Rockaway Park

Rockaway Park stretches from approximately Beach 125th Street to around Beach 98th Street. Beach 116th Street and its immediate surrounding area make up the commercial lifeblood of the western end of the peninsula. From Stop & Shop to Rogers (open since 1919), to the headquarters of The Rockaway Times, the commercial area of Rockaway Park is simultaneously in constant flux, but a consistent mainstay in the lives of Rockaway residents.

Rockaway Park serves as the “transit hub” of the west end. The A train’s western terminus is on Beach 116th Street, connecting uptown residents to midtown Manhattan via one of the three shuttle trains in the city’s subway system (and if you’re lucky the occasional A train in the morning or evening rush hours). The north end of the block at the corner of Newport Avenue serves as the first stop for the Q35, which runs up Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn all the way up to Nostrand Avenue, where you can get the 2 and 5 trains. Just outside the subway station is the Q53, which while providing an often-hellacious ride up Woodhaven Boulevard, nonetheless connects Rockaway to the borough of which it is nominally part of.  And it’s more of a hub than ever because Rockaway Park is home to the NYC Ferry at Beach 108th.

Despite being a commercial area for most of its boundaries, Rockaway Park is indeed home to many houses and apartment buildings. This neighborhood is often the introduction to Rockaway for many visitors, and it should keep you coming back for more exploring.

What’s new? Beach 116th is boasting a new pizza place in Crustinos Pizza, a new sushi place in E Sushi III as well as a new barber shop and Anny’s Restaurant, a new Ecuadorian restaurant. As for the beach, unfortunately, this area will be affected by construction for most of the summer. The boardwalk will remain open but beach access and on-duty lifeguards will be limited.