Your Guide To Rockaway Beach This Summer
21 photos
<em>What a lovely place to lose a wallet
Katie Sokoler/Gothamist<em>Rockaway Taco<em> (<a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)</em></em><p><br/><strong>EAT: </strong>There's a whole slew of <a href="http://brooklynbased.net/email/2011/05/rock-rock-rock-rock-rockaway-food-stands/">new food options</a> on the shore this summer. Of course, the grandaddy of them all is <a href="http://rockawaytaco.com/">Rockaway Taco</a>, (on 96th St) whose lines can reach epic proportions by mid-day. Get the fried-to-order fish tacos and whatever fresh juice they have for the day. </p>
<em>(Photo by <a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)</em><p><br/><strong>EAT:</strong> But there are also a ton of new concession stands on the boardwalk, like <a href="http://www.caracasarepabar.com/index_2.php">Caracas Arepa Bar</a> and <a href="http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/">Blue Bottle Coffee</a> (at 106th St); <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/boatsandbananas">Motorboat & the Big Banana</a>, selling frozen dipped bananas and po-boys on the boardwalk at 96th st.</p>
<em>(Photo by <a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)</em><p><br/><strong>EAT:</strong> Or get sweet on the vegan cupcakes from <a href="http://www.babycakesnyc.com/">Babycakes</a>, and "beach-inspired" Thai food from <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/Ode2Elephants">Ode To The Elephants</a> (on the boardwalk at 96th St). Head slightly further afield for grass-fed burgers, fries and fresh juices from The Meat Hook/ Roberta's offshoot Rippers (at 86th St). </p>
<em>(Photo by <a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)</em><p><br/><strong>DRINK:</strong> Kick it old-school at some of the neighborhood's longstanding bars, like <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/connollys-bar-queens">Connolly's</a> or <a href="http://nymag.com/listings/bar/rockaway-beach-inn/">Rockaway Beach Inn</a>, both of which have been catering to locals with pool tables and dartboards for decades. Sand Bar (above, at 116th St) and <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-wharf-far-rockaway">The Wharf</a> are the only bars at Rockaway with outdoors beachside drinking.</p>
<em>(Photo by <a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)</em><p><br/><strong>DRINK:</strong> "This is the best bar in Americaâour pina coladas will captivate your imagination," boasts Connolly's bartender Rich, who grew up in the neighborhood and has worked the bar for 26 years. As for those pesky Williamsburg types invading the beach, Rich isn't too concerned: "It's good to have a mix out here. You don't have to be one group to fit inâthat's what makes it fun. I tell people to go try those tacos all the time." For the record: the coladas, and their frozen lemonade/ vodka counterparts, are insanely good.</p>
<em>Surfer Richard Ustinich shows off his handpainted board <em>(Photo by <a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)<p></p></em><br/><strong>SURF:</strong> Rockaway Beach is home to the city's only <a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_newsroom/video/index.html?key=23">surfing area</a>, and many wetsuit-clad surfer boys (and girls!) congregate around 87th and 96th Sts. Get in on the action by renting a board at <a href="http://www.boarderssurfshop.com/">Boarders</a>, which carries boards, wetsuits, and paddleboards by the hour, plus bicycles at their smaller boardwalk outpost at 96th St. Get your balancing act down with surf lessons from <a href="http://skudinsurf.com/">Skudin Surf</a> down at 67th St. </em>
<em>(Photo by <a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)</em><p><br/><strong>HANG WITH LOCALS:</strong> There are plenty of characters at Rockaway. For example: this guy, Joe, who likes to bring his (harmless) pet ball pythons, Zool, Crush and Squeeze, out on the boardwalk for kids to play with. Seriously. </p>
<em>(Photo by <a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)</em><p><br/><strong>HANG WITH LOCALS:</strong> There's also a beachside <a href="http://rockapulcorun.com/">running club</a>, <a href="http://www.hotyogarockawaybeach.com/">hot yoga</a>, an obstacle course/ race called "<a href="http://www.beachpalooza.com/register2011_new_york.php">Beachpalooza</a>," and a <a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/Q164/events/2011/07/31/sandcastle-contest">sandcastle-building contest</a>! </p>
<em>(Photo by <a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)</em><p><br/><strong>ARCHITECTURE:</strong> The Rockaways have a huge mix of old/new development sitting side by side, which makes for an interesting (and, some would say, ugly) blend of architecture around the water. There are public housing projects at 81st and 86th Sts, plus giant boxy rentals and co-ops lining the waterfront.</p>
<em>(Photo by <a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)</em><p><br/><strong>ARCHITECTURE:</strong> Of course, the classic housing of the Rockaway Beach of yesteryear are bungalows, many of which can be rented by the week, and are under protection by the <a href="http://www.preserve.org/bungalow/">Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association</a>. Martin Scorcese <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/rockaway_empire_6UFeBQ2XraLGGoh6tIZSIM">filmed scenes</a> for <em>Boardwalk Empire</em> at the bungalows at 25th St, and an active bungalow community can be found nestled along 108th St. </p>
<em>(Photo by Nate Kensinger)</em><p><br/><strong>ARCHITECTURE:</strong> Further afield in Far Rockaway, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/06/18/a_look_at_abandoned_far_rockaway.php#photo-1">abandoned houses and bungalows</a> line the streets, the result of a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/realestate/27livi.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1308676015-3gKf2JlRULx3OfNoAPXjsw&gwh=1D8E619BF157E1F6335D475E2DFC1205">subprime mortgage crisis</a> that's left the area in poor condition. It's not a pretty scene, but it is worth exploring. </p>
<em>(Photo by <a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)</em><p><br/><strong>ARCHITECTURE:</strong> And, of course, what would the hip new place be without signs of massive gentrification, starting with these <a href="http://www.oceanonecondominiums.com/">new condo developments</a> facing the water (and, in, some cases, the housing projects) near 96th St. </p>
<em>(Photo by <a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)</em><p><strong>REAL ESTATE:</strong> Can't afford <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/realestate/24habi.html">your own bungalow</a>? You can always rent a summer spotâcheck out <a href="http://newyork.craigslist.org/search/vac/que?query=rockaway&srchType=A">Craigslist</a> and <a href="http://www.walshpropertiesinc.com/">these summer bungalow rentals</a>.</p>
<strong>How To Get There:</strong><br/><strong>Bike:</strong> A very popular option. Most routes from North Brooklyn take cyclists south on Wythe to Flatbush and across the Marine Parkway Bridge, then east past Jacob Riis Park to the Rockaways. Expect a solid 1.5 hour ride from Williamsburg or GreenpointâBikely has some good <a href="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Greenpoint-to-Far-Rockaway-beach">sample maps</a> that will get you to roughly the right area. <br/><strong>Train:</strong> Hop the <a href="http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/aline.htm">A train</a> (the one going toward Rockaway, naturally) and get off at Beach 90 or 98 Sts, then walk a few short blocks to the waterfront (you'll see it from the elevated tracks).<br/><strong>Car:</strong> Lucky enough to have wheels? Take the scenic route down the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Williamsburg,+Brooklyn,+New+York,+NY&daddr=40.6317756,-74.0400443+to:Beach+96th+Street,+Queens,+New+York,+NY&hl=en&sll=40.622552,-73.930779&sspn=0.191531,0.295944&geocode=FY4hbQIdsI6X-ylBKsEG_VvCiTFs18UcKfJ5gg%3BFd_9awIdFD2W-ykBBqEcjU_CiTHQ1uPC8nFw0g%3BFVlIawIdQqCZ-ylTBjuBR2jCiTFChAPv5Nb0Qw&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=12&via=1&z=12">Belt Parkway</a>, or try your luck winding through Bushwick and the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Williamsburg,+Brooklyn,+New+York,+NY&daddr=40.67441,-73.89657+to:40.6773312,-73.845506+to:Beach+96th+Street,+Queens,+New+York,+NY&hl=en&sll=40.637925,-73.929749&sspn=0.191487,0.295944&geocode=FY4hbQIdsI6X-ylBKsEG_VvCiTFs18UcKfJ5gg%3BFWqkbAIdhm2Y-ym5S7RGTlzCiTEVjPWzUyaOdw%3BFdOvbAId_jSZ-ykNe2Lo9F3CiTFwaf-DKbB29w%3BFVlIawIdQqCZ-ylTBjuBR2jCiTFChAPv5Nb0Qw&mra=dvme&mrsp=2&sz=12&via=1,2&z=12">Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge</a>. Traffic can be bad on both routes, especially mid-day on weekends, and parking is something of a painâwe've had the best luck circling around 90-100th Sts until a street spot opens up.