The Rockaways

The Rockaways is a peninsula in Queens, a borough of New York City. The area is well known as Queens' main beach area. This article also includes the nearby neighborhoods of Howard Beach and Broad Channel.

Understand

The Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge, which connects The Rockaways with Marine Park, Brooklyn

The Rockaways hold some of Queens' most beloved, serene beach areas. The whole peninsula is a collection of neighborhoods ranging from middle to upper class. There are two main communities on the peninsula: Edgemere and Far Rockaway.

Get in

By subway

The Rockaways are served by the  A  and the Rockaway Park Shuttle (marked as  S ), with the A running East to Far Rockaway and the shuttle running down to Rockaway Park. The  S  and the  A  meet at Broad Channel station. The closest connection between the  A  and any other line is Broadway Junction in East New York

By bus

The B35 bus that goes down Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, starting from Avenue H between Flatbush and Nostrand, right by the Junction where Flatbush and Nostrand meet and the 2 train terminates, connects with Jacob Riis Park in the Rockaways, which has a long beach and pedestrian/bike paths.

By LIRR

The LIRR's Far Rockaway Branch serves Far Rockaway only. Note that this station is not included in the City Ticket program as going to it requires leaving New York City. 1 Far Rockaway station is located on Nameoke Ave.

By ferry

NYC Ferry runs a ferry from the Financial District in Manhattan via Southwest Brooklyn in Brooklyn. A single ticket cost $2.75, its possible to bring your bike along for an extra $1. 2 Rockaway ferry landing is along Beach Channel Dr, near the terminus Rockaway Park metro station.

By bicycle or foot

You can cycle or walk across the Marine Parkway - Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge, which connects the Brooklyn neighborhood of Marine Park with the Rockaways. To get there from further north, you can take the #2 subway to the last stop, Flatbush Avenue, and then take the B35 bus from Avenue H between Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues. There are stops on the Brooklyn and Rockaways side of the bridge.

See

• 1 Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge ( A  or  S  to Broad Channel). A rare bit of nature in New York. While much of the reserve has been helped along by human hands, it is still well worth visiting to see what Queens looked like before all the development. There are several walks. Free. (updated Sep 2023)

Do

Rockaway Beach

• 1 Rockaway Beach. One of the biggest beaches in New York City and the most popular in Queens. Biking along the boardwalk is particularly popular.  

Eat

• 1 Elegante Restaurant and Pizzeria, 9201 Rockaway Beach Boulevard ( A  or  S  to Beach 90th St), ☏ +1 718 634-3914. Often called the best pizza in the Rockaways, this place has one wall near the register lined with bills with compliments written on them. Budget. (updated Mar 2016)

Sleep

• 1 The Rockaway Hotel + Spa, 108-10 Rockaway Beach Dr, ☏ +1 718 474 1216. Check-in: 3PM. (updated Feb 2022)

Stay safe

The Rockaways are the home of surfers and world travelers. As a rule of thumb, the farther east one moves down the peninsula, the safer you are. The neighborhoods of Edgemere are very safe and home to a very diverse community.

Howard Beach and Broad Channel are very safe overall, but there is a level of insularity and undercurrent of racism in these areas that may make some people, especially those with darker skin tones, uncomfortable.

Connect

Cellphone signals can be weak on Rockaway Beach.

Go next

Routes through The Rockaways

Financial District ← East Brooklyn ←

N  S

→ END