Summer Guide 2016 - compressed

Summer & Community Guide

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 7

Summer 2016

A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

BETTER AND BETTER This little sandbar of ours is some kind of place.

W

e put out a newspaper each week, always in a hurry. But a Summer & Community Guide is put together over months and makes us appreciate how much we’ve got here. We’ve got scenic beauty and a bustling boardwalk. (Well, almost) We’ve got energy. We’ve got summer leagues and volleyball and handball. We’ve got yoga on the beach and get-in-shape boot camps. There are surfers and skateboarders and stand-up paddle boarders and everyone seems to get around by bike.

But there’s no better place to relax. Settle into your beach chair or stop by a favorite place for a cool drink. We’ve got more choices than ever.

And our guide reflects the growing choices. Last year’s guide was 72 pages and this year’s is an astonishing 92 pages!

For those of us lucky enough to live here, we know Rockaway is a one-of-a-kind place, surrounded by water, buttressed by the spirit of its people.

Our 2016 Guide should provide handy information and highlight and call attention to the many services, great businesses and organizations here.

Dylan Watton did a big chunk of the research

and writing for this year’s guide, so we tip our hats to him. Our award winning writer, Katie McFadden, and Pat Morgan who just recently joined the staff have contributed some great stuff, too.

Our sales force is a force indeed. Fred Marino, Frank Chimera, Erika Farrell, and John Onorato are go-getters who excel and exceed our highest goals.

Pat McVeigh does everything and there’d be no Summer & Community Guide without her.

Our staff has worked hard so we hope you enjoy our second annual Summer Community Guide and feel compelled to hang on to it. We think it’s a keeper! We also hope you’ll continue to support our free weekly paper, widely available throughout Rockaway and online.

It’s free because our awesome advertisers believe in us. Please tell them you saw their ad in The Rockaway Times (and especially in this guide).

And lastly, we thank YOU, our readers. You’ve been there the whole time and inspired us to do better and do more. In short, this guide was inspired by you!

Kevin Boyle, Publisher

CONTENTS List Of Our Advertisers ........................... 8 Message from Phil Goldfeder............11 Boardwalk ...........................................12-13 Secrets Of Rockaway......................15-16 What's New ...............................................17 Civic Associations ...................................20 Boyleing Points........................................23 Rockaway Online ....................................24 Boardwalk Concessions .......................26 Musicians ..................................................27 Not So Secret Spots ...............................28 Breezy Point and Roxbury ..................30 Health Care ...............................................32 Good For Thirst ........................................34 Belle Harbor and Neponsit .................36 Did You Know?.........................................38 Rockaway Park.........................................40 Broadway In Rockaway ........................42 Rockaway Beach .....................................44 Art Of Becoming Local ..................51-52 A Walk Down Memory Lane ..............54 Bicycle Shops ...........................................55 Volleyball For All ..............................56-57 Arverne By The Sea................................58 What’s On the Other Side of The Shuttle Stop? ...................................60

Arverne .......................................................61 Fitness ..................................................62-63 Rest Your Head ........................................65 Rockaway Snapshots ............................67 Edgemere ..................................................68 Rockaway Waterfront Alliance ..........69 Take A Ride........................................ 70, 73 Education...................................................71 Sweets N Treats .......................................72 Naturally .....................................................77 Rockaway Classics ..................................78 Get On The Water ...................................79 Far Rockaway ...........................................80 Homegrown Art ......................................80 Places To Know ........................................81 Places Of Worship...................................82 A Day on the Bay ....................................83 Food And Drink .......................................85 Elected Officials.......................................86 Libraries ......................................................87 Runner Up Cover ....................................88 Summer Calendar ..................................90 A special supplement to

2016 SUMMER & COMMUNITY GUIDE Kevin Boyle PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Pat McVeigh CO-PUBLISHER Katie McFadden ASSOCIATE EDITOR DYLAN WATTON WRITER/ REPORTER PAT MORGAN CONTRIBUTOR Fred Marino Frank Chimera SALES Richner Printing Services, LLC DESIGN - LAYOUT - PRINTING

The Rockaway Times 114-04 Beach Channel Drive Rockaway Park, NY 11694 Phone: 718-634-3030 www.rockawaytimes.com Email: news@rockawaytimes.com © 2016 Double Nickel LLC.

8 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS his Summer/Community Guide is something we hope you'll hold on to. Although this endeavor has mostly been a labor of love, we'd like to take the time to acknowledge and give a special thanks to our advertisers who make it all possible. They believe in us and they believe in Rockaway. Please support them.

Fruit and Vegetable Supreme.....60 Goody's BBQ .......................................17 Herbalife Nutrition ...........................65 Hot Yoga ...............................................32 Jameson's.............................................53 Janet Redmond.................................81 Joseph P. Addabbo Jump Dance Studio.........................83 Karate Center......................................27 Kaufman Allied Patio ......................45 Kennedy's Restaurant.....................94 Kings..........................................................5 Lana's Loft ............................................10 Local Liquids Juice Bar ...................55 Margert Community Corporation.........................................80 Marina 59 ............................................61 Marquis Auto ......................................37 Midway Cabinets, Inc .....................66 Mill Basin Day Camp .......................86 Mirkin Vision .......................................61 Mode Unlimited................................38 Neponsit Realty, inc.........................39 New York Arbor .................................52 Nicole Frontera Beauty ..................93 NiLu Kids...............................................72 NYC Daylighting, Inc. ......................38 NYC Parks ......................................48-49 Ocean Bliss Yoga Studio ................57 OFF Season..........................................52 Paul's Bike Shop ................................21 Peter Galvin, MD ...............................46 Pico..........................................................47 Playland Hotel....................................28 Queens County Savings Bank ....87 Ridgewood Savings Bank.............78 Riis Park Beach Bazaar ....................36 Rockapup .............................................70 Rockaway Artists Alliance.............29 Rockaway Beach Gallery ...............52 Rockaway Cottage ...........................59 Rockaway Gliders .............................18 Rockaway Properties .........................3 Rockaway Tee's ..................................63 Rogoff's .................................................58

