Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk

Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk is a 95-acre public beach stretching over five miles along the Atlantic Ocean on the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. The beach is the largest urban beach in the United States and the only one in New York City accessible by subway, making it an essential summer destination for New Yorkers across the five boroughs.

The Rockaway Peninsula's beaches have drawn visitors since the 19th century, when the area developed as a seaside resort community. The boardwalk, originally built in the 1930s, was largely destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and rebuilt using more resilient materials and design standards.

The rebuilt boardwalk features a concrete surface rather than the traditional wooden planking, designed to better withstand future storms. The reconstruction also improved accessibility, added amenities, and extended the boardwalk's connectivity along the peninsula.

Rockaway Beach has developed a vibrant surf culture that is unique among New York City's beaches. The waves at the Rockaways are among the best in the metropolitan area for surfing, and the beach supports an active community of surfers, surf shops, and seasonal restaurants that give the area a laid-back coastal vibe.

The beach serves the peninsula's diverse year-round community alongside the summer visitors who arrive by subway, bus, and ferry from across the city. The A train's journey from Midtown Manhattan to the Rockaways, while long, provides free beach access to millions of New Yorkers who might otherwise have no way to reach the ocean.

Rockaway Beach embodies the democratic promise of public parks: the ocean belongs to everyone, and a subway ride is all that separates the most crowded neighborhoods in the world from five miles of Atlantic shoreline.