Aside from our beautiful and quiet residential neighborhoods, the main attractions on this barrier island are the three B’s.
The Beach
Our natural beach on Seven Mile Beach is made of fine white sand, soft and powder-like. Our beaches are mostly wide, and slope gently to the Atlantic Ocean. There are parts of our island where giant dunes border the beach, while at other locations, magnificent homes are built very close to the surf. Our beaches and ocean are clean. The water quality monitor system by state, county and local health departments has set national standards. Our beach is our island’s most precious natural asset and we spend great attention, effort and resources to protect it.
Stone Harbor and Avalon are located on a barrier island that is alive with natural sand movement and which is susceptible to erosion from storms. Several years ago, the Federal Beach Replenishment Project was approved, and now insures the future of Stone Harbor and Avalon’s most precious natural asset. The Beach Replenishment Project is a three-way Federal, State, and local commitment to maintain an engineered profile of protective dunes and beaches along our entire island for a 50-year period—through nor’easters, hurricanes, the inevitable natural sand movement and erosion. During the yearly Federal budget wrangles, please encourage your Senators and Congressmen to support long-term funding for our Beach Replenishment Project.
During the vacation season, our beaches are open to the public but bathing and swimming are permitted only at protected beaches where lifeguards are on duty. Beach tags are required. Use of rafts, surfboards, and catamarans are permitted at designated beaches. Please check the Borough Website for specific beach regulations.
The Bay
The west edge of our long, narrow island is bordered by a series of tidal basins which ebb and flow into the Great Channel, which separates our barrier island from the wetlands and mainland beyond. The Great Channel in Stone Harbor is also part of the Inland Waterway, which is a major interstate navigation thoroughfare that extends up and down the East Coast. The basins and channel provide a water playground for boaters, kayakers, sailors, fishermen, and occasional swimmers. A public fishing pier is located at 83rd Street. Stone Harbor’s Borough marina and public boat ramp is located off 80th Street. Also located at 80th Street is a large public bayside park at which many people fish or relax by the bay or gather to watch the sunset.
The Business District
Stone Harbor’s business district is compact and busy. Although it doubles as our boardwalk, our place to see and be seen, there is no honky-tonk, no carnival barkers, no amusement rides. Our village center is small-town Main Street. It’s upscale boutiques and tee-shirts. Fine dining and ice cream cones. Irish tavern and PG-13 movies. It’s Stone Harbor’s 96th Street: A most popular shopping destination.