RT T-Shirts ............................................20 Sal's Transmissions ...........................62 Sandra Gottlieb .................................73 Sands Point Physical Therapy .....50 Silver Gull/Breezy Surf Club.........24 South Nassau Communities Hospital .................................................92 Spa Rockaway ....................................22 St. John's Episcopal Hospital .......91 Station RBNY.......................................19 Strands Hair Salon............................81 Tacoway Beach ..................................44 Thai Kitchen by the Sea.................30 Thai Rock / Rockaway Jetski...........6 The Neinast Team ................................2 The Rock ...............................................22 The Rockaway Theatre The Wharf.............................................89 Truck-A-Float .........................................4 UMA'S.....................................................51 Under the Tent...................................33 Where to go Map ......................74-75 World Champions YMCA .....................................................43 Zwerling Ophthamology..............12

ON THE COVER

This beautiful photo by Timmy Burke was perfect for us. It has the beach, a sunset, and a bike which just happens to be part ay Snaps aw of our logo.

The picture is like ES AY T I M S U M M E R G K AW UIDE Rockaway: magical! ROC s hot

AgeWell .................................................56 All Seasons Retreat & Fitness Studio.....................................................65 Allstate...................................................82 American Princess Cruises ...........13 Amstel Auto Body ............................76 Animal Hospital of the Rockaways ...........................................40 Arverne By The Sea..........................95 Aviator Sports and Events Center ....................................................34 Bay Ridge Lexus ................................84 Bayview Grille & Marina ................25 Bayview Urgent Care Center.......77 Beach 97 ...............................................40 Belle Harbor Chemists ...................54 Boardwalk Pizzeria Restaurant ...11 Breakwater Surf Co ..........................69 Breezy Point Dermatology...........66 Breezy Point Lumber ......................85 Breezy Tour & Travel ........................55 Brothers.................................................44 Buds to Blossoms .............................63 Bullochs of Belle Harbor................79 Bungalow Bar & Restaurant.........96 Burn Fitness.........................................60 Calemine & Co ...................................71 Casino Auto Body.............................68 Center For Specialty Eye Center72 Channel Drive Shell .........................64 Checkers ...............................................46 Ciro's Bakery & Pastry Shop .........62 Ciro's Pizza ..............................................9 Coastal Frozen Yogurt ....................30 Community House ..........................31 Company ..............................................41 Connolly's.............................................14 CROM Physical Culture ..................23 Curran's Superior Meats ................66 Dr. Elizabeth Murphy ......................66 Elegante Pizzeria Restaurant.......83 Emil's All Tire .......................................85 End of the A ........................................26 Family Health Center ......................35 Feel at Home Vacations .................59

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 9

Summer 2016

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 11

Summer 2016

FROM OUR ASSEMBLYMAN

S

OFFICIAL WORD

ummer in Rockaway has always golden days of Playland. These record been a special time for me. Some crowds drive economic activity across the peninsula as people shop at our local, of my earliest and best memories family-owned businesses, sample the are of going to the beach and food of our many incredible restaurants spending the entire day in the water. and enjoy the many amazing things that It’s a family tradition that my wife our community has to offer. At the same Esther and I now have with our own time, families who lost so much during children. Our son, Asher, and daughter, Sandy continue to move forward in the Eliana, were practically born in the sand. recovery and help grow our community For them summers mean building sandPHIL GOLDFEDER stronger and closer than ever. castles, chasing the waves and almost ASSEMBLYMAN never wearing shoes. As someone born This is the future we must build and raised in Rockaway who is now raisupon to give our children an even beting his own children here, there is no better way to ter life than the one we’ve known. It starts with sum up what it means to be from Rockaway. improving transportation to increase access to Now, as my wife and I recently welcomed our son jobs and economic activity. It means growing our Gabriel into the world, I can't help but think how small businesses, supporting the business districts Rockaway will grow and change in the coming years. that anchor our community, and embracing our My work has always been driven by the desire to greatest asset – the beach! If we can do this togethmake our community a better place for my children er, neighbor helping neighbor, we can expect as and for every family. With the birth of our third bright a future as Rockaway has ever known. child, my resolve to fight for Rockaway families and ensure a better future for all is stronger than ever.

Sincerely, Phil Goldfeder In recent years, Rockaway has experienced levels Assemblyman of excitement and popularity not seen since the

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12 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

BOARDWALK

The Boardwalk is Back, Sort Of

T

BY KATIE MCFADDEN

he Rockaway boardwalk is the backbone of the peninsula. It connects one end of the peninsula to the other. It’s a social hotspot. It brings people to the beach. And after being destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, it’s now back, at least for the most part.

