Stretching along Long Island’s southern shore, Jones Beach State Park—known simply as Jones Beach to most New Yorkers—has been a beloved summer escape for nearly a century. The park takes its name from Major Thomas Jones, a Queens County militia officer who, back in the late 1600s, set up a whaling station near where the park stands today.
What makes Jones Beach special isn’t just its six miles of soft, white-sand Atlantic shoreline, but also its striking Art Deco architecture, from the elegant bathhouses to the iconic water tower that anchors the boardwalk. Designed in the 1920s by legendary planner Robert Moses, the park was built from the ground up—literally—using dredged sand to transform a chain of small barrier islands into a sprawling, elevated beachfront retreat.
When it finally opened on August 4, 1929, Jones Beach offered city dwellers a refreshing mix of ocean air, recreation, and timeless design—a charm that still draws millions every summer.
On October 26, 2025, we randomly found a parking spot near Gatsby on the Ocean, one of Jones Beach’s most elegant venues. Intrigued by its design, I couldn’t help but dig into the history behind this beautiful restaurant and event space.
It turns out Gatsby on the Ocean has quite a story. The building was originally the Marine Dining Room, part of the West Bathhouse complex that opened in 1931. The bathhouse was created under the direction of Robert Moses, the visionary behind much of New York’s public works, including Jones Beach itself. In its early years, the West Bathhouse was a lively hub featuring thousands of lockers, a large swimming and diving pool, a wading pool, and food concessions serving the crowds of beachgoers who flocked here each summer.
Moses even kept an ocean-view office in the building—today transformed into the bridal suite. Across the hall, his former conference room now serves as the groom’s lounge, a cozy, private space that can also host intimate dinners or gatherings of up to twenty guests.
After decades of use and careful restoration, the venue reopened in 2019 as Gatsby on the Ocean, now one of Long Island’s most sought-after destinations for weddings, events, and oceanfront dining.
As I learned more about its history, I stumbled upon a book that perfectly captures the story behind it all: The Power Broker by Robert Caro. It’s an eye-opening look at Robert Moses—the man whose vision and ambition shaped not just Jones Beach, but much of modern New York itself.
瓊斯海灘州立公園位於長島南岸，大多數紐約人簡稱它為瓊斯海灘，近百年來一直是大眾喜愛的避暑勝地。公園的名字來自托馬斯瓊斯少校（Major Thomas Jones），他是皇后區的民兵軍官，17 世紀末，他在現今公園所在地附近建了一個捕鯨站。
瓊斯海灘的魅力除了它綿延六英里的柔軟白色沙灘外，更有它引人注目的裝飾藝術風格建築，從優雅的浴場到矗立在木板路上的標誌性水塔，無不令人嘆為觀止。這座公園由名聲顯赫的策劃師羅伯特·摩西 (Robert Moses) 於 1920 年代設計，從零開始建造，利用疏浚的沙子將一系列小型沙洲改造成一片廣闊、地勢較高的海濱度假勝地。
瓊斯海灘於 1929 年 8 月 4 日正式開放，為城市居民提供了令人耳目一新的計劃，結合了海洋空氣、休閒娛樂和經典的設計——這種魅力至今仍吸引著數百萬遊客前來度假。
2025 年 10 月 26 日，我們無意間在瓊斯海灘最優雅的場所之一的海濱蓋茲比 (Gatsby on the Ocean) 附近找到了一個停車位。它的設計引起了我的興趣，令我不禁想深入了解了這家美麗餐廳兼活動場地的歷史。
原來，海濱蓋茲比餐廳有著不平凡的歷史。這棟建築最初是海洋餐廳 (Marine Dining Room)，是 1931 年開放的西浴場 (West Bathhouse) 綜合設施的一部分。這浴場由羅伯特·摩西指導建造，他是一位富有遠見的人，參與了紐約許多公共工程的建設，包括瓊斯海灘本身。在早期，西浴場是一個熱鬧的中心，有數千個儲物櫃、一個大型游泳池和跳水池、一個淺水池，並為每年夏天蜂擁而至的遊客提供餐飲服務的攤位。
摩西甚至在樓裡保留了一間可以欣賞海景的辦公室——如今已改造成新娘套房。走廊對面，他以前的會議室現在成了新郎休息室，一個溫馨私密的空間，也可以舉辦小型晚宴或最多可容納二十位賓客的聚會。
經過數十年的使用和精心修復，這裏於 2019 年重新開放，名為海濱蓋茲比，現在是長島最受歡迎的舉辦婚禮、活動和海濱餐飲的場所之一。
隨著我對這段歷史進ㄧ步的了解，我偶然發現了一本書，它講述了這一切背後的故事：《權力掮客》（The Power Broker），作者是羅伯特·卡羅（Robert Caro）。這本書以令人耳目一新的視角來看羅伯特·摩西——他的遠見卓識和雄心壯志不僅塑造了瓊斯海灘，也影響了現代紐約的許多面貌。
Then, we took a leisurely walk along the two-mile-long boardwalk, soaking in the fresh ocean breeze. Along the way, I passed several playgrounds and open fields where people could play pickleball, tennis, shuffleboard, and even miniature golf in the summer. The atmosphere was peaceful and refreshing — the perfect way to unwind and enjoy the beautiful ocean views.
