The Rockaway peninsula is getting a $33 million makeover
The beachy getaway at the southern edge of Queens is home to some of our sunny-weather favorites: the Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk, the Rockaway Hotel, Rockaway Brewing Company, among others. And this summer, there will be even more to love about the Rockaway peninsula, as NYC Parks recently announced that the area will see more than $33 million in improvements.
RECOMMENDED: Guide to Rockaway Beach, NY
The updates include six capital projects that have either recently been completed or are in the final stages of construction, said the parks department, including plans for new parkland, playground upgrades, a performance space and even a labyrinth for “contemplative passive reaction.” (Does that mean meditation? We feel like it means meditation?) Three of the six projects were funded by FEMA, allocated savings from the Rockaway Beach boardwalk reconstruction after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
“Rockaway’s resurgence has been well underway for years, and it will continue for yet another summer as these six projects in support of local families come online. From the brand new Nameoke Park to a pair of playgrounds to new Gateway Plaza performance space, these amenities represent a much-needed reversal of the disinvestment the peninsula has experienced over the decades,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. in a statement. “I look forward to working with NYC Parks and all our partners to continue making Rockaway a priority, supporting both the millions of visitors who flock there in the summer and the families who call its communities home all year round.”
As for the upgrades that you can already take advantage of, they include a totally reconstructed Beach 59th Street Playground, with new play equipment, spray showers, accessibility ramps and a new shade structure; the Shorefront Labyrinth, which features new landscaping, bike racks, drinking fountains and game tables; and the Beach 94-95th St. Gateway Plaza and Performance Space, which has a new stage for theatrical and musical performances as well as a large screen for movie screenings.
And if you simply want to get some ocean time in, NYC Parks beaches, including Rockaway Beach, open for swimming on Saturday, May 27.