Parts of the Rockaway boardwalk were built in the late 19th century and by the 1930s, the entire length was complete. The complete boardwalk runs from Beach 9th to Beach 126th Street, making it about 5.5 miles long. The Atlantic City Boardwalk claims to be the longest in the world, also at 5.5 miles long, but once the Rockaway boardwalk is complete again, it may share the title as longest boardwalk. However the Rockaway “boardwalk” is no longer wood. Now a concrete structure, some don’t consider the boardwalk to be a boardwalk at all, but rather, a concrete promenade after Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared that there would be no more wooden boardwalks built in the City after Hurricane Sandy. The concrete structure provides better protection for the peninsula from future storms and will always remain a

“boardwalk” in the hearts of residents.

The last wooden boardwalk of Rockaway faced its fair share of damage from fires and storms in its history, but it met its true demise on October 29, 2012, when Hurricane Sandy struck. In most areas, the boardwalk was pulled from its pilings and was sent floating right into the neighborhood,

Continued on next page

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 13

Summer 2016

BOARDWALK Continued from previous page with large pieces landing along streets and even into homes. Rockaway was left without a boardwalk and its backbone was broken.

The road to recovery has been long. Contractor Skanska, a multinational construction company based in Sweden, was given the contract to rebuild the boardwalk by the Department of Parks and Recreation. The project costs nearly $280 million. The Federal Emergency Management Agency allocated $480 million toward the project and the leftover money is expected to be used for other community improvements after the boardwalk project is finished.

Rockaway got its first portions of boardwalk by summer 2013, with the City building “boardwalk islands” around high-volume areas and those where the concessions are located, such as Beach 86th Street, Beach 97th Street, Beach 106th Street and Beach 116th Street. Last summer, residents and beachgoers got a preview of what’s to come when the first phases of the boardwalk project opened, connecting some of the boardwalk islands to each other. Beach 86th through Beach 97th Street was the first to open by Memorial Day 2015 and by July 4, the second phase, from Beach 97th to Beach 106th Street was also open, giving Rockaway a mile of continuous boardwalk for the summer, which boosted morale and tourism. An unprecedented seven mil-

lion people visited Rockaway last summer and more are expected this year with more boardwalk available. This summer of 2016 will be the first year that Rockaway will have a continuous boardwalk. Over the spring, the Parks Department had an early opening for Phase 4 of the boardwalk, from Beach 60th to Beach 86th Street, which were originally slated to be open by Memorial Day 2016. The early opening was well received, but the Parks Department announced in April that the opening of Phase 3, from Beach 116th to Beach 126th Street, would be pushed back until sometime in July after a crane collapse in late February in Manhattan led Mayor Bill de Blasio to create stricter wind constraints for crane operations.

The Parks Department blamed these restrictions on the delays of the project as the crane could not operate on high-wind days. Phase 5A, from Beach 39th to Beach 60th Street is still scheduled to open

by Memorial Day 2016. Once Phase 3 is complete, Rockaway will once again have a continuous boardwalk from Beach 9th to Beach 126th Street this summer, yet there’s still work to be done. As Phase 5B, from Beach 9th to Beach 39th, was not destroyed by the storm, the section remains open, but it will be redone so that the boardwalk will have a uniform look. Phase 5B is slated to open by Memorial Day 2017, which will leave Rockaway with an entirely brand new boardwalk by the summer of 2017.

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 15

Summer 2016

SECRETS OF ROCKAWAY

Hiding In Plain Sight

Q

BY KEVIN BOYLE

uick quiz? Where is Point Breeze Place? No, not in Breezy Point. It’s actually on the other end of the peninsula in Bayswater.

And did you know there are only two official New York City landmarks in Rockaway? The most recent one to earn the distinction is the firehouse on Beach 116th which was named a landmark just a couple of years ago. But in 1970 an old cemetery in Far Rockaway now known as the Cornell Burial Ground got landmark status. The Cornells were quite possibly the first European family to make a home on the Rockaway peninsula, building a place in 1690 near what is now Beach 19th Street. (The Cornell family founded Cornell University.)

The cemetery on Caffrey Avenue is now managed by the City Parks Department. Although it’s cool to know such a landmark exists there’s not much to the place. With no tombstones visible, the grounds look like any other empty lot in Rockaway and are not accessible since a lock on the fence keeps you out even though as the joke goes, you are dying to get in.

But while you might not get into the cemetery, other stops in this neck of the woods are worth it. Mott Avenue is best known for being a busy commercial strip but head north into Bayswater and keep going. Bayswater itself is a secret to many on the west end of the peninsula. Most people have heard of it but never ventured there. Too bad, it’s a bucolic neighborhood with some of the most beautiful homes on the peninsula.

Norton Drive on the waterfront qualifies as a truly scenic drive.

The last turn you can make on Mott before the road turns into Baywater State Park is Point Breeze Lane. Here you’ll come across an old shuttered mansion on a plot of land just shy of an acre. It’s a got a couple of brick columns at

Photo by Nancy Herman the entrance with “Sunset Lodge” etched into each. The house was inhabited by an assortment of eccentrics and has its own colorful history. It was eventually taken over by the Audubon Society and is now part of Bayswater State Park, which is one of two State Parks in Queens.

Bayswater State Park is worth a picnic or at least a stroll through. It sits on 12 acres with beach, marsh, and woodlands. There are a couple of picnic tables and no people. It’s a great spot to appreciate the bay’s beauty and enjoy a unique view of JFK. It’s worth the trip (by bike or car).

