WHO’S GOT THE BEST
STRETCHES OF BEACH ?
W E S T B AY ’ S C H A R L E S TO W N B R E AC H WAY
FOR THE EAST BAY
Sam Labrecque: grew up in East Providence;
100 percent beach bum
How much of a beach diehard are you?
SL: Let’s just say my beach chairs never make it out of the
trunk of my car and I find sand in my beach bag in the middle
of January. And when the winter becomes cold and unbear-
able, I am the first person to book a flight to an island with
sandy beaches for miles. FOR THE WEST BAY
Sarah Francis: lives in the West Bay;
devoted beach goer
How much of a beach diehard are you?
SF: Are you kidding? I keep beach chairs in my car until
December. My first love was Narragansett Town Beach: calm,
shallow water, lots of parking, picture-perfect views of the
Towers with surfers dotting the horizon. But it got pricey; I
moved on.
Why Second Beach?
SL: The real question is, why not Second Beach? It’s got
breathtaking views and all the amenities you could ever need.
Parking is a breeze since the massive lot never gets full, it has
a snack shack to fill your belly when you realize you didn’t
pack enough food, and bathrooms plus outdoor showers that
allow for an easy outfit change when heading to downtown
Newport after. And the views? They’re second to none. St.
George’s School to your right, sandy dunes to your left and
views as far as the sea meets the horizon, plus the sound of
small waves crashing against the shoreline sounds like a pretty
perfect beach day to me. Why the Breachway?
SF: It’s down a rutted road that can make your teeth chatter,
past houses on stilts, and the lot isn’t huge, so you have to get
there early. Plus, the bathrooms aren’t for the faint of heart.
But once you settle in, the views of the silky seagrass shim-
mering along the dunes and wide expanses of sand with Block
Island in the distance are totally zen. The kids perched along
the stone jetty fishing for blues remind me how unpretentious
this place is, and the fading light as dusk gathers is magical. I
can sit there for hours.
Have you ever been to an East Bay beach?
SF: Why?
Have you ever been to a West Bay beach?
SL: I went to Misquamicut this summer. Two words: no thanks.
W I N N E R : A T I E . WHO CAN COMPLAIN WHEN WE LIVE THIS CLOSE TO GORGEOUS SUN AND SAND?
Who is HEALTHIER ?
EAST BAY WEST BAY
Average life expectancy 80.96 years 81.01 years
Number of yoga studios 31
22
Miles of bike paths 16.05 19.93
Obesity rate 21% 24.9%
Access to exercise rate 91.1 %
93.6%
W I N N E R : W E S T B AY, BUT ONLY BECAUSE THEY’VE MASTERED THE PARADOX OF EATING MORE AND
LIVING LONGER. TEACH US YOUR WAYS. —C.N.
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY
l JANUARY 2020 49
DISCOVER
COURTESY
VS.
E A S T B AY ’ S S E C O N D B E AC H I N N E W P O RT