Last weekend my husband and I decided to take a day trip to Long Beach on Long Island. We lived in New York City for two and a half years, and I’m sad to say this was our first trip to Long Beach. We left our apartment at 9:30 a.m. for Penn Station and boarded the Long Island Railroad by 10:00 a.m.! It was the first LIRR trip for both of us, and we were very impressed with the comfort, quality and ease of the ride.

We purchased tickets on the train, because the line in Penn was very long. A round-trip fare cost $18 per person. The ride was very quick — about 45 minutes. We arrived at the Long Beach station, crossed the street and found ourselves only two blocks away from the beach! There are plenty of shops and restaurants across from the train station. My husband was very excited to see a Five Guys!

When we got to the beach, we decided to take a walk on the boardwalk before setting up our spot for the day. The Long Beach boardwalk is a great place to bike, run or rollerblade. I was also impressed with the cleanliness of the beach. The family volleyball tournament and classic 70s rock playing were nice touches. The sand is white and soft, and the beach is nice and wide. You do have to pay $12 for day-long beach access; but if you are spending the entire day there, it’s worth the money. We will definitely go back this summer. If you plan to visit or live in New York and want to take a quick and easy day trip to the beach, I recommend Long Beach!

— Christie Rhodes, account manager, eastern region