At the tip of the Rockaway Peninsula on Jamaica Bay, Breezy Point in Queens, often rhapsodized as the “Irish Riviera,” is a seaside community still overlooked by most New Yorkers planning their quick summertime escapes, which is good news for people who like a peaceful beach or bike ride—without losing sight of the Manhattan skyline on the horizon.
Best things to do in Breezy Point
Breezy Point is situated near places like historic Robert Moses-designed Jacob Riis Park and its Art Deco bathhouse. Also in close proximity, the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, which offers 20 miles of scenic bike trails. Here amidst the sand dunes, marshes, and breeding grounds for birds like the black skimmer and piping plover, this 200-acre stretch of land is a sweet spot for surfers, families who nestle into their privately-owned beach cabanas at the Silver Gull Club, and fishermen in search of striped bass, blue fish and summer flounder.
Where to Eat
While you are migrating far south of your borough to a much more quiet slice of the city, Breezy Point is not without its good eats. Dating back to 1910, Kennedy’s Restaurant located in nearby Rockaway Point offers beer battered fish & chips on Sundays and live music on Saturday nights. Snack shop by day, bustling beach bar by night, the Sugar Bowl is an essential stop to get a feel for the local culture, complete with dart board, foosball table and volleyball court (718.945.1409). When Sugar Bowl closes, head to the Blarney Castle for a fun night of DJed music and dancing in a kitchy, but classic, nautical-themed interior (718.634.4503). The shopping area has the basics—a modest super market, hardware store, liquor shop, bank, restaurants and beachy boutiques.
How to get to Breezy Point
Take the 2 or 5 to the Brooklyn College-Flatbush Ave. subway stop, and feel free to take your bike from there out to Jacob Riis Park or transfer to the Q35 bus to Riis Park.
Quick Trips: Things to Do in Breezy Point, Queens
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Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram