Rockaway Beach

Rockaway Beach is a neighborhood on the 31.5 acre Rockaway Peninsula located in Queens, New York, on the South Shore of Long Island. The beach is bounded by Arverne to the east and Rockaway Park to the west. Rockaway Beach is the largest urban beach in the United States, stretching for miles along the Rockaway Peninsula facing the Atlantic Ocean. Rockaway Beach was once known as the "Irish Riviera" because of the large Irish American population in the area. The beach is operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. There are numerous beach accesses off of Rockaway Beach Boulevard. The Beach 116th Street access has parking right at Rockaway Park, as well as numerous other streets including Beach 113th Street and all along Shore Front Parkway between Beach 73rd Street and Beach 108th Street. There is a large boardwalk that runs the length of the beach, and in 1999 for the first time in 25 years, the entire boardwalk was open to the public following a multi-million dollar restoration project. Beachgoers can enjoy newly added spray showers and scenic dunes, and the beach area is complemented by a variety of shops, restaurants, and concession stands. The access on 116th Street is the final stop on the A train. Surf beaches are located between 67th-69th Streets and 87th-92th Streets. Note that additional rules apply to the surf beaches. There are beach mats available at Beach 17th Street, Beach 116th Street, and Beach 131 Street. Bicycling is permitted after 10am except on weekends and holidays between May 1 and September 30. Lifeguards are on duty from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The boardwalk is closed between the hours of 10pm and 6am. There is only one sampling location for Rockaway Beach East and West. Photo by: New York City Department of Parks & Recreation