Another park known by few is Community Park. Situated behind the Edgemere Houses it’s a mostly deserted park but worth a visit for a couple of reasons. The park is located next to a futuristic looking Sanitation Department building

and adjacent to the old Edgemere dump. Sound inviting so far? Well, it is! The Edgmere Dump, now a nature preserve, is probably the highest point in Rockaway and offers a panoramic view like no other on the peninsula. Just don’t go there if the mosquitoes are hungry. The park, next door, is a wonderful woodsy place with a couple of piers that jut out from the park into the bay allowing for great views of the bay and JFK. You’ll see people fishing off these piers and sometimes see others doing the same on a long peninsula off Dubois Point on the other side of the channel.

You can still find stacks of the old boardwalk stored here (The Parks Department probably doesn’t want to advertise this but this is a “secrets” article, after all).

Gates are sometimes locked but that shouldn’t deter an explorer.

16 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

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SECRETS OF ROCKAWAY A secret boardwalk is another way into the park. Call upon your inner Lewis and Clark and make your way down Beach 54th Street towards Almeda Avenue. Venture onto the baseball diamond and head down the first base line. Keep going. Just past what would be foul territory down the right field line are two yellow posts that mark the beginning of a boardwalk into the hidden Rockaway Community Park. Pretty cool.

Not far from Rockaway Community Park is the 59th Street Marina. Some know this is more than a place with boats tied to creaking docks. You can check in with Truck-a-float and stay overnight in floating eco-pods. You might also find stand-up paddle boarders and kayakers doing their thing in calm waters oddly framed by urban reminders like school buses and public housing.

Heading west you’ll have the chance to have a look at one of Rockaway’s overlooked neighborhoods: Arverne. It’s mostly residential so unless you know someone who lives there you’re likely to pass it on Beach Channel Drive without a second thought. But turn on Beach 62nd street past the Addabbo Center and make your way towards Bayfield Avenue. You’ll wind your way through quiet blocks and then come upon modest houses with million-dollar bay front views.

There’s a marina off Beach 72nd Street and Thursby Avenue. Maybe it won’t be a secret when rumors of a new bar restaurant come true.

Fort Tilden. Everybody knows Fort Tilden. But nobody really knows Fort Tilden. Maybe some of the Park Rangers have it down but with the overgrowth of trees and plants there are more and more secret spots each season. You can climb to the top of Battery Harris and get a breathtaking view of New York Harbor. One spin around and you can see Long Beach, Brooklyn, The City, and New Jersey.

You can veer off a path that leads to a fresh water pond and come upon a dune peppered with bullet shells from when the fort was an active military base. Kids used to call it Bullet

Hill.

Bunkers and supply huts can be found throughout the fort. Some were long buried until Sandy washed away their cover.

Sandy revealed some lost treasures but wasn’t so kind to Shore Road. The mile-long road along the beachfront was upended by the storm and now only about a third of it remains. If you want to see the fort on the ocean side you’ve got to trek through the sand.

Off the beach, paths and roads lead to all sorts of surprises. The remains of a Nike missile launch site, bunkers with tram tracks, and concrete buildings that could have had any number of uses are sprinkled throughout the park. They are becoming harder to spot because nature is overtaking them.

If you can find the heavy doors leading to a tunnel and wide supply room, you’re a Rockaway explorer par excellence.

And while secret spots in Fort Tilden are never ending, there’s another secret place nearby in plain sight: Breezy Point. It’s a private community, so keep that in mind. If you live in an apartment, you wouldn’t like strangers walking through your hallways. They feel the same about their lanes and alleyways. Assuming construction is complete you can experience Breezy at the rebuilt Bayhouse and

Kennedy’s Restaurant. Kennedy’s is visible from the state road so it’s an easy find and easily among the finest places around. The Bayhouse is at a beautiful spot right on the bay. It’s the first right turn past the security booth. But here’s the crucial tip: stop at the booth and get a token or pass.

If you’ve made a day of visiting these secret spots, ending up at Kennedy’s or the Bayhouse might just be a perfect ending. But it probably won’t be an end at all because you’ll want to explore the four-wheel drive area at the very end of the peninsula. You’ll want to know about those bungalows that sit on the bay at Beach 85th Street; you’ll want to take a bike on the path that runs under the Cross Bay bridge and runs behind Beach Channel High School. You’ll want to visit Riis Landing behind the old Coast Guard station across from Fort Tilden. Maybe you’ll go to the Breezy Point Surf Club for dinner because the bar/restaurant is open to the public after 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Maybe you’ll turn on Beach 43rd and go all the way until the end.

Rockaway has surprises, you just have get off the beaten path!

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 17

Summer 2016

WHAT'S NEW

What’s New & Still to Come

S

BY KATIE MCFADDEN

omething exciting is always happening in Rockaway. A lot of new things have opened up since last summer and there is much more ahead.

For those of you who've been away or just didn't notice, Rockaway got some retail therapy. In June, the upscale boutique Off Season and the thrift shop Zingara Vintage opened in Rockaway Beach.

Polly & Esther on Beach 116th, featuring trendy fashion for young women, opened in August. In September, the fashion truck End of the A went brick and mortar on Beach 129th Street.

Rockaway got some new eateries. Chinese restaurant A + A Chinese Cuisine opened in Rockaway Beach last May. The old Irish Circle was transformed into the Community House, which opened in August. Rockaway finally got a taste of frozen yogurt when Coastal Frozen Yogurt on Beach 109th opened in August and Surf & Swirl opened on Beach 129th in September. This May, Ocean Bagels 116 opened on Beach 116th Street and Rockaway got a taste of Brazil with Beach Bistro 96 at Beach 96th Street. A new wine store, Ship to Shore Wines, also opened in Rockaway Beach.

