Sandy Beach sits on Grand Island’s northeast shore along East River Road, facing the east branch of the Niagara River toward the Tonawandas. It was one of the first subdivisions laid out after the Grand Island bridges opened in 1935, when the island changed from summer cottages and farms to a year-round town. Many streets still follow that cottage-colony pattern: short blocks running from East River Road down toward the water, with original mid-century homes alongside larger rebuilds on the river lots. The water is the point here: the Sandy Beach Yacht Club, one of the island’s private boating clubs, carries the neighborhood’s name, and the North Grand Island Bridge to Niagara Falls is a few minutes up the road. Homes are in the Grand Island Central School District.