We're heading into our third pandemic summer and, thankfully, after that long Omicron winter and dreary BA2 spring, Rockaway Beach, NYC's best subway (and ferry) beach, is set open right on time this Memorial Day weekend.
Well, kind of.
The boardwalk concessions promise to be ready for the big summer kickoff this weekend, but a lot of the actual, physical beach part of Rockaway Beach will be getting off to a rocky start. Like, literally, there are tons of huge rocks everywhere, due to some necessary if perhaps unfortunately timed jetty construction.
The official Parks Department schedule of summer beach closings is a little confusing. Through much of July, some parts of the beach will be open for swimming and others just for sunbathing. That's likely to change as the work on the jetties moves forward.
But what we do know for certain is this: starting this weekend, the beach from Beach 117th up through Belle Harbor is completely open, with lots of sand and lifeguards on duty, as are the beaches from Beach 86th down towards Beach 67th and Far Rockaway (basically, everything east of Ripper's).
In between those two points, the situation on the ground is murkier. Last Sunday, some stretches of sand offered plenty of room to spread out and bask in the sun or cower inside one of those personal tent things; others were littered with massive stones and heavy construction equipment. And once you're down there, there's really no way to tell which beaches are officially "no access," and which are "sand and recreation access only."
Not that any of that seemed to dissuade the hordes who showed up for fun in the sun last weekend. For the most part, people just ignored the signs and half-hearted barriers, and plopped down wherever they could. And despite the danger of swimming here without lifeguards on duty, there were plenty of people out there in the waves. It remains to be seen how vigorously the no swimming rule will be enforced by the Parks department going forward.
Patrick Kearns, a former Rockaway lifeguard who was lounging on the sand around Beach 112th Street on Sunday, told Gothamist he thought the beach closures were "a real bummer. I think it would have been cool to see them finish the rock jetties before the summer started. It seemed like they made some good progress, I don't know what's holding them back."
Open ocean or not, up on the boardwalk, and inland — by which we mean a block or two away — there are loads of excellent things to eat out here. If you want to take advantage of all that beach heading toward Belle Harbor, take the MTA shuttle to the end of line, Beach 116th Street.
There are a number of generic delis between the subway and the sand over here, where you can get an okay sandwich and a bag of chips for a picnic. Pickles and Pie has the best name and most colorful sign, but their food is indistinguishable from less flashy spots on the strip. Other options on Beach 116th include Meat Up Grill for burgers, the venerable slice shop Ciro's for pizza, and Carvel for some bland, frozen nostalgia. And for all you health nuts, there's a slick new smoothie and acai-bowl shop called Baya Bar.
The concession stand at Beach 106th may not have official ocean access right now — there's a chain link fence between it and the sand, though this can be easily scooted around — but it does have two of the best places out here for breakfast, lunch, drinks, and dinner. Those crazy hippies at Brothers are back with their unimprovable menu of amazing sandwiches, like the English Muffin Egg Sandwich with pesto and the open-faced Kimchi Grilled Cheese, and four of the best smoothies I've ever had in my life.
Most of the real estate Beach 106th belongs to Maribel Araujo's great Caracas Arepa Bar, with its jaw-stretching headliners (the De Pabellón, overflowing with shredded beef, black beans, cotija, and fried sweet plantains, is the stuff of legends), zippy empanadas and, finally, alcohol again.
Despite the ill-timed beach closing, Araujo is psyched for this summer.
"I think it's going to be awesome," she told Gothamist. "We had a great start, Saturday was insane, like a totally packed summer day, and we have our liquor license back in place. Everyone was in great spirits. When it's hot, New Yorkers want to get to the beach, and they're going to find a way to do that, so Parks is going to have to deal with it. It's the people's beach!"
The biggest change this summer is at the Beach 97th concession stand. Not so much with the vendors, with personal favorites like the wood-fired pies at Seany Pizza, the peerless Peruvian seafood snacks at La Cevicheria, the chowder and lobster rolls at Red Hook Lobster Pound, and the vegan delights at La Fruteria all returning in force.
But the space itself underwent a complete renovation, to be unveiled this weekend, and word on the street is that it's breezy, bright, and beautiful. Oh and the ice cream wizards of Oddfellows join the fun here, too. The plan is to keep this stand open year-round, which will be wild in, like, February.
Finishing off the boardwalk offerings, the rock-n-roll burger shack Ripper's is back again at Beach 87th, and they've got their massive Hardbodies waiting for you — it's the sexiest mountain of meat on the beach — and a new little bar area inside. This place is always a party, and with that for-now rare fully open beach at its doorstep, it should be packed all summer.
Just off the boardwalk, at Beach 95th, the legendary "Irish surf bar" Connolly's is opening for the season this weekend with some new owners, but don't worry, those of you who have been coming here since 1962, they've promised not to change anything, especially not that famous Frozen Piña Colada.
On Sunday afternoon I struck out at the appealing "food court" on Beach 96th. Last year's newcomer, The Cradle, a West African spot with the likes of Egusi and Efo Riro on the menu, was closed, and the kitchen at Bernadette's was deep in the weeds — they were quoting 40 minute waits for food — so I passed on my usual Bacon, Egg and Cheese here. Also not open on this strip: Gigi's gelato, right next door, and Raquel Confections, which specializes in gluten-free pastries.
The great Uzbek joint Uma's, on Beach Boulevard near Beach 92nd, had a available table on the sidewalk, so I sat down and wolfed a platter of their excellent Pelmeni — "Russian ravioli" stuffed with beef, topped with onion and yogurt sauce — which should be required eating for everyone at least once or twice every summer. And if you're looking for something cold, silly and sugary sweet, Mara's Ice Cream across the street, featuring flavors like Peanut Butter Pie, Cookie Monster, and Muddy Boots, has got you covered. Sit out back in the shady, sandy yard.
A bit further down the boulevard, hard by Beach 88th, is Tracy Oblosky's superb Rockaway Beach Bakery, now entering its sixth summer and still killing it with some of the best baked goods available anywhere in the city. If she has any Sticky Buns left when you're here, pounce (they sold out at 8:30 a.m. last Sunday), but everything else is awesome too.
And talk about old-timers: Andrew Field has already kicked off his 16th summer out here, slinging his iconic Fish Tacos to a lively crowd at Tacoway Beach, located in that funky back terrace at the Rockaway Surf Club bar on Beach 87th. I've probably eaten Field's Fish Tacos (I usually get a Chorizo one too, and a Watermelon or Pineapple drink) more than any other restaurant dish in my life, and it still hits exactly right every time. It's crisp, tangy, bright, juicy... to me, this is the taste of summer.
Finally, if you want to get drunk by the bay with lots of local boaters, Bungalow Bar at the other end of Beach 92nd is the spot for you. In addition to the booze, there's a full menu of "American classics" available.
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May 26, 2022 at 11:30PM
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Your complete summer guide to Rockaway Beach 2022 - Gothamist
"complete" - Google News
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