Atlantic Beach features a bridge link to the Nassau Expressway, the major thoroughfare in the Five Towns area of Nassau County. This drawbridge crosses the Reynolds Channel that separates the Long Island mainland from the Long Beach peninsula. The village occupies the western end of the barrier island dominated by the city of Long Beach, but 100 years ago it did not exist. Atlantic Beach was a sandbar that grew when tons of sand were dredged from the channel to form solid ground for a quiet and exclusive ocean resort. Blending resorts and vacation properties with permanent homes, the village incorporated in 1962 to maintain greater autonomy when North Hampstead decided to open town beaches to all residents. The exclusive oceanfront community of East Atlantic Beach shares the idyllic Long Beach area location, drawing summer visitors to activities like sand volleyball, surfing, cycling, boardwalk jogging, arts and crafts fairs, and outdoor concerts.