Rockaway Beach(Rockaway Park)

Located in New York City, Rockaway Beach is a very large and popular beach that has light brown sand and multiple rocky breakwaters. This beach is situated in the neighborhood of Rockaway Beach, and as an interesting fact, this beach was the subject of the popular 1977 song by the Ramones named Rockaway Beach. Rockaway Beach was named the 30th Best Beach in the Top 50 Beaches in the United States list in 2022 by Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as "Mr. Beach" – and the beach was was also listed by Lonely Planet as one of the 14 most popular beaches in New York City. Two memorials are present near Rockaway Beach - these memorials are solemnly dedicated to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2001 American Airlines Flight 587 crash. Rockaway Beach and the boardwalk near it were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and had to be reconstructed in the succeeding years. 

Rockaway Beach has lifeguards on duty during peak tourist season between 10 am and 6 pm. Rockaway Beach and the area around it also have many other amenities including barbecue areas, basketball courts, restrooms, watersporting equipment rental facilities, baseball fields, concession stands, biking paths, mobile charging stations, handball courts, fitness equipment, skate parks, showers, volleyball courts, and playgrounds. Rockaway Beach offers accessibility to people with disabilities. Pets are prohibited on Rockaway Beach between Memorial Day Weekend and October 1. 

Rockaway Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, picnicking, volleyball, biking, skating, handball, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing, bodyboarding, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, water-skiing, jet-skiing, and boating. The water near Rockaway Beach is immensely popular among surfers as it is known to have consistent and thrilling surfing waves - this beach is the only beach in New York City where surfing is officially permitted. The portion of Rockaway Beach near the southern end of Beach 90th Street is considered to be the best spot for launching your surfboard into the water. The beach usually offers fun and consistent surfing waves for all kinds of surfers. However, if you are an experienced surfer and are planning to surf in the water near Rockaway Beach, we recommend visiting the beach between September and April, as the water here is known to have extremely powerful and thrilling waves. If you are planning to enter the water near Rockaway Beach, it is also important to note that swimming in the water near Rockaway Beach is prohibited if lifeguards are not on duty. If you go in the water, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents, and there have been numerous drowning-related deaths here. In addition, sharks have also been spotted in the water near this beach.

Visitors should also be aware that local authorities may designate separate portions of the water near Rockaway Beach for separate recreational activities. We recommend visiting New York City Department of Parks and Recreation’s website for detailed information on the allotment of separate portions of Rockaway Beach for specific recreational activities. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near Rockaway Beach including dolphins, seals, and migrating whales (on rare occasions). If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of migratory and resident birds around Rockaway Beach including American oystercatchers, black skimmers, and peregrine falcons. It is important to note that a part of Rockaway Beach is seasonally closed to the public between mid May and August as this portion is used as a nesting spot by endangered piping plovers during this time. Rockaway Beach is a good fishing spot and you can catch many kinds of fish here. However, if you are planning to fish in the water near Rockaway Beach, we recommend following the local fishing regulations. If you are looking for a quieter beach experience we recommend visiting the western end of Rockaway Beach as this part sees fewer visitors than other parts of the beach. In addition, the parts of Rockaway Beach present between the southern ends of Beach 105th Street and Beach 116th Street also have a family-friendly and relaxed ambiance.

Getting to Rockaway Beach is easy - the beach’s eastern end is located near the ocean end of Beach 9th Street, near its intersection with Seagirt Avenue. The beach’s western end is located near the ocean end of Beach 149th Street, near its intersection with Rockaway Beach Boulevard. Free parking lots are present near Rockaway Beach near the southern ends of Beach 11th Street, Beach 12th Street, Beach 13th Street, Beach 14th Street, Beach 15th Street, and Beach 95th Street. Street parking spaces are also present near Rockaway Beach.

There are many attractions near Rockaway Beach. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is spread over 9,000 acres - this refuge preserves a part of the open water and marshes of Jamaica Bay and it has a vibrant landscape comprising many habitats including marshlands, woodlands, and water ponds. The refuge offers many fun activities including wildlife watching (it is home to more than 350 bird species), hiking, and biking and it has a visitor center that offers a unique insight into the local cultural and natural history. Fort Tilden (also known as Fort Tilden Historic District) is a former military installation that is primarily known for its famous beach - apart from this beach the installation’s premises also now include athletic fields, decommissioned military sites that can be explored by visitors (including a coastal battery and a Nike Missile launch site) hiking trails, an arts center, a theater, and an observatory on a historic coastal battery offering views of New York City. Fort Tilden’s premises also have a vibrant landscape consisting of many habitats including maritime forests, sand dunes, and freshwater ponds - you can explore the former military installation’s landscape via the biking and hiking trails present here. If you are looking for another attraction near Rockaway Beach, Floyd Bennett Field was the site of New York’s first municipal airport and it is currently a part of a Federally-managed site named Gateway National Recreation Area. This area currently offers a campground, historic sites, an archery range, a bookstore, a kayak launching area, a sports center, and a marina.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Rockaway Beach. The Chef’s Table serves amazing gourmet dishes for lunch, breakfast, and dinner including pastas, seafood, soups, eggs, waffles, steak, pork chops, and poultry dishes. Bungalow Bar & Waterfront Restaurant serves amazing soups, salads, pastas, steaks, flatbreads, sandwiches, pork chops, and poultry dishes. Uma’s has a hip vibe and it serves outstanding Central Asian dishes including manti, plov, and kebabs. La Cevicheria is a Peruvian restaurant that is known for serving amazing ceviches. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Rockaway Beach, Rippers is a popular restaurant with a hip yet casual ambiance - this restaurant is popular for serving excellent burgers, hot dogs, and fries. As another seasonal modestly priced option, Tacoway Beach is a seasonal restaurant which is only open in summers and is known for serving amazing tacos.

If you are looking for a hotel near Rockaway Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star The Rockaway Hotel + Spa offers many amenities including a spa, a pool, a bar, and a snack bar. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Hilton Garden Inn Queens/JFK Airport which is a 20-minute drive away and offers many amenities including a restaurant, a 24/7 convenience store, a 24/7 fitness center, a bar, and a complimentary airport shuttle service.