A summer in NYC wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Rockaway Beach, and though parts of Rockaway beach will be closed again this summer, NYC Parks is showing Rockaway Peninsula some love by way of a $33 million makeover.

The $33 million budget includes six different projects, all of which have either been recently completed or are moving through the final stages of construction. From a performance space and playground upgrades to a brand new parkland, all six of the projects are expected to be open for fun this summer.

Of the six projects, three are currently open, including a completely upgraded playground at Beach 59th Street, a new performance space at Beach 94-95th St. Gateway Plaza, and a brand-new Shorefront Labyrinth & Seating Area.

The Beach 59th Street Playground received brand new play equipment, rubber surfaces, and spray showers along with a new shade structure. In addition to the original entrances on Beach 59th and Beach 60th Streets, a new ADA ramp has also been built at the Beach 60th Street entrance.

At the foot of Cross Bay Parkway, just off the Cross Bay Bridge, is the Beach 94-95th Street Gateway Plaza and Performance Space.

This new stage serves as a venue for theatrical and musical performances, community events, and worship services, and even features a large screen for movie screenings.

The brand-new Shorefront Labyrinth & Seating Area serves as an escape from the craziness of NYC.

Located on Shorefront Parkway between Beach 92nd and 94th Streets, the area features a passive recreational area centered on an inlaid labyrinth for contemplative use–i.e. it’s a great place to clear your mind and meditate for a bit. Additional seating, game tables, drinking fountains, and new bike racks also make up the space.

Of the projects set to open soon at Rockaway Peninsula, the Shorefront Parkway Multi-Purpose Area will be the first to do so.

This project will bring new recreational amenities along Shorefront Parkway at Beach 77th Street, including sand volleyball courts, a lawn for playing or relaxing, table tennis tables, and adult fitness equipment.

Improved sidewalks, additional seating, game tables, drinking fountains, bike racks, and new landscaping will also be implemented.

A second playground, this one located at Beach 98th Street, is set to open early this summer.

Designed to suit visitors ranging from tots to seniors, the playground will include an obstacle course, tot play near the beach concession island at 97th Street to allow easy access to the bathrooms, and new shade structures and umbrellas for caregivers and other park-goers.

Lastly, set to open at the end of the summer is Nameoke Park.

Located at the corner of Nameoke Ave. and Augustina Ave., this brand-new park will feature benches and game tables, an adult fitness area, and two play units–one for children ages 2-5 and one for ages 5-12.

A central spray shower will provide a sense of relief from the summer heat, and in the colder months the shower area will serve as a flexible, free-play area.

Three of the Rockaway Peninsula projects have been funded by FEMA through cost savings from the Rockaway Beach boardwalk reconstruction after Hurricane Sandy’s devastation back in 2012.

“Rockaway Beach is one of the city’s premier destinations for sun and fun, and with multiple new park improvement projects opening this summer, Rockaway will be better than ever this year,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue.

“There’s nothing like visiting the beach for a day of fun and relaxation, and I encourage all New Yorkers to come out this summer, take a dip in the water, visit the concessions on the boardwalk, and enjoy these brand-new amenities,” added New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

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Harlem Bespoke:  The Studio Museum in Harlem’s permanent collection represents more than 700 artists, spans 200 years of history and includes over 2,500 works of art, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, watercolors, photographs, videos and mixed-media installations. The collection is a record of the growth of the institution and its activities, including its foundational Artist-in-Residence program.  A full breadth of the collection is available now to be viewed online: LINK

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The NAACP over the weekend issued a travel advisory for Florida, joining two other civil rights groups in warning potential tourists that recent laws and policies championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.”

The NAACP, long an advocate for Black Americans, joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino civil rights organization, and Equality Florida, a gay rights advocacy group, in issuing travel advisories for the Sunshine State, where tourism is one of the state’s largest job sectors.

The warning approved Saturday by the NAACP’s board of directors tells tourists that, before traveling to Florida, they should understand the state of Florida “devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”

An email was sent Sunday morning to DeSantis’ office seeking comment. The Republican governor is expected to announce a run for the GOP presidential nomination this week.

Florida is one of the most popular states in the U.S. for tourists, and tourism is one of its biggest industries. More than 137.5 million tourists visited Florida last year, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels, according to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism promotion agency. Tourism supports 1.6 million full-time and part-time jobs, and visitors spent $98.8 billion in Florida in 2019, the last year figures are available.

Several of Florida’s Democratic mayors were quick to say Sunday that their cities welcomed diversity and inclusion.

“EVERYONE is always welcome and will be treated with dignity and respect,” tweeted Mayor Ken Welch of St. Petersburg in a message echoed by the mayor across the bay in Tampa.

“That will never change, regardless of what happens in Tallahassee,” tweeted Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa.

The NAACP’s decision comes after the DeSantis’ administration in January rejected the College Board’s Advanced Placement African American Studies course. DeSantis and Republican lawmakers also have pressed forward with measures that ban state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as critical race theory, and also passed the Stop WOKE Act that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in schools and businesses.

In its warning for Hispanic travelers considering a visit to Florida, LULAC cited a new law that prohibits local governments from providing money to organizations that issue identification cards to people illegally in the country and invalidates out-of-state driver’s licenses held by undocumented immigrants, among other things. The law also requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to include a citizenship question on intake forms, which critics have said is intended to dissuade immigrants living in the U.S. illegally from seeking medical care.

“The actions taken by Governor DeSantis have created a shadow of fear within communities across the state,” said Lydia Medrano, a LULAC vice president for the Southeast region.

Recent efforts to limit discussion on LGBTQ topics in schools, the removal of books with gay characters from school libraries, a recent ban on gender-affirming care for minors, new restrictions on abortion access and a law allowing Floridians to carry concealed guns without a permit contributed to Equality Florida’s warning.

“Taken in their totality, Florida’s slate of laws and policies targeting basic freedoms and rights pose a serious risk to the health and safety of those traveling to the state,” Equality Florida’s advisory said.

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Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP

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