Boarders, Breakwater and the Rockaway Beach Surf Shop have long served the peninsula with surf and skate supplies, but are now joined by Station RBNY and US Surf & Surplus, which both opened in Rockaway Beach in May. A kids store, NiLu Kids in Rockaway Beach opened in March, featuring arts and crafts projects, gifts and mommy and me meet-ups. The Rockaway Beach Golf Club, featuring virtual golf and a swanky bar, finally opened on Beach 100th. Rockaway also got a new hotel, La Quinta Inn on Beach 43rd Street.

Several places have or are reopening since Sandy. The Bayview Grille and Marina in Broad Channel re-opened in May. This summer, The Bayhouse and the Sugar Bowl are both re-opening in Breezy Point. Construction began on the beloved Harbor Light restaurant in Belle Harbor, which may be open by October for the 4th anniversary of Sandy.

Still to come: • Mike McMahon’s hotel and rooftop bar at Rogers • The Tubridy’s Rockaway Beach Hotel • The Rockaway Ferry

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Summer 2016

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 19

COMPLIMENTARY BOARD DROP OFF

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20 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS

GET Civic Minded !

D E T T SPO Queens Community Board 14 Dolores Orr, Chairperson Jonathan Gaska, District Manager 1931 Mott Avenue, Room 311 Far Rockaway, NY 11691 718 471-7300 cbrock14@nyc.rr.com Knights of Columbus Rockaway Council 2672 333 Beach 90th Street Rockaway Beach, NY 11693 718 634 3699 Rotary Club of Rockaway P.O. Box 940631 Rockaway Park, NY 11694 718 634 0005 Broad Channel VFW Prince-Wynn Post 260 713 Shad Creek Road Broad Channel, NY 11693 718 634 5106 Graybeards office@thegraybeards.com 718 634 6812 Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 21 Rockaway Beach and Breezy Point Mark Edwards Irisheds64@aol.com 646 662 2393

ay w a k c o R Times T-Shirts

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American Legion Post 1404 209 Cross Bay Boulevard Broad Channel, NY 11693 718 474 5029

Broad Channel Athletic Club 125 Cross Bay Boulevard Broad Channel, NY 11693 100th Precinct Community Council 92-24 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Rockaway Beach, NY 11693 718 314 4200 101st Precinct Community Council 1612 Mott Avenue Far Rockaway, NY 11691 718 868 3441 Rockaway Beach Civic Association P.O. Box 930134 Rockaway Beach, NY 11693 Rockaway Waterfront Alliance Rockaway Institute for Sustainable Environment 5803 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Arverne, NY 11692 718 327 5919 Broad Channel Civic Association Dan Mundy channelcivic@aol.com Belle Harbor Property Owners Association Hank Iori Belleharbor11694.org Rockaway Wish P.O. Box 950343, Rockaway Park, NY 11694

Summer 2016

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 21

www.rockawaytimes.com

22 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 23

Summer 2016

BOYLEING POINTS SUMMER GUIDE TO LINGO:

Come experience the exciting sports of Muay Thai and 1addleboarding in

New York City’s premier beachside getaway:

Rock Is Spoken Here

Rockaway Beach

BY KEVIN BOYLE

This one of a kind excursion is perfect for everyone! Whether you are a complete beginner looking to learn or an experienced Muay Thai stylist or paddler looking for new scenery and/or advancing your techniques.

D

o you speak Rock? If you want to honor the hometown roots or pass as a local... now’s a good time to brush up on the language spoken here in Rockapulco.

If you don’t know what a DFD is, you’re probably a DFD. DFD is the first code word of Rockaway. I don’t mean to insult everyone who already knows what it is but some people live under a rock, never mind speak it.

Anyway, if you’re here for the day, you’re a DFD as in Down For the Day. It’s not necessarily pejorative. If you own up to it you might get a local to nod in a nice way. But if you leave any garbage, or look sideways at residents, you’re a bad DFD. Don’t be a bad DFD. Some people realize the best time of day is when the sun softens and the crowds wane. They decide to stay for the week. They’re DFWs, Down For the Week.

Others come here and have a revelation. What am I doing? I could live here. They’re the smart ones.

They’re DFGs. Down For Good.

Once you get sand in your shoes (Rockaway is in your blood) you learn that a lot of people here live on Rockaway Time. That means last-minute or just plain late. The accepted excuse for tardiness is you got stuck enjoying the beach.

Neck ties confuse people. The Rockaway Tuxedo, a blue shirt and khakis, is about as formal as it gets.

Rockaway is in Queens as much as Brooklyn wants to own it. But we don’t fully embrace the whole Queens thing either. When we leave the peninsula we go to Queens, which is the mainland.

It’s not used much any more, but you get points for knowing Rockaway is, or at least was, the Irish Riviera.

Rock is spoken downtown and uptown (that’s east and west). Of course, getting to Rockaway is the price of paradise. And a lot of times that means taking the dear old A Train, not-so affectionately known as The Animal. As in, I gotta take The Animal. I got a job in The City, I’ll be riding The Animal.

