3. There is a secret beach at the end of 28th Avenue
Big Rock Beach is likely a name that most New Yorkers won’t recognize. At the end of 28th Avenue in a rather industrial part of College Point is a somewhat polluted stretch of beach marked by nothing but a small pathway. Decades ago, the beach was thriving and crowded every day during the summer, with many visitors taking photos on the namesake Big Rock. Beachgoers had clear views of LaGuardia Airport and could see the Manhattan skyline in the distance. Years later, the beach would be mostly forgotten, cluttered with plastic bottles, tires, and wrappers. For many years, there was also a rusted-out rig, and there still stands the remains of a lifeguard stand.
For the past two decades, an organization called Coastal Preservation Network has worked to clean up College Point’s coastline, and improvements have already been made this year on Big Rock Beach. An abandoned deck barge was removed, and an obscured staircase has been stabilized so more people could visit. Earlier this year, crews assembled to remove much of the debris, and efforts have been underway to reduce illegal dumping and protect the reef and wildlife. While the beach is still quite polluted today, it is a massive improvement from what it was just a few years ago, and it remains one of the best places to catch a sunset in the area.