At Lost at Sea in the West End!
My love affair with Long Beach, NY runs deep. I almost feel like this place is a part of who I am – I’ve been spending summers here since I was a little girl, and I even lived here for a year before we moved to Florida when I was 7. I snapped a polaroid of a house I called “the mac n cheese house” in 2005, and I told myself I WOULD end up here, no matter what it took, and almost 10 years later, I did! I guess you’re probably wondering what it is I love so much about this place, so let me explain before I dive into all of the wonderful things to do!
Long Beach is the perfect marriage between city-life and beach-life. It is essentially a tiny city parallel to the beach. It’s outdoorsy, there’s culture AND the best part is it’s only a 50 minute train ride away from actual NYC. In my eyes, it doesn’t get much better than this – you can hop into the city on any given day, but when you get off the train in LB you instantly are swept into the salty breezy air of beach life. The locals here truly care about their city, and they have so many hopes and dreams for it. I’ve seen SO much progress since I moved here in only a few short years, so I am really excited to share with you some of the newer places that are a must-see. Even if you’re only visiting NYC for a week, in my opinion you should hop on the train and make the journey out to Long Beach to get a taste of how beautiful NY is outside of Manhattan!
HOW TO GET HERE FROM NYC:
I figured just in case, I’d put this one first! If you’re visiting NYC and this article convinces you to come to Long Beach, it’s only a simple train ride away. The Long Island Railroad (LIRR) runs hourly from Penn Station, and you would need to take a Long Beach [the orange line] train – The ride is 50 minutes long, and Long Beach is the last stop, so you can’t really mess it up! The ticket prices vary depending on rush hour, but round trip tickets will either be $27 during peak times or $19.50 during off-peak times! The city actually has a train ticket + beach admission bundle , so when you present your LIRR ticket, you’ll receive discounts at certain restaurants and a discounted price to get on the beach.
Gentle Brew Coffee
Blacksmith Breads
Max Bialystock bagels
Sorrentos
Laurel Diner
Dough Hut
Lost & Found
Lost & Found
RESTAURANTS/ COFFEE SHOPS
Breakfast
Gentle Brew Coffee – If you follow me on Stories, you’ve seen that I spend a lot of my time here! There’s two locations, one on Park Avenue about a block from the train station and one on the boardwalk that is only open seasonally. If you’re looking for a good cup of local coffee, and a pastry (their gluten free pumpkin muffins are my fave!) you should definitely pop in!
Blacksmith Breads – Blacksmith opened a few months back and made a splash in the West End of Long Beach. They’re only open as a coffee shop Mon/Tues, so make sure to check their hours & the day of the week before you head in. There’s enough seating to dine in, and there’s some outdoor seating as well. Everything is amazingly delicious, especially their breads that are baked in-house every day. Make sure to take a loaf home + freeze it, that’s what we always do!
Laurel Diner– This is our go-to spot when we’re eating out with Hudson. It’s very kid friendly (high chairs, cups with lids, lots of food options) and the service is always extremely quick! The only time you may wait is on the weekends, so if you’re planning on brunching, get there early.
Max Bialystock – This is hands-down the best bagel spot in Long Beach. It does not look like much at all inside, but the bagels will blow you away!
Lunch
Rip Tides – If you’re looking for a casual lunch spot, this place is great! It’s right on the boardwalk, and has a ton of outdoor seating. It’s also very child friendly because your kids can play in the sand while you eat!
Sorrentos – This is the most local spot, the locals may even be mad at me for sharing it! ha! It’s an Italian deli and butcher shop, but they also offer dine-in pizza, but it’s super exclusive. They only have a certain amount of pizza every day, and they usually run out, so it’s really a lucky day when the timing works out and you get to eat some of their hand shaped, brick oven pizza. I think I’ve only had it a total of 5 times because of how hard it is to get your hands on some, but it is the BEST brick oven pizza I think I’ve ever had.
Ginos – If you’re looking for a quick NY style slice, Gino’s is the spot! It never fails, and the service is super quick!
Food Trucks- Located at the end of Riverside Blvd, the Long Beach food trucks are only open in the summer, and are a definite pit-stop for lunch during a beach day! There’s so many options including pizza, tacos, deli food, acai and so much more!
