What better way to say Memorial Day Weekend than a photo that brings to mind all that Queens beachy goodness in the form of Rockway Beach and assorted neighbors? (Except for, perhaps, the waterfront dinner in Sheepshead Bay that GL enjoyed last night. Swans and sailboats in Brooklyn! Sadly, it was raining by the time we hit Coney.)

Now, if we could only find a way to get to Belle Harbor and skirt the exclusionary parking restrictions–at least, in the Hamptons, you can buy parking permits–we’d be complete. We know. We know. Jacob Riis Beach and Fort Tilden Park, but those don’t hold the special thrill of going someplace where you are clearly not wanted. And, while we’re at it, how about the super private enclaves at Breezy Point? Somehow, taking the A Train and, then, commuting to your Queens beach of choice by bus, takes the romance out of it.

All of which brings us back to New York City’s non-exclusionary beaches: Rockaway and Coney.