OT: Best Northeast Beaches

[polycom]

M Street beach in South Boston, should at least get an honorable mention even though you can't go in the water. It's like Alabama sorority women transplant themselves every summer.

 

[husky8273]

Agreed on the Seacrest/Old Silver. It's a nice spot when you just want a couple of days away and not a week's rental. Falmouth also has a nice collection of restaurants in the downtown if you want to take a little drive away from the resort.

The Quarterdeck (bar room is best), La Cucina and the Pickle Jar in Falmouth are all worth a visit

 

[Windsorlocks]

How far is the walk from the parking lot? (I'd be trudging small cooler, beach umbrella and beach lounge chair and clothing/food/towel bag)

Sorry did not see your question till now. Maybe 1/4 mile. Lot of people use utility carts with lots of gear, but you can drop people and gear off a lot closer and then park the car....

 

[HuskyHawk]

M Street beach in South Boston, should at least get an honorable mention even though you can't go in the water. It's like Alabama sorority women transplant themselves every summer.

I used to walk there from my house and I certainly never remember that! It does get a few Boston hotties, but come on.

 

[polycom]

I used to walk there from my house and I certainly never remember that! It does get a few Boston hotties, but come on.

How long ago was this? If you've been in Southie recently its unbelievable the talent.

 

[HuskyHawk]

How long ago was this? If you've been in Southie recently its unbelievable the talent.

Around 2001-03. Southie always had talent, at various bars and such. The beaches not so much at least then.

 

[HooperScooper]

I used to walk there from my house and I certainly never remember that! It does get a few Boston hotties, but come on.

The Seaport/South Boston is now full of millenials who work at all the start ups and tech firms in South Boston, downtown Boston and Cambridge. I imagine that is why there is such an influx of talent.

 

[polycom]

Around 2001-03. Southie always had talent, at various bars and such. The beaches not so much at least then.

In fairness that's over a decade ago. Next time you're in Boston go to Lincoln on Sunday morning, I promise you wont be disappointed.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The Seaport/South Boston is now full of millenials who work at all the start ups and tech firms in South Boston, downtown Boston and Cambridge. I imagine that is why there is such an influx of talent.

Yes, we somewhat reluctantly sold our house, because we could see what was coming and figured the value would go up even more. Needed it for the down payment in the burbs though. Southie was gentrifying even then.

 

[8893]

Arrived at Blue Shutters Beach at 10am, parking lot full. Then went to Misquamicut again parking problems.

Winded up at Charlestown Beach (ugh). Not bad, better than CT beaches but not ideal. Spent the whole day and late afternoon, when we left we meet some of our tribal friends at Two Trees Grill at Foxwoods.

We wanted to go to Matunuck but they called and pretty much demanded we come, and hell it was free.

I bumped this thread from last year so I will be returning to RI annually, its a great place to kill a day. My wife enjoyed it and rewarded me, that's all that matters since at my age all summer beaches have bikinis for viewing purposes (pretty faces help but don't really matter).

@Kitaman , I'm sorry that Blue Shutters didn't work out for you. It was such a perfect beach day late in a summer that has been short on them, and it was a Saturday, so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. I know my wife tries to target getting there before 10:00 on the few occasions when she goes up there on a weekday with our daughters, so Saturdays must require going a bit earlier to be safe.

For future reference, if carrying a bike is an option for you, a very nice and well-kept secret is Green Hill Beach in South Kingstown, just on the other side of Charlestown from Blue Shutters. There are only about 8-10 public parking spaces there and they are usually filled very early (especially when it's a good surfing day), but less than a mile straight up Green Hill Beach Road there is Green Hill Park, a public town park that has a parking lot that no one uses. You can drop off Mrs. Kita and all your beach stuff right at the entrance to Green Hill Beach and then go park at Green Hill Park and roll on your bike back down to the beach. When it's time to go, you just ride back to the car and return with it to pick up Mrs. Kita and your stuff.

It's a great little low-key beach in a great little low-key beach neighborhood where we've rented a house for a week at least every other summer for the past ten years or so. The lack of public parking keeps the crowds down, and it only gets crazy crowded for around three hours on peak Saturday afternoons, so unless you're arriving then space on the beach should not be an issue. And you are rewarded by relative solitude once 4:00 rolls around, so if you want to stay through sunset you'll have it mostly to yourselves, except maybe some surfers if the surf is up.

 

[Excalibur]

@Kitaman , I'm sorry that Blue Shutters didn't work out for you. It was such a perfect beach day late in a summer that has been short on them, and it was a Saturday, so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. I know my wife tries to target getting there before 10:00 on the few occasions when she goes up there on a weekday with our daughters, so Saturdays must require going a bit earlier to be safe.

For future reference, if carrying a bike is an option for you, a very nice and well-kept secret is Green Hill Beach in South Kingstown, just on the other side of Charlestown from Blue Shutters. There are only about 8-10 public parking spaces there and they are usually filled very early (especially when it's a good surfing day), but less than a mile straight up Green Hill Beach Road there is Green Hill Park, a public town park that has a parking lot that no one uses. You can drop off Mrs. Kita and all your beach stuff right at the entrance to Green Hill Beach and then go park at Green Hill Park and roll on your bike back down to the beach. When it's time to go, you just ride back to the car and return with it to pick up Mrs. Kita and your stuff.

It's a great little low-key beach in a great little low-key beach neighborhood where we've rented a house for a week at least every other summer for the past ten years or so. The lack of public parking keeps the crowds down, and it only gets crazy crowded for around three hours on peak Saturday afternoons, so unless you're arriving then space on the beach should not be an issue. And you are rewarded by relative solitude once 4:00 rolls around, so if you want to stay through sunset you'll have it mostly to yourselves, except maybe some surfers if the surf is up.

I've never been down to Green Hill Beach (though our CFO owns a house on GH Pond). With most of Charlestown being a shore break, I'm surprised that there are surfers at Green Hill. Does the drop-off even out once you get a few miles east of the breachway?

 

[8893]

I've never been down to Green Hill Beach (though our CFO owns a house on GH Pond). With most of Charlestown being a shore break, I'm surprised that there are surfers at Green Hill. Does the drop-off even out once you get a few miles east of the breachway?

I'm not sure of exactly what topographical features cause it, but after studying the wave patterns there for many hours at many different times of day over the past ten years or so, I believe there are three different types of wave sets that hit that beach: one from the east; one from the west; and one that comes right down the middle between the two. At different times of the day, either the east or west sets will be better than the other, and the less-frequent middle set is always the most powerful, as it seems to occur when both sets meet and join forces. Obviously the weather is a huge factor, and there are always surfers around when storms are around. I have been told that Green Hill Point, which is just to the east of Green Hill Beach, helps protect the beach and create a good break for the surf.

Some years we have had very few good wave days and some years we've had six out of seven be great wave days. Usually we get some great days and some okay days, but even within the same day the wave patterns seem to change dramatically at times there. I don't surf, but I boogie board pretty aggressively and I've had to upgrade my board because the cheaper ones got demolished in the heavier surf there several years ago. The surfers always seem to know when there will be good waves there, and for some reason it has usually tended to be either very early or very late in the day. I always head straight to the beach first thing in the morning to set up camp and then read, drink coffee and chill there for an hour or so before heading home to rouse the troops, so I've been able to observe a lot of the surfers' habits there. There have been a few days over the years when the surf was too big for me to venture out on the boogie board; but I have enjoyed watching some of the best surfing on those days.

I know some surfers in CT who surf frequently in RI and they are very famil.iar with the spot, but the parking issues make it one that is difficult for CT surfers to access, because the local surfers beat them to the handful of parking spaces. When the surf is really up, you will see surfers waiting down the road with their cars idling, waiting to pounce on a parking spot as soon as it opens up.

 

[Uconnalliance]

Scotch beach on the mothership....... Block Island

 

[Hoophound]

The Seaport/South Boston is now full of millenials who work at all the start ups and tech firms in South Boston, downtown Boston and Cambridge. I imagine that is why there is such an influx of talent.

Calling Rocktheworld: Please review the talent in Southie.

 

[August_West]

I'm not sure of exactly what topographical features cause it, but after studying the wave patterns there for many hours at many different times of day over the past ten years or so, I believe there are three different types of wave sets that hit that beach: one from the east; one from the west; and one that comes right down the middle between the two. At different times of the day, either the east or west sets will be better than the other, and the less-frequent middle set is always the most powerful, as it seems to occur when both sets meet and join forces. Obviously the weather is a huge factor, and there are always surfers around when storms are around. I have been told that Green Hill Point, which is just to the east of Green Hill Beach, helps protect the beach and create a good break for the surf.

Holy lulz.

 

[8893]

Holy lulz.

It's serious business, brah. I love me some waves, and I can--and do--stare at the ocean for hours.

 

[mauconnfan]

I'm not sure of exactly what topographical features cause it, but after studying the wave patterns there for many hours at many different times of day over the past ten years or so, I believe there are three different types of wave sets that hit that beach: one from the east; one from the west; and one that comes right down the middle between the two. At different times of the day, either the east or west sets will be better than the other, and the less-frequent middle set is always the most powerful, as it seems to occur when both sets meet and join forces. Obviously the weather is a huge factor, and there are always surfers around when storms are around. I have been told that Green Hill Point, which is just to the east of Green Hill Beach, helps protect the beach and create a good break for the surf.

Some years we have had very few good wave days and some years we've had six out of seven be great wave days. Usually we get some great days and some okay days, but even within the same day the wave patterns seem to change dramatically at times there. I don't surf, but I boogie board pretty aggressively and I've had to upgrade my board because the cheaper ones got demolished in the heavier surf there several years ago. The surfers always seem to know when there will be good waves there, and for some reason it has usually tended to be either very early or very late in the day. I always head straight to the beach first thing in the morning to set up camp and then read, drink coffee and chill there for an hour or so before heading home to rouse the troops, so I've been able to observe a lot of the surfers' habits there. There have been a few days over the years when the surf was too big for me to venture out on the boogie board; but I have enjoyed watching some of the best surfing on those days.

I know some surfers in CT who surf frequently in RI and they are very famil.iar with the spot, but the parking issues make it one that is difficult for CT surfers to access, because the local surfers beat them to the handful of parking spaces. When the surf is really up, you will see surfers waiting down the road with their cars idling, waiting to pounce on a parking spot as soon as it opens up.

What about Moonstone Beach? heard it's nice too in Charlestown?(is it true it's the old nude beach we heard about in our younger Squami days?) Drove down there Sunday when heading out to breakfast but didn't go down to check it out. Also walked from Matunuk to East Matunuk which is a quite little beach too....found if in the mood we could actually walk from Matunuk to the bars over there rather than getting in the car, back to Rt 1 and worrying about drinking/driving. Love the whole area will check them all out now that I'm down there.

 

[mauconnfan]

It's serious business, brah. I love me some waves, and I can--and do--stare at the ocean for hours.

They all head to Matunuk too and there's a crest certain part of the tide where the surfers flock, doesn't really look like much but they love it.

 

[8893]

What about Moonstone Beach? heard it's nice too in Charlestown?(is it true it's the old nude beach we heard about in our younger Squami days?) Drove down there Sunday when heading out to breakfast but didn't go down to check it out. Also walked from Matunuk to East Matunuk which is a quite little beach too....found if in the mood we could actually walk from Matunuk to the bars over there rather than getting in the car, back to Rt 1 and worrying about drinking/driving. Love the whole area will check them all out now that I'm down there.

Moonstone is the next beach to the east over from Green Hill, in between Green Hill and Matunuk. I have walked it a few times but it has been closed every summer since we've been going there because of the Piping Plovers nesting on the beach.

Yes, it's my understanding that that used to be the nude beach. We didn't see another soul the few times we've walked it, and it's pretty rocky, as are most of the beaches right around there except for Green Hill Beach itself. And as for why Green Hill Beach is different, again what I've been told is that: (a) it is protected by Green Hill Point; and (b) they truck in tons of sand every year to replace the sand that leaves due to erosion. I have definitely seen the signs of serious beach reconstruction there in certain years.

 

[August_West]

It's serious business, brah. I love me some waves, and I can--and do--stare at the ocean for hours.

@8893 - The boneyards resident expert on Apizza, Craft Beer and mid-coast Rhode Island wave forms.

Well done. A++

That was a treat of a treatise.

They all head to Matunuk too and there's a crest certain part of the tide where the surfers flock, doesn't really look like much but they love it.

My daughter surfs Matunuck and Narragansett.

Im going to have to clue her in on Green Hill now, if 8893 will be kind enough to share his wave foresight so we dont waste trips.

 

[August_West]

What about Moonstone Beach? heard it's nice too in Charlestown?(is it true it's the old nude beach we heard about in our younger Squami days?)

Yes, through the mid 80's

We went there after my junior prom in High School (which was 1984) and were on a full nude beach . Went back a few times after that and each time it was a little more of a cat and mouse game. I believe it was totally done by late 80's

 

[8893]

Im going to have to clue her in on Green Hill now, if 8893 will be kind enough to share his wave foresight so we dont waste trips.

I have no wave foresight. I actually searched the interwebz a few summers ago trying to figure out how all these surfers know when to be there, to no avail. I'm guessing there's a FaceBook group or something, but I'm not on FaceBook. I just go to the beach several times a day when we're there because, well, we're there.

I'll ask the local guys I know where they get their info.

 

[August_West]

I have no wave foresight. I actually searched the interwebz a few summers ago trying to figure out how all these surfers know when to be there, to no avail. I'm guessing there's a FaceBook group or something, but I'm not on FaceBook. I just go to the beach several times a day when we're there because, well, we're there.

I'll ask the local guys I know where they get their info.

she gets alerts from some group at Warm Winds in Narraganset. (she had done a week Surf Camp there a couple years ago) ... I cant tell you how many fights a summer that causes as each time there is a good surf alert my wife (or I) are expected to drop everything and head out the door. It dont work that way, kid.


I wonder sometimes, because on days where she gets good alerts and we do end up taking her and are driving to Matunuck or Narragansett I do see a bunch of cars with surf boards turning off at places Im not familiar with.

 

[mauconnfan]

Yes, through the mid 80's

We went there after my junior prom in High School (which was 1984) and were on a full nude beach . Went back a few times after that and each time it was a little more of a cat and mouse game. I believe it was totally done by late 80's

Explain "cat and mouse" in this particular case please?

 

[8893]

she gets alerts from some group at Warm Winds in Narraganset. (she had done a week Surf Camp there a couple years ago) ... I cant tell you how many fights a summer that causes as each time there is a good surf alert my wife (or I) are expected to drop everything and head out the door. It dont work that way, kid.

Great surf shop; that's where I got my newest boogie board. Great beach wear, too, and selection of my newest favorite beach game, the Waboba.

Maybe you can coordinate her trips with the hours at the Grey Sail tasting room. Or take a spin to Brickley's in Wakefield for ice cream.