When we look back at the summer of 2020, we will remember it as the summer of adaptation to unprecedented circumstances. This is the summer of creative outdoor dining options, working out in the park and splashing around in sprinklers or diving into my sister’s swimming pool. This is our summer staycation.
Thankfully, Queens is home to Rockaway Beach, about a thirty minute drive from where we live. This summer, we eagerly anticipate our weekly retreat to our favorite beach at the Rockaways which has been our escape on a Tuesday or Wednesday to avoid the weekend crowds. We discovered the beauty and surprising change of pace from city life at the Rockaways years ago and have continued to return every summer. It is only now, when travel is restricted, that I can fully appreciate the Rockaways for its role as our go-to beach.
Beach
The Rockaways offer a long stretch of coast appealing to many and widely written about in numerous articles discussing where to go, where to eat, how to find (or avoid) the hipster and art scenes, and more. Since I grew up near the Jersey Shore, I had little experience with New York beaches but after reading a New York Times article about this hip beach, my son and I decided to take a drive and see this oasis for ourselves. This was years ago, I was pregnant with my second child and it very early in the season. We went on a weekday and the beach was empty. I had no idea which beach to target but after driving along the strip, I decided to park near the entrance of 106th Street. We were welcomed by the large and open boardwalk that unlike the popular spots of the Jersey Shore, is not lined with food stands selling a host of unhealthy choices, bars, arcades or shops selling souvenirs and beach items. We found just one restaurant serving Venezuelan food and a large, quiet, safe and clean beach before us. It was something that I had never expected to find in NYC. Ever since, we have continued to return to the beach at 106th Street because it is safe, the crowds have always been family-friendly, the food delicious, and the bathrooms clean. It has been an all-around good time that has not left us to wonder about the other beaches along the Rockaways or other beaches in general. For a more thorough rundown of the Rockaways, check out this article.
Facilities
There are a number of public transportations options for beach goers without a car but for those who do drive, be careful with parking. The parking lane on the road running along the boardwalk near 106th Street was repainted and rezoned last summer. The signage is unclear and has led many to believe that they have stumbled across incredible parking right in front of the entrance to the beach. But this is not the case as these lanes are for restricted vehicles only. The signs announcing that these lanes are restricted are posted on the sidewalks and separated from this lane of parking by a bike lane making it unclear if this parking is legal or illegal. It is illegal, and these spaces are only good for loading and unloading. We have settled into a routine of my husband dropping us off with all of the gear and then he finds a place to park somewhere in the surrounding streets.
The public bathrooms at 106th Street are accessible and well-maintained even on a busy day. I have relied on these bathroom while potty training my daughter and can attest to their cleanliness. Current protocols require that a mask is wore when entering the bathroom. While on the beach, masks are not mandatory as long as your group maintains a six foot distance from other groups. We have not had a problem keeping our distance from others while at the beach on a Tuesday or Wednesday but I cannot attest to a Saturday or Sunday. There are plenty of sprinklers not far from the bathrooms to wash off the sand after a fun day on the beach. All the basics are available and at one’s disposal.
Food
The Venezuelan restaurant, Caracas Rockaway, has contributed to our love affair with the beach at 106th Street. When one thinks of boardwalk food, hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream and other American standards come to mind. It was a pleasant surprise to find a restaurant on the boardwalk serving arepas, a Venezuelan delight, alongside empanadas, rice and beans and french fries. This restaurant also serves an array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks that in the past was accompanied by live music, ample seating and chill vibes. Years ago, the wait for food was not too long but over the years, the wait was sometimes as long as an hour. This summer, with pandemic protocols in place, there is the option to place orders online, an option I have yet to try. But on a weekday, even with social distancing, the lines are relatively short. Eating from Caracas while sitting on the beach at the Rockaways is a quintessential Queens experience given that this is the borough best known for its wide array of delicious and inexpensive ethnic food. The menu of Caracas transfers the multi-ethnic vibe of Queens to the beach that I so cherish and this combination of good food with the beach is probably as good as it gets. The food options are fairly spread out along the coast because the closest alternative is over at the 94th Street entrance to the beach. If you are unsure where to go first, start with 106th Street.
Given that the lines at Caracas are unpredictable because the food is consistently good, we have fallen into the routine of packing fresh fruit and stopping at our favorite Columbian bakery to pick up a selection of empanadas to enjoy on the beach. Coming back from the Rockaways has allowed us to venture into a wide array of neighborhoods across Queens depending on our mood. Sometimes it’s Peruvian from Pio Pio along Woodhaven Boulevard; other times we’ll seek out West Indian food from Singh’s Roti Shop, Veggie Castle (@veggiecastle), or baked treats from Sybil’s in Richmond Hill. Some days we’ll make our way over to Junction Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue to find authentic Mexican and Ecuadorian food trucks. It’s always something different but a beach day is often followed by a foodie adventure. We may not be able to travel, but a day at the beach often feels like a mini-vacation to a resort followed by a trip around the world.
Playground
This season we were greeted with a brand new playground right in front of the entrance to the beach at 106th Street. The centerpiece of Sandpiper Playground is a sprinkler area where there are built-in benches that lead up to the boardwalk and serve as a picturesque place for parents to watch their kids play. On either side of the sprinklers are play structures, one for little kids and a much larger one for the big kids. It is brand new, will hopefully continue to be well-maintained and is a great place for the kids to play while we wait for their dad to bring the car around. As much fun as they have on the beach building sand castles and playing in the waves, they always have plenty of energy to turn this shiny, new playground into an obstacle course. Just when we thought it could not get any better, it does. Sandpiper playground could not have opened at a better time.
Art
And there’s art too. Just further along the coast and before the pandemic, there was the option to pop over to Fort Tilden and see some art. Hopefully, this option will return next summer but for now I can share our visit to see Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden in 2018. Fort Tilden is about a fifteen minute drive from our usual spot at 106th Street but it was worth the trip and short wait to check out an old warehouse where the floor was filled with Kusama’s signature reflective balls. This international superstar has people waiting in line all over the globe just to have the opportunity to enter one of her spaces. This large space with its rough surroundings stood in contrast to the shiny balls scattered across the floor. It was an immersive experience enjoyed by the four of us and one that deepened our connection to the Rockaways.
For more posts about art around New York City and abroad click here.
For more about family travel, local (NYC) and abroad, click here.
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