然後，我們沿著兩英里長的木棧道悠閒漫步，享受清新的海風。沿途，我經過了好幾個遊樂場和運動場地，夏天時人們可以在那裡打匹克球、網球、沙狐球，以及迷你高爾夫。這裡氛圍寧靜祥和，令人神清氣爽──是放鬆身心、欣賞美麗海景的絕佳去處。
While strolling along the boardwalk, I came across the Jones Beach Bandshell — an outdoor music venue that comes alive with free shows all summer long.
沿著木板路漫步時，我偶然發現了瓊斯海灘露天音樂台——這是一個戶外音樂場所，整個夏天都會舉辦各種免費表演。
Of course, there are also restaurants and cafés along the boardwalk. The current Jones Beach Boardwalk Café was built in 2018 to replace the original structure that was destroyed by fire in 1964. Its modern, resilient, and site-specific design is eye-catching.
當然，木板路上也有餐廳和咖啡館。現今的瓊斯海灘木板路咖啡館建於 2018 年，取代了 1964 年被大火燒毀的原建築。其新式摩登、堅固且與周圍環境相得益彰的設計引人注目。
As we walked along the Jones Beach boardwalk, the iconic Jones Beach Water Tower was always in sight. The tower, also known as “The Pencil,” was built in 1930 as an Art Deco landmark. It was modeled after the bell tower of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. Standing 231 feet tall, it is constructed from Ohio sandstone and Barbizon brick, topped with a copper roof. The tower supplies all of Jones Beach State Park with fresh water — a system originally designed by Robert Moses. Over the years, it has served other roles, including acting as a guard tower during World War II and functioning as a lighthouse at various times. In 2011, the structure underwent a major restoration. Though it is a historic landmark, it remains a fully operational water tower that continues to serve the park today.
當我們沿著瓊斯海灘木板路漫步時，標誌性的瓊斯海灘水塔總是映入眼簾。這座水塔，又稱“鉛筆塔”，建於 1930 年，是一座裝飾藝術風格的地標建築。它的設計是仿照威尼斯聖馬可大教堂的鐘樓。水塔高 231 英尺（約 70 公尺），由俄亥俄州砂岩和巴比松磚砌成，頂部覆蓋銅質屋頂。水塔為整個瓊斯海灘州立公園供應清水——這套供水系統最初由羅伯特·摩西設計。多年來，水塔也有過其他用途，例如在二戰期間作為瞭望塔，以及在不同時期作為燈塔使用。 2011 年，水塔進行了大規模的整修。雖然它是個歷史地標，但至今仍是一座功能齊全的水塔，繼續為公園供水。
Speaking of Jones Beach Water Tower, I am reminded of another landmark I saw on the road – Robert Moses Water Tower. Standing tall at the western tip of Fire Island, the Robert Moses Water Tower is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Robert Moses State Park. Rising about 200 feet, the brick-and-steel structure serves both practical and symbolic roles—supplying water to the park and acting as a beacon for visitors driving over the Robert Moses Causeway. When the Fire Island Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1973, a small flash-tube light was installed atop the tower, turning it into a modest navigational aid visible from the Atlantic. Built around the late 1960s, the tower’s height and location make it a familiar sight from nearly anywhere in the park. Today, it remains a popular photo spot and a reminder of the area’s long history of coastal engineering and Robert Moses’s enduring influence on Long Island’s shoreline parks.
說到瓊斯海灘水塔，我不禁想起路上看到的另一個地標——羅伯特·摩西水塔。這座水塔高聳於火島西端，是羅伯特摩西州立公園中最引人注目的地標之一。這座磚石結構的水塔高約 200 英尺，兼具實用和象徵意義——它為公園供水，同時也是駕車駛過羅伯特·摩西堤道的遊客的指路明燈。 1973 年火島燈塔退役後，人們在塔頂安裝了一盞小型閃光燈，使其成為一個從大西洋都能看到的簡易導航標誌。水塔建於 1960 年代末，其高度和位置使其幾乎在公園的任何地方都能清晰可見。如今，它仍然是熱門的拍照地點，也是該地區悠久海岸工程歷史以及羅伯特摩西對長島海岸線公園深遠影響的見證。
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