New Yorkers will be getting extra time in the sun and sand next season.
The City Council is expected to pass a law that permanently extends the public beach and pool season in September by one week. The parks department has kept beaches open the week after Labor Day for three consecutive years, and the extra days have been popular, according to Councilman Mark Levine, who sponsored the bill.
“For millions of New Yorkers who can’t afford to vacation in the Hamptons or take a cruise, the city’s public beaches and pools offer exceptional summer recreation opportunities right here in the five boroughs,” he said in a statement.
The city operates 14 square miles of free public beaches and 53 outdoor swimming pools. Last year they saw 20 million visitors, a 22 percent jump from 2015, according to Levine, who chairs the Parks and Recreation Committee. The beaches typically open around Memorial Day, while the pools open around the end of June.