Dinner
Lost & Found- If you’re looking for an intimate date-night spot with delicious farm-to-table type food, this is your place. It’s a bit tight inside, and they don’t take reservations so my advice is to either get there early, or expect to wait and grab a drink across the street!
Lost At Sea – This spot just opened, and is owned by the same owners as Lost & Found. Their seafood is SO fresh and delicious, and the drinks are almost too good [and can getcha!] It’s a bit hidden, without a sign, but is located on W Beech Street about a block from Lost & Found. They also do not take reservations, so try to get there early- but if you love seafood it’s a MUST GO.
Beginnings – This is actually in Atlantic Beach, but is a very trendy looking spot with delicious all-American food perfect for a date night!
Dessert
Dough Hut- Located in the West End, this tiny little donut shop sells delicious donuts that are also adorable looking [and totally instagram worthy, ha!] It’s a fun pit-stop in the morning for donuts and coffee, or for dessert after an early dinner or late lunch [since they close at 6PM].
Country Boy Bakery – If you’re looking for a TRUE NY bakery experience, do yourself a favor and stop in here. Their cookies and cakes are so delicious, and there’s so many options you won’t know what to pick!
Reign
Codfish Cowboy
SHOPPING
Reign – Located in the West End next to Blacksmith Breads, this cute little boutique always has trendy and affordable pieces!
Codfish Cowboy – If you’re looking for a small gift, or something to bring home with you to remember Long Beach, this boutique has the CUTEST gifts, mugs, home goods, etc. I always want to take it all with me when I go inside!
LB Surf – This is usually where I head to pick up a gift for Matt – I find they have a larger Men’s selection than womens, but they still carry adorable surf brands, sunglasses and plenty of shoe options!
Ooh La La – This sweet little store located on Park Ave always has trendy pieces! It’s a mid-level price point, but I can always find a statement piece to walk out with!
THINGS TO DO
Joseph Christopher’s Salon – I absolutely love this salon, and it’s the only place I trust to do my hair, but aside from that they offer incredible massages, facials and body treatments. It is a bit pricier, but is a lovely way to unwind on a weekend getaway to LB! They’re closed Monday/Tuesday but are open all weekend!
Farmer’s Market – On Wednesdays and Saturdays there’s a farmers market in Kennedy Plaza in the center of town – there’s usually fresh veggies, spices, burgers, pretzels and tons of other food you can pickup to whip up something special at home!
The boardwalk / Beach – This one is a no brainer, but I figured I would add it in. The beach is NOT free all summer, so just plan for that! There’s also bikes for rental on the boardwalk, which could be extremely fun!
At the library!
Liddle Bites
THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS
Liddle Bites – Located on Park Ave, this is the perfect spot to bring your little ones if it isn’t nice outside but they need somewhere to go! It’s basically an indoor playground filled with toys, slides and a spot to sit and color or play with puzzles!
The Library – Our local library is an incredible resource, and they have a children’s section on the 2nd floor filled with toys and books. They also offer plenty of free classes for kids including story time, open play, baby sign language and so many more!
Local Parks – Long beach has so many parks its unbelievable, and most are just a walk away from wherever you’re staying. Here’s a link to all of the parks, but our favorites include Magnolia park (on Magnolia blvd) because it’s geared toward younger kids and is a little less “wild,” Georgia Avenue park in the West End because during the summer it has a splash pad, Pacific Park if your little one loves to play in the sand and Clark Park is gigantic and new, located a bit further away in the Canals.
Ice Arena – If your kids are a bit older, this is a fun one!
WHERE TO STAY
The Allegria Hotel – If you’re looking for something on the higher end side, the Allegria has beautiful ocean views and is located right off of the boardwalk and only a 5 minute walk from the LIRR station. The rooms are about $300-$550 a night during the summer season, and prices drop a bit during the off season.
Long Beach Hotel – This is the only other hotel option – my parents have stayed here before and they noted it’s “not amazing” but also “not so bad.” The rooms run around $200 per night.
Airbnb – Here’s a link to a few of my top Airbnb choices from Long Beach!
Private 1 Bedroom $235 per night
1 Bedroom apartment $240 per night
1 Bedroom apartment $275 per night
I hope you enjoyed the guide, and that it helps you navigate this wonderful place just a little bit easier!