Long Island City’s Water Taxi Beach, a popular beach and bar near 54-34 2nd St. that patrons can travel to via water taxis on the East River, will be closing before the summer season, Tom Fox, the founder of the company, said this week.
The city Economic Development Corp. said the beach land, which the city owns, was needed for a storm water overflow system into the East River for the Hunters Point South development. Fox said he had hoped the beach could reopen close to its current spot, but last week the EDC said the company’s planned relocation would not work.
Fox said the beach has had 250,000 visitors ever since it opened in 2005
Water Taxi Beach still has two locations at the South Sea Seaport in Manhattan and Governor’s Island, and Fox hopes a new Long Island City location can be built after the Hunters Point development is completed.
“We’ve really grown to love the Long Island City community,” Fox said.
— Rebecca Henely
