This big, beautiful beach near NYC was just named the best in the US

Beach, please.As if the Hamptons needed any more hype.With Memorial Day Weekend right around the corner, a couple of Long Island hot spots were ranked No.

1 and No.5 on the list of the top 10 beaches in the U.S.

for 2025 — just as a neighboring beach was identified as a diarrhea-prone “bacteria hot spot.”Cooper’s Beach — located on the Southampton shores on the eastern end — has been ranked the best beach in America, according to Florida International University environmental sciences expert Dr.Stephen P.

Leatherman, aka “Dr.Beach,” a nickname earned because of annual rankings he started in 1991.The New York beach was noted for its “white quartz sand” and “large sand dunes covered by American beach grass interspersed with extravagant mansions.” “It’s a big, beautiful beach,” Leatherman simply told CNN.The beach boss — who uses a 50-factor checklist primarily made with swimming in mind, but accounts for scenery, sports and more — claimed the only issue with the swanky spot is traffic and expensive parking.To avoid being stuck in the driver’s seat or an unwanted parking bill, Leatherman suggested riding the free shuttle from downtown Southampton.The beach landed at the second spot last year, coming in behind Hawaii’s Duke Kahanamoku Beach on Oahu, which didn’t even make the 2025 list.The second and third spots were taken by Hawaii’s Wailea Beach on the island of Maui and Poipu Beach on the island of Kauai, respectively.Florida joined the list with Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples at No.

4 and St.Andrews State Park in Panama City at No.

7.Then the Hamptons reappeared at No.

5 with Main Beach in East Hampton.“Main Beach provides the perfect blend of nature and built environment,” Leatherman wrote.

“The big, wide sandy beach composed of grainy quartz grains has towering sand dunes and beautiful clean and clear blue water.”The expert also noted the high chance of star-spotting — and he doesn’t mean loo...