Plum Beach, Brooklyn
Encyclopedia
Plumb Beach is a beach
and surrounding neighborhood along the north shore of Rockaway Inlet
, in the New York City
borough
of Brooklyn
. It is located near the neighborhoods of Sheepshead Bay and Gerritsen Beach, just off the Belt Parkway
. It is named for the beach plums that grow wild there. Since 1972 it has been a part of Gateway National Recreation Area
, though the parking lot and greenway
that provide primary access to the shore are the responsibility of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
and the New York City Department of Transportation
. The area is part of Brooklyn Community District 15 and served by Brooklyn Community Board 15
.
In May and June, horseshoe crabs climb onto the beach to mate.
Plumb Beach is not clean enough to be used safely for recreational swimming. Many marooned and abandoned small boats can be seen from the beach. Furthermore, the beach is often subjected to heavy beach erosion, as incoming storms often blow large amounts of water up the Rockaway Inlet past the beach into Jamaica Bay. Plumb Beach's isolation, and its proximity to the Belt Parkway has made the beach attractive to people who are cruising for sex
, which has occasionally led to violence.
In the summer, Plumb Beach attracts kiteboarding enthusiasts, as the southerly sea breeze makes the area ideal for this use.
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
and surrounding neighborhood along the north shore of Rockaway Inlet
Rockaway Inlet
Rockaway Inlet is a strait connecting Jamaica Bay, wholly within New York City, with the Atlantic Ocean. It separates the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens from the Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn....
, in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. It is located near the neighborhoods of Sheepshead Bay and Gerritsen Beach, just off the Belt Parkway
Belt Parkway
The Belt System is a series of connected limited-access highways that form a belt-like circle around the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The system comprises four officially separate parkways; however, three of the four are signed as the Belt Parkway...
. It is named for the beach plums that grow wild there. Since 1972 it has been a part of Gateway National Recreation Area
Gateway National Recreation Area
Gateway National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area in the Port of New York and New Jersey. Scattered over Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, New York and Monmouth County, New Jersey, it provides recreational opportunities that are rare for a dense urban environment, including ocean...
, though the parking lot and greenway
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
that provide primary access to the shore are the responsibility of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation is the department of government of the City of New York responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecological diversity of the city's natural areas, and furnishing recreational opportunities for city's...
and the New York City Department of Transportation
New York City Department of Transportation
The New York City Department of Transportation is responsible for the management of much of New York City's transportation infrastructure...
. The area is part of Brooklyn Community District 15 and served by Brooklyn Community Board 15
Brooklyn Community Board 15
Brooklyn Community Board 15 is a local governmental body in the New York City borough of Brooklyn that encompasses the neighborhoods of Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Kings Bay, Gerritsen Beach, Kings Highway, East Gravesend, Madison, Homecrest, and Plum Beach...
.
In May and June, horseshoe crabs climb onto the beach to mate.
Plumb Beach is not clean enough to be used safely for recreational swimming. Many marooned and abandoned small boats can be seen from the beach. Furthermore, the beach is often subjected to heavy beach erosion, as incoming storms often blow large amounts of water up the Rockaway Inlet past the beach into Jamaica Bay. Plumb Beach's isolation, and its proximity to the Belt Parkway has made the beach attractive to people who are cruising for sex
Cruising for sex
Cruising for sex, or cruising is the act of walking or driving about a locality in search of a sex partner, usually of the anonymous, casual, one-time variety...
, which has occasionally led to violence.
In the summer, Plumb Beach attracts kiteboarding enthusiasts, as the southerly sea breeze makes the area ideal for this use.