Warm Memorial Day Brings Crowds to Bar Beach

A shining sun, clear blue sky, and slight breeze proved to be excellent beach-going weather, as residents spent Memorial Day at Bar Beach in Port Washington.

The playgrounds and volleyball court remained relatively quiet, but people took advantage of the nice day by playing basketball and bocce ball, hitting the beach for sunbathing and swimming in Hempstead Harbor, or simply taking it easy.

"It's Memorial Day, we might as well relax here since school and finals are coming up," said Cindy Yan of Flushing, who was having a picnic on the grass with friends Lisa and Shu-Mei Chen, also of Flushing. "At home, there's books all over the place. We just want to relax here."

But the beach was definitely the main attraction on the afternoon.

"I like that there's no big waves here, so I don't get pushed over, or pulled away," Yan added.

Throughout the afternoon, the beachfront filled up with sunbathers and beach umbrellas. With lifeguards on duty, many opted to swim in the calm waters of Hempstead Harbor including nine-year-old Katie Hand of Williston Park.

"There's no waves, so I can swim out further by myself," Hand said. "I really like it here."