On your way to an advanced degree in Rockology you’ll learn some people used to call it Rotaway when it seemed the place was on a slow and steady one-way trip to oblivion. But we’re on a big, big upswing so that one’s not used so much anymore. A new one has just been introduced though: The Rockaway Groan. That’s when you’re invited to somewhere off the peninsula in the summer months. I gotta leave Rockaway to go sit in somebody’s backyard? I gotta leave for what? Groan.

Anyway, no guide is complete without stating an essential truth: there’s three sides to every story: the right way, the wrong way, and the Rockaway.

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24 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

ROCKAWAY ONLINE journalist Dan Guarino.

RockawayPrimeTime.net: Rockaway News and interviews by young journalist Jeffrey Williams-Maisonet.

Check out these blogs and online pages that provide snapshots and stories from all over the Rockaway peninsula: TheGlorifiedTomato.com: A lifestyle blog featuring recipes, outdoor excursions, planting and gardening tips, and much more. All from real Rockaway women.

Rockawayist.com: A blog highlighting young entrepreneurs, new and old businesses culture, and some news with the goal of showing the world the “hidden gem” that is Rockaway.

RockawayBeachBlog.com: News and arts from all over Rockaway. Check out the live 90th Street Surf Cam. Broad Channel Free Press: A Facebook page dedicated to serving Rockaway’s sister island of Broad Channel started by respected community

OnRockaway.com: Started by longtime Wave editor and resident Howard Schwach, OnRockaway is a blog containing all of the news and more from Bayswater to Breezy and everywhere in between.

Friends of Rockaway Beach: A group page of Facebook featuring community events, locals bonding (and arguing) over common issues, and more. Administered by activist John Cori.

RockawayTimes.com: The website is like the weekly paper: free! Get news, buy a Rockaway Times t-shirt, see real estate listings, send email to the editor.

Summer 2016

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26 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

www.rockawaytimes.com

BOARDWALK CONCESSIONS What you’ll find along the boardwalk in 2016: Beach 17th Street: Beachgoers will find Dredsurfer, serving standard beach fare of burgers and hot dogs, as well as Caribbean specialties such as jerk chicken.

Beach 86th Street is the home of Rippers, a casual burgers-and-fries place that also has a good selection of beers on hand.

Beach 97th Street: In addition to another Boarders outpost, this concession has a large variety of food and drinks available: • Low Tide Bar: beer and wine • Breezy’s BBQ: smoked brisket and pulled pork sandwiches • La Fruteria: coffee, smoothies and sandwiches • The Bolivian Llama Party: homemade sodas and the now-famous saltenas • CitySticks: natural ice pops and oldfashioned ice cream treats • The Lobster Joint: lobster rolls • El Palenque: Colombian arepas

• La Cevicheria: Peruvian ceviche • Uma’s: Central Asian cuisine Boarders will also be selling and renting basic beach equipment.

Beach 106th Street features a local outpost of Caracas Rockaway, serving Venezuelan arepas, empanadas, and tasty frozen sangrias. New this year is BROTHERS – offering healthy food starting early mornings.

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 27

Summer 2016

MUSICIANS

From Behind the Keyboards

S

BY PAT MORGAN

ummer’s here and the time is right for sweet, sweet music. It could be an inside venue or outside near the ocean or by the bay.

For local musicians, like myself, that means excitement and then some. I have seen the crowds grow annually after Sandy. More local residents, as well as visitors, are catching on to the live music phenomenon. A lot of people I have spoken to weren’t aware of all of the places where live music is available. Therefore, I am required to be an evangelist for this musical movement.

The venues can be a bar/restaurant (moving from west to east) like The Breezy Point Surf Club/Silver Gull, Kennedy’s, Sugar Bowl, The Blarney, The Bayhouse, Riis Park Beach Bazaar, Jameson’s, The Wharf, Roger’s, Kerry Hills, Healy’s, Community House, Dalton’s, Connolly’s, Thai Rock, Bungalow Bar or the Bayview.

It can be one of the two concession stands that feature live music during summer weekends: Caracas and Low Tide.

They can be festivals like Rockstock and Barrels, The Rockaway Irish Festival, Between The Bridges, Mardi Gras or the End of Summer Block Party at Low Tide (right after the Mermaid Parade).

The variety of music include Classic Rock, Blues, Pop, Bluegrass and Ethnic. You have solo acts as well as full electric bands. The music is available on weekend afternoons, evenings and nights. At some places, you are able to enjoy the music while grabbing a bite to eat.

From a musician’s standpoint, there is nothing else like the electricity we receive from a Rockaway crowd (I am talking in general terms and being inclusive of playing anywhere on the peninsula and Broad Channel), whether it is ten people or a few hundred. Once we hit the first chord or sing the first lyric, the adrenaline kicks in and takes over. The response and participation from the crowds can be pure magic.

Live music has always been a special part of our community and fortunately, it is still growing. For those of you who continually support musicians and performers, thank you. For those who haven’t yet, what are you waiting for?

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28 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

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NOT SO SECRET SPOTS urfing and surfers have helped lead the revitalization of Rockaway. If you’re looking for surfing lessons, rentals, and more there are a wide variety of places to go: The surfing beaches in Rockaway are between Beach 68th-71st Streets, Beach 90th-92nd Streets, and Beach 110th-111th Streets.

The Surf/Paddlebard Schools: You really can’t go wrong with any of these four locations.

All offer great lessons and friendly teachers at a fair price.

