In Long Island City, Queens, the almost fantastic Water Taxi Beach is tucked away from non-waterborne transport but gets huge crowds during the summer because of its views of Manhattan, its DJs, and a couple of other good things: food and drink. During the day, residents of the nearby Queens West condos use it as a playground for volleyball and recreation, and at night it turns into an outdoor club packed with people who sometimes pay as much as $20 to get in. A chain-link fence surrounding the beach is presumably there to keep drunks from falling into the river, which makes it feel like a prison yard once you realize what’s framing your view. But it’s a far cry from the pious pastures and geriatric walkways that the Parks Department and community groups are otherwise inclined to give us.