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Well, for beaches in NYC and NYC only, I prefer Rockaway by a whole bunch, but its also subjective. If you like rough waves, bit cleaner water, and less people (it gets packed but not nearly as JAMMED pack as Coney Island), hotter women (not that any of the beaches in NYC boast beautiful women like in Miami or foreign beaches like Rio De Janeiro but for what it is Queens tends to have the hottest women), if you want to surf then Rockaway is the place to be. Its pretty big and I like it more than Coney Island or Orchard Beach.
If you want lots of food options, take the train to Beach 116 where there's plenty of restaurants but its also the most populated and can get pretty ghetto. So I usually go to beach 90 and then when I am done on the beach, I take a nice trek over to beach 116 on the sand then hit up some of the restaurants to get some food.
Also, I remember some few, RARE times at Rockaway where the water was actually crystal clear, like a turquoise color, so clear you can see your feet. Nothing I have never experienced at Coney Island or especially Orchard.
So in a nutshell, for beaches in NYC I recommend Rockaway. Its not as hip as Coney Island and doesn't have as many attractions but its also much cleaner and less packed in comparison. And even less ghetto. Coney Island always has a special place in my heart but I've become more fond of Rockaway.
Thanks everyone. I went there the other day and liked it fine. Yes it's no Pacific Ocean but better quality of people and cleaner water then the beaches in Brooklyn. I have in the past been to the beaches in Long Island but those can be expensive to go to when you are just looking for a place to escape the heat.
They might not be rich but they are definitely more than middle class. I would say upper middle class at the very least.
And I doubt they any get tickets, if they have their own driveways and garages to park their cars on.
As for the signs, they are put there like I said; to prevent the masses from over-crowding their streets.
And it's not the police who decides where to put signs, it's the DOT who calls the shots on that. Usally under the request of council-members who advocate for their constituent's wants and needs.
You are writing from the viewpoint of an outsider/ivisitor. There are quite a few people in Belle Harbor who are far from rich. They have owned their homes for a long time or inherited them from family. They are small business owners, accountants, a few doctors (including my eye doctor). Jay Black lived in Belle Harbor when he was not rich (went to school with his cousin) and Kenny Vance, I wouldn't consider rich and (still lives in Rockaway) I think is in Belle Harbor. The judges and the politicians (and my former music mogul rich boss) favor Neponsit. Of course they get tickets, when they (WE) park on the street. Sometimes, I have taken a chance, especially further down on Shore Front Parkway and took the risk. I've gotten tickets. It's a pain when I used to go to my GP on 118th and the eye doctor on 122nd. The no parking has been effect since the 1950s and I don't know if the DOT existed then and they put them up or the police department, but it's the cops from the 100th precinct who have given me tickets and I even knew some of them, lol. BTW, when Shore Front Parkway was built, there was absolutely no parking any time, any time of the year. But some time in the 1990s, they started to allow parking at limited times.
Thanks everyone. I went there the other day and liked it fine. Yes it's no Pacific Ocean but better quality of people and cleaner water then the beaches in Brooklyn. I have in the past been to the beaches in Long Island but those can be expensive to go to when you are just looking for a place to escape the heat.
Of course it's no Pacific Ocean; it's warm enough to swim in and not too rough.
Rockaway Beach hint: the farther west you go from the subway terminal at Beach 116 Street, the better things get! By the time you get to the Beach 140s--Belle Harbor and Neponsit--you wouldn't even know you're still in New York City. In fact, the people in those neighborhoods act as though it's a private beach--which it is not. It's still part of the New York City park system. But even on the most crowded days, the beach there is like an oasis of privacy.
Just don't think you can drive to that part of the city and park your car in the neighborhood. Residents are very, VERY adamant about their streets not being choked by everyone else's cars, and they will watch you park your car and walk away...then call a private towing service and have your car removed. (And if you think I'm making this up, try it and see!)
Thank you Fred, the only accurate comment so far.
I have no idea what beach most are talking about, but it isn't the Rockaways!
For the most part, the Rockaways are a fairly empty stretch of beach, except during the holiday, and on very hot days. The crowd, as it is, pretty much gathers in two or three spots, near the two subsidized towers complex facing the beach (mostly a Puerto Rican/Hispanic crowd), and all the way at the end near the LI border/bridge. This is near a lot of residents for senior citzens, and many frequent this area. It is also where the showers and such are located.
There is also a fair crowd near the main part of the beach, in and around Beach 116th Street, this is where the subway, shops, and food can be found, as well as many older beach front apartment buildings
Overall, the crowds are a fraction of those found at Coney Island, Brighton Beach or any NYC beach.
To get AWAY from the crowds and to get a true beach experience (unless beach for you means jammeed among a bunch of numnuts), you will need to move east past Arvene. There you willl find a couple miles or more of beach 'reserve'. Grassy sand dunes, peace and isolation. Most of it though is offlimits to swimmers and people in general; but you can sit and chill on the boardwalk. Here there are only 'spots' where you are allowed to access the water, as it is a bird sanctury. Also, a lively population of wild rabbits have taken residence amoung the 'reclaimed' dunes (on the old bungalo side of the boardwalk).
THIS is the Rockaway I know and enjoy.
The water IS cleaner than in years past, and is Blue, as opposed to the putrid green of decades past. This reality is a testament to clean water efforts begun a couple of decades ago, and is evident in virtually all the waters surrounding NYC.
The waters of the Rockaways and those of Riis Beach are one and the same. The two are the only ocean facing beaches in all NY.