• Locals Surf School: 6617 Seaspray Avenue, Arverne, NY 11692 347-752-2728 • Skudin Surf: Beach 67th Street, Arverne, NY 11692/516-318-3993 • New York Surf School: 192 Beach 92nd Street, Rockaway Beach, NY 11693/718-496-3371 • A Team Paddleboading: 114-04 Beach Channel Drive #5, Rockaway Park, NY 11694/ 718-945-0300 The Surf Shops: Need to rent a board, get a bathing suit, or satisfy

350123RT

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Surfs Up!

your other aquatic needs? Check any of these places out.

• Boarders: 192 Beach 92nd Street, Rockaway Beach, NY 11693/718-318-7997 • Rockaway Beach Surf Shop: 177 Beach 116th Street, Rockaway Park, NY 11694/718-474-9345 • Breakwater Surf Co.: 67-20 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Arverne, NY 11692/347-619-8376 • Station RBNY – 91-08 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Rockaway Beach, NY 11694 Where the Surfers Hang Out Before and After The Beach: Rockaway Beach Surf Club: 302 Beach 87th St, Rockaway Beach, NY 11693/ rbsurfclub@gmail.com

Summer 2016

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www.rockawaytimes.com

NEIGHBORHOOD GLANCE

Breezy Point and Roxbury

B

reezy Point and its neighboring community Roxbury are truly “sand-betweenyour-toes” types of places. Sand is everywhere. The neighborhoods lie at the far western end of the Rockaway Peninsula.

The communities differ from other areas of Rockaway in that they are part of a cooperative, a private enclave where residents pay for a private security force, sanitation pickup, and more. The co-op has been in existence since 1960, though Breezy Point’s history as a summer getaway spot dates back to the early 20th century.

In order to move into the community, prospective residents must first be recommended by three current members of the co-op and then approved by the Board of Directors. While residents own their homes, the cooperative owns the entirety of the area and residents hold shares in the co-op.

Breezy Point is also home to some of the area’s best nature, particularly at the Breezy Point Tip (part of Gateway) where piping plovers, terns, and other birds regularly congregate on the penin-

sula’s westernmost tip. Not to be outdone, Roxbury is situated right on Jamaica Bay and is located adjacent to historic Fort Tilden.

Both communities suffered catastrophic damage during Hurricane Sandy, with a massive fire taking out over 100 homes in Breezy Point. Slowly but surely both communities have rebounded and in each successive summer more and more old residents have returned. On Fulton Walk in front of one of a newly rebuilt home, there’s a gray sculpture that depicts a cherub with a face of longing, surrounded on both sides by plants. A gray sign leans against it with a lighthouse, a sailboat, and a message. It reads “If you’re lucky enough to be at the beach, you’re lucky enough.”

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Summer 2016

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 31

www.rockawaytimes.com

32 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

HEALTH CARE

Health Care in the Rockaways

P

eople fall at the beach, the trains can be perilous, and there’s always a chance of bike-on-bike crime. If you’re near or on the peninsula here are some places to get high-quality medical care: • St. John’s Episcopal Hospital: Since the closing of Peninsula Hospital, this is the only full hospital serving the peninsula. Very much on the upswing since new management took over. 327 Beach 19th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691/718-869-7000 • Bayview Urgent Care: Open weekdays and weekends. Held in high regard by Rockaway residents. Convenient and friendly. 115-06 Beach Channel Drive/718-474-7744 • South Nassau Communities Hospital: Not in Rockaway, but a short drive away through the Five Towns. A full service hospital offering great medical care. One Healthy Way, Oceanside, NY 11572/877-768-8462

• Addabbo Family Health Center: Offers a multitude of medical options, from free dental screenings to free pregnancy testing to pediatric and adult care. 6200 Beach Channel Drive, Arverne, NY 11692/ 718-945-7150 • Physical Therapy: Sands Point led by Tim Rohrs is located at 230 Beach 102nd Street.

• Veterinarians: Rockaway is extremely pet friendly and they need care too! There are a couple of great options for vets in the area. Animal Hospital of the Rockaways, 114-10 Beach Channel Drive, Rockaway Park, NY 11694/718-474-0500; Rockaway Beach Veterinary Services 92-02 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Rockaway Beach, NY 11693/718-408-7287

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Summer 2016

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34 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

GOOD FOR THIRST

The Best Drinks in Rockaway

R

ockaway loves a good time, and it has no shortage of places to get a beverage or three to get the party started. Here are some of the best cocktails, signature drinks, and more throughout the peninsula: • PICO: Belle Harbor’s Mexican-inspired restaurant features some outstanding rum recipes and margarita variations, including the Malibu Red-infused Loco Rojo and the Fire’s Out, containing blanco tequila, blood orange Pelegrino, and jalapeno syrup.

Get salted rims on both. 419 Beach 129th Street, Belle Harbor, NY 11694/718-945-3474 • Bungalow Bar: One of Rockaway’s most popular bars with an incredible back deck view is also the only one to feature Huckleberry Lemonade, using American-made vodka brand 44 North blended with the Northwestern fruit. Become the ultimate hedonist by getting the Pineapple Express, made with coconut milk, Myers rum, and pineapple juice served in a fresh pineapple shell. 377 Beach 92nd Street, Rockaway Beach, NY 11693/ 718-945-2100 • Playland Motel: Have a headache? Get the Painkiller, a decidedly summer drink using Blackwell rum, coconut and pineapple juice, and nut-

