North Channel Beach in Jamaica Bay

North Channel Beach offers a quiet escape right within city limits. Tucked along the edge of Jamaica Bay, it’s an unexpectedly peaceful spot with wide-open views of the water and sky. From the shoreline, you can watch the sunset stretch across the bay, casting warm light over the channels and marshes. I remember driving down to this little spot as a kid with my parents, parked in our cars as the planes flew closely by, watching fishermen and women, kayaks and small boats all around. It's a busy world away from the busy boroughs that surround it.