), where, both in winter and summer, one can find strollers, joggers, and bicycle riders. A section of the boardwalk is set aside as a bicycle lane and the recent interest in physical fitness has resulted in an increased use of the lighted boardwalk both during the day and at night.

Is Long Beach, NY expensive to live in?

The median home price in Long Beach is $625,000 with a median price per sqft of $309. The cost of living index for housing estimates the cost of housing in Long Beach to be 195.3% of the national average. This makes it one of the more expensive cities in the US.

What is the crime rate in Long Beach, NY?

According to NeighborhoodScout's analysis of FBI crime statistics, Long Beach is safer than 89% of the cities and towns in the US of all population sizes. In New York, only on the order of 7% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Long Beach. If you live in Long Beach, your chance of becoming a victim of crime in the community is 1 in 427. The US average across communities from the largest to the smallest is 1 in 43. It is for these reasons that Long Beach is ranked as one of the top 100 safest cities in the U.S.A.

Sources

Wikipedia

City of Long Beach

Mount Sinai

Elemental Wellness

All Trails

Fly Homes

Neighborhood Scout

Elemental Wellness 

Orangetheory Fitness

The Yoga Nook

East Park Chiropractic

St. Mary of the Isle Roman Catholic

Long Beach Historical Society

Lido Beach West Town Park

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete, or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 (in the United States) immediately.