Featured in a Ramones song, Rockaway Beach attracts about 1 million visitors each year. The atmosphere is quite different from the concrete jungle in Manhattan – it seems like you are in another city, just like some beach cities: crowded in the summer and super quiet in the colder months. This peninsula has a population of about 13 thousand people. The beachside boardwalk, a little over 5 miles long, was revitalized and opened around 2015 – as the region got severe damage from Hurricane Sandy. From the subway station to the beach, you will walk about five minutes.

You can locate yourself by the “Beach streets”. The area between Beach 67 and Beach 77 is usually quieter and attracts a lot of surfers and there are some surf schools – these are the city’s only legal surfing beaches. The area between Beach 80 to Beach 100 is the busiest, with concessions of restaurants and many families. However, it is worth remembering that the beach goes from Beach 9th Street to Beach 149th Street. The waters are calm – but very cold!

The structure is also great: there are many public restrooms along the boardwalk, plus sprays showers and even free sunscreen. At the entrances to the beach, there are beach mats, making the beach accessible to strollers and wheelchairs. There are also sports courts and playgrounds for children and a bike path near the boardwalk.