Long Beach, NY: The City by the Sea

LONG BEACH, NY

The City by the Sea

Affectionally dubbed the City by the Sea, Long Beach is nestled off the southern coast of New York’s Long Island. The city offers beautiful waters, miles of inviting sands, and an iconic boardwalk that’s surprisingly built with the help of elephants.

Long Beach continues to attract visitors not only for the sun, sea, and sights but also for the warm community that tirelessly makes this city a safe space for people to enjoy life.

LONG BEACH: A BRIEF HISTORY

The City of Long Beach can be traced back to 1880 when a Brooklyn-based builder named Austin Corbin and the Long Island Railroad decided to develop the island into a resort town. The Long Beach Hotel was built that same year and initiated the city’s growth in popularity. New York State Senator and real estate developer William Reynolds then set his sights on Long Beach. His first initiative was to build the Long Beach boardwalk. Reynolds had a herd of elephants from Coney Island’s Dreamland march to Long Beach to aid in the construction and act as a publicity stunt.

Over the years, Long Beach became one of the hottest summer destinations in the State, especially for the rich and famous of New York City. Unfortunately, the city experienced a period of darkness in the 60s, 70s, and 80s due to local economic decline. The community continued to rebuild slowly, but another challenge came to Long Beach in the form of superstorm Sandy in 2012. Sandy devastated the city with destructive waves and strong winds. The storm destroyed the old boardwalk and left the city with over $250 million in damages.

However, the people of Long Beach continued to press on despite the hardships and worked full time to rebuild the city in the wake of Sandy. Now, the new and improved boardwalk is thriving like never before. Businesses, restaurants, and other seaside establishments continue to cater to the growing number of tourists that visit the city.