As summer heads our way, a sense of adventure builds. Scenic drives, soothing beach days, and the urge to discover even more scenes all around our favorite city are prevalent.
One of the best things about NYC is it’s proximity to so many summery escapes.
If you thought you had to brave the four–hour crawl to the Hamptons to find world-class coastal views, think again. There’s a stretch of road on Nassau County’s North Shore where the cliffs drop into the Sound and the estates look like they were plucked from the Mediterranean.
Stretching from the tip of Sands Point to the historic harbor of Cold Spring Harbor, the scenic route of Nassau County’s “Gold Coast” offers a variety of landscapes that are perfect for a summery adventure.
Route 25A
The drive along Route 25A and its winding offshoots feels less like New York and more like a scene from To Catch a Thief.
As you navigate the rolling hills of Old Westbury and Oyster Bay, the dense canopy of ancient oaks suddenly breaks to reveal costal views of the Long Island Sound.
The dramatic elevation changes and rocky outcrops feel like a “hidden cliffside” drive.
Unlike the flat, sandy pine barrens of the South Shore, the North Shore is defined by its rugged, elevated shoreline.
Living the Gatsby Dream
There’s a reason F. Scott Fitzgerald chose this exact landscape as the setting for The Great Gatsby. As you drive, you’ll pass the massive iron gates of “castles” that still stand today:
- Sands Point Preserve: Where you can pull over and walk the grounds of a literal 100,000-square-foot mansion.
- Planting Fields Arboretum: A sprawling estate with greenhouses and gardens that rival European royal palaces.
- The Eagle’s Nest (Vanderbilt Museum): A Spanish-Revival masterpiece perched on a cliff that offers stunning sunset views.
How to Do the Drive
To get the full “Riviera” experience, start your journey in Sands Point. Follow the shoreline roads through Sea Cliff—a tiny Victorian village perched on a bluff with panoramic water views—before ending your afternoon in Cold Spring Harbor.
Stop at a local dockside eatery for a glass of chilled rosé and some oysters, and you’ll realize the best summer escape has been hiding just 90 minutes from Midtown all along.