The water quality has improved to such a degree that fish are again running off the beach. I've noted excellent sized Stripped Bass and Black fish taken. Back in the day, the bay side abounded with large Porgies, Flounder/Fluke, and blue crabs. The bay side is also where the sewage plant is found (smells like crap!).
The caveate is that a few days ago medical debris, including hypodermic needles, wahed up on the beach. I found this surprising and disappointing, given the improvement. Back in the day this sort of thing began to occur frequently at Riis, and a great effort was made to determine the source. Which, if I recall, was found to be debris falling into the water from garbage barges used to dump garbage 'offshore' a few miles out. I think this was a result of the closing of the Staten Island dump.
At one point back in the day Riis was the hippest beach in the NYC area, a real party beach! Yes, Bay 1 at Riis was the nude and freaky area. Something those from Belle Harbor dispised and disdained and pretty much applied to all the Riis beach goers. Race played and continues to play no small part, as well as that most beach goers were Brooklynites. Little the residents could do, as Riis is on Federal Property, and part of the Federal Park System. As such, the city and the residents have little rule over the beach.
Though, I've always felt for the owners of that first house directly next to Bay 1, separated by only a chainlink fence. The shades on the Bay 1 side of the house were ALWAYS kept closed. It was not right that they were subject to other people's idea of 'freedom'.
Bay 1 was, indeed, ground central for everything hip, cool, and I suppose, Gay.
With the pollution and demographic changes Riis declined in popularity and stature. Today, it and the Rockaways are only shells of what they were back in the day; and even then Riis was less than it had been during the days of Robert Moses.
Note, the surfers are able to do their thing, precisely because their are so few frequenting the beach.
They are public streets as in "you can drive on them" but there are signs that don't allow you
to park there during the summer season.
Wealthy people have a way to protect themselves from masses that flock the beaches. Besides, most houses there have their own driveways and garages.
It reminds me in someways of the "private streets" of Forest hills.
Most of the residents are not necessarily wealthy.
Putting aside the influx of Hasidim, most of the homeowners are long time generational residents, many if not the majority are of Irish NYC descent.
A significant portion are 'wired-in', ranking firemen, police, other government unionized Brass. In addition, given the nature of the area and its devolvement over the decades, these folks represent the 'political force' which politicians must pay heed.
The dynamic there is not about wealth and its influence, but rather traditional NYC ethnic, Tammany Hall type, racial politics; good ole, graft, nepotism, and patronage.
I have no idea what beach most are talking about, but it isn't the Rockaways!
For the most part, the Rockaways are a fairly empty stretch of beach, except during the holiday, and on very hot days. The crowd, as it is, pretty much gathers in two or three spots, near the two subsidized towers complex facing the beach (mostly a Puerto Rican/Hispanic crowd), and all the way at the end near the LI border/bridge. This is near a lot of residents for senior citzens, and many frequent this area. It is also where the showers and such are located.
There is also a fair crowd near the main part of the beach, in and around Beach 116th Street, this is where the subway, shops, and food can be found, as well as many older beach front apartment buildings
Overall, the crowds are a fraction of those found at Coney Island, Brighton Beach or any NYC beach.
To get AWAY from the crowds and to get a true beach experience (unless beach for you means jammeed among a bunch of numnuts), you will need to move east past Arvene. There you willl find a couple miles or more of beach 'reserve'. Grassy sand dunes, peace and isolation. Most of it though is offlimits to swimmers and people in general; but you can sit and chill on the boardwalk. Here there are only 'spots' where you are allowed to access the water, as it is a bird sanctury. Also, a lively population of wild rabbits have taken residence amoung the 'reclaimed' dunes (on the old bungalo side of the boardwalk).
THIS is the Rockaway I know and enjoy.
The water IS cleaner than in years past, and is Blue, as opposed to the putrid green of decades past. This reality is a testament to clean water efforts begun a couple of decades ago, and is evident in virtually all the waters surrounding NYC.
The waters of the Rockaways and those of Riis Beach are one and the same. The two are the only ocean facing beaches in all NY.
The water quality has improved to such a degree that fish are again running off the beach. I've noted excellent sized Stripped Bass and Black fish taken. Back in the day, the bay side abounded with large Porgies, Flounder/Fluke, and blue crabs. The bay side is also where the sewage plant is found (smells like crap!).
The caveate is that a few days ago medical debris, including hypodermic needles, wahed up on the beach. I found this surprising and disappointing, given the improvement. Back in the day this sort of thing began to occur frequently at Riis, and a great effort was made to determine the source. Which, if I recall, was found to be debris falling into the water from garbage barges used to dump garbage 'offshore' a few miles out. I think this was a result of the closing of the Staten Island dump.
At one point back in the day Riis was the hippest beach in the NYC area, a real party beach! Yes, Bay 1 at Riis was the nude and freaky area. Something those from Belle Harbor dispised and disdained and pretty much applied to all the Riis beach goers. Race played and continues to play no small part, as well as that most beach goers were Brooklynites. Little the residents could do, as Riis is on Federal Property, and part of the Federal Park System. As such, the city and the residents have little rule over the beach.
Though, I've always felt for the owners of that first house directly next to Bay 1, separated by only a chainlink fence. The shades on the Bay 1 side of the house were ALWAYS kept closed. It was not right that they were subject to other people's idea of 'freedom'.
Bay 1 was, indeed, ground central for everything hip, cool, and I suppose, Gay.
With the pollution and demographic changes Riis declined in popularity and stature. Today, it and the Rockaways are only shells of what they were back in the day; and even then Riis was less than it had been during the days of Robert Moses.
Note, the surfers are able to do their thing, precisely because their are so few frequenting the beach.
As I'm from Rockaway, I'm sitting back and enjoying all of the posts. This one is spot on.
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