meg. For a classic city cocktail you can’t go wrong with the Perfect Manhattan containing Kentucky bourbon and sweet vermouth. Cool off and try it on the rocks. 97-20 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Rockaway Park, NY 11694/718-474-2603 • Connolly’s: The reigning, defending, undisputed king of the Frozen. If you like piña coladas (or vodka and pink lemonade) but not the taste of champagne, this is the place for you. A Rockaway staple for decades, this by-the-beach bar is a must-visit. 155 Cross Bay Pkwy, Rockaway Beach, NY 11693/718-474-2374 • Rogers Irish Tavern: Rockaway’s Irish heritage makes it the perfect place to grab a pint of Guinness. There are many an Irish pub where you can get served some stout (Kerry Hills, Brendan’s, Dalton’s, Jameson's, etc.) but Rogers is the oldest of them all, around since 1917. Get one right before having to slog home on the 53, 35, or the A train. 203 Beach 116th St, Rockaway Park, NY 11694 (The list here was compiled by Dylan Watton.

And if he missed any, well, he’s still investigating!)

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Summer 2016

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36 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

www.rockawaytimes.com

NEIGHBORHOOD GLANCE

B

Belle Harbor and Neponsit

elle Harbor and Neponsit are two of the most affluent sections of the Rockaways. They stretch from approximately Beach 125th Street all the way up to Beach 149th Street.

On Beach 142nd Street and Beach 147th Street, part of Neponsit, green plazas of trees, grass, and other flora go up and down the block, separating the left and right side of the streets on wider blocks than normally found in uptown Rockaway. Belle Harbor has a large and increasingly diverse commercial area and storied church St. Francis de Sales on Beach 129th Street; the vast majority of the rest of the two neighborhoods are entirely residential.

The two intertwined areas date back to 1900, when a New York State judge ordered that the land

west of Rockaway Park be put up for auction. The area that makes up Belle Harbor and the neighboring community of Neponsit was bought by Edward P. Hatch, whom after a couple years sold it to the West Rockaway Land Company in 1907. Belle Harbor and Neponsit differ from other Rockaway neighborhoods in their proximity to water. No house is more than four blocks from either the bay or the ocean.

Owing to its residential nature, parking during the summer months is nearly impossible to come by in both neighborhoods, particularly on weekends. The beaches are among the biggest and cleanest in the area. Belle Harbor and Neponsit also feature some of the best architecture in all of the Rockaways.

Summer 2016

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 37

Belle Harbor Resident

www.rockawaytimes.com

38 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

DID YOU KNOW?

Rockaway: It’s A Fact • We start with an easy one: Rockaway is part of Queens. Sorry, Brooklyn.

• Three Far Rockaway High School graduates have won a Nobel Prize. They are Burton Richter, Richard Feynman, and Baruch Blumberg.

Another graduate, Bernie Madoff, did not.

• The famous opera singer Enrico Caruso had a summer house in Bayswater.

• Rockaway Playland closed permanently in 1982.

The Playland Motel is now situated across the street from where the amusement park was.

• Riis Park parking lot was once the largest parking lot in the world. The Gateway National Management Plan of 1977 stated the lot held 9,000 cars.

• Far Rockaway High School played an annual Thanksgiving Day game against its rival from Brooklyn: Brooklyn Tech.

• Fort Tilden was an active military installation

until 1974 when it became part of the Gateway National Recreation Area.

• Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City and Bayswater Point State Park are the only state parks in Queens.

• Abe Beame was sworn in as Mayor of New York City in a private ceremony in his Belle Harbor home on New Year’s Eve, 1973.

• The Marine Park Bridge toll which is now $4 used to be a dime. That’s 10 cents.

Summer 2016

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 39

www.rockawaytimes.com

40 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

NEIGHBORHOOD GLANCE

R

ROCKAWAY PARK

ockaway Park stretches from approximately Beach 123rd Street to around Beach 98th Street.

Beach 116th St. 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 peninsula. 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

•

FREE PARKING IN REAR OF OUR HOSPITAL

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 the beginning of Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn all the way up to Nostrand Avenue and the 2 and 5 trains.

Just outside Pickles & Pies and Rogoff ’s 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.

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.

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 41

Summer 2016

The Rockaway Theatre Company

Yes Folks...

There is quality live theatre available right here in Rockaway! After a great day at the beach this summer, why not come and see a show?

We are located right behind Riis Park beach.

“Bringing Broadway to Rockaway” Operating in partnership with the National Parks Service in the climate controlled Post Theater, Bldg T4, Fort Tilden, Breezy Pt, N.Y. Featuring handicap accessibility and free parking Welcome to our 19th year of presenting full season line-ups of entertaining and professional quality theatrical productions at very reasonable prices. We also offer Saturday morning Children’s and Teen’s theatre programs as well as evening and weekend adult workshops in dance, acting, musical theatre, theatre tech, yoga and zumba. Our 2016 summer brings two amazing musicals to our stage:

IN JUNE

by James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim.

Directed by Peggy Page Press and Michael Wotypka June 3rd, 4th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 17th and 18th at 8PM June 5th, 12th and 19th at 2PM

IN AUGUST

by Harvey Fierstein & Jerry Herman Based on the play by Jean Poiret Directed by John Gilleece August 5th, 6th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 19th and 20th at 8PM August 7th, 14th and 21st at 2PM

Tickets: $20.00-Adults $15.00- Seniors/Children

And later this season: Wait Until Dark in September The Toxic Avenger in November.

For further information-Visit us at: www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org or Call RTC Hotline: 718-374-6400 All RTC programs are supported, in part, by public funds from N.Y.C. Dept. of