To swim or not to swim - that was the question as thousands of New Yorkers flocked to Brooklyn's Coney Island for some Memorial Day Weekend fun in the sun.

"Not unless I have ice skates," said one beachgoer.

The water may have been too chilly for some, but for others it was refreshing.

"We're going to hit the water today with the Polar Bears [Club]," said one visitor.

"It's awesome. I don't care, it's just so beautiful and it's been a long winter. We've been waiting a long time for this," said another.

About a half-million people are expected to hit the beach this weekend, if business owners on Coney Island's boardwalk hoped the weather would hold up and the money would come it.

"I hope they come. We have the beach here. They have nice view and they can enjoy themselves," said vendor Leo Labrios.

Locals hoped the opening of the much-hyped Dreamland Park would give their businesses a boost, but only a small section of the park is open for business this weekend.

"It doesn't look 100 percent, but we'll take whatever it is because we really need it," said store worker Paul Georges.

Parks department officials noted that a number of other attractions are open.

"There are still lots of rides in Coney Island. The Wonder Wheel is open, the Cyclone is open. There are some kiddie rides still. There's a lot happening in Coney Island," said Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Julius Spiegel.

Meanwhile, Staten Island beachgoers celebrated the unofficial start to summer Friday with a ribbon cutting at South Beach.

The beach has undergone significant clean-up over the past few years.

"This is a gem. This is a gem that should have been done many many years ago. Now we have an attraction here," said Borough President James Molinaro. "You don't have to go down to the [Jersey] Shore and pay $6 for tolls and $20 for gas. You can come right down to South Beach. You can go to the beach, you can play beach volleyball, you can do whatever you want to do."

Queens residents also celebrated at Rockaway Beach on Friday.

The city opened its 14 miles of beaches to the public on Saturday, but some sections will remain closed right now due to a lack of lifeguards. The parks department said there should be enough by the summer because many of their lifeguards are still in school.

Lifeguards will be on duty every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Labor Day. Swimming is not allowed in sections of the beach where red flags are posted.

For more information on city beaches, visit www.nyc.gov/parks.