I hesitate to tell you about my favorite New England beaches because I don't want them to be taken over by people like myself who want to escape the crowds. So please, keep this to yourself.
The beaches I love are along the Rhode Island shore, in Watch Hill and further north, toward Narragansett. There are dozens of them, all famously unknown. Some of my favorites are at Watch Hill, a pretty, Victorian town about 3 1/2-hours north of Times Square. I like it because it's so low-key and not slick at all--a happy antidote to the Hamptons, a chaste alternative to Newport.
The beaches at Charlestown are even more remote. Now here's a perfect escape--flat, near-empty streets perfect for biking, miles and miles of dunes and peaceful beaches and lobster shacks. There's a fun summer theater nearby called Theatre-by-the Sea (tel. 401/782-8587, www.theatrebythesea.com). There's also a campy seafood festival with more than 125 venders from August 1 to 2. For lodging, contact Charlestown's Web site, www.cshell.com/ccc.
Another option is Misquamicut Beach. There's a muscular, sweaty college scene here, with loud music and bumper cars--great for the kids after dark. But families have a great time here, too, many of them staying at the comfortable, relatively quiet, friendly Pleasant View Inn (tel. 401/348-8200, www.pvinn.com). I'm hoping to get back there myself this summer.