5 Best Sights in Long Beach, Long Island

The boardwalk is the social and sentimental heart of Long Beach, so when the beloved historic structure was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, hearts broke. Today a brand new fortified boardwalk stands in its place, a symbol of the city's resilience, and throughout the summer weekend vendors and entertainers attract crowds. Walkers and cyclists hit the planks year-round, and food trucks and a trapeze school are welcome additions to its lively scene.

Eleven miles east of Long Beach, this 6½-mile-long expanse of white sand is one of the best-known and most popular of Long Island's beaches. The 2,500-acre park is loaded with facilities and activites to keep locals and visitors busy day and night. A 1½-mile-long boardwalk has deck games (fee), mini-golf, a pool, playgrounds, picnic areas, and two surf-casting areas (by permit), and hosts special summer events like live music at the bandshell. Lifeguards are on duty from late May to mid-September. The park can be reached from the Wantagh and Meadowbrook parkways (head south). Be prepared for crowds on weekends. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

This 15,000-seat amphitheater in Jones Beach State Park presents big-name musicians, including Aerosmith, The Beach Boys, and The King of Leon. It also hosts several large-scale music festivals. The concert season usually runs June through August and most concerts are rain or shine.

Sun seekers throng this beach park, which stretches for 5 miles on the barrier island's south side, to play volleyball, surf, swim, and sunbathe—all under the watchful eyes of lifeguards (on duty weekends late May to mid-June, daily mid-June to early September). While well known as a summer haven, the 2-mile boardwalk attracts walkers, runners and cyclists year-round. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

Built in 1767, this Georgian Colonial manor is one of Long Island's finest and best-preserved homes of the era. Home to Josiah Martin, a wealthy West Indian planter and British Loyalist during the Revolutionary War, it was given to the Town of Hempstead in 1948, and is presently on the National Register of Historic Places and part of the New York State Revolutionary War Heritage Trail. The home is now a museum with period furnishings and educational and cultural programs for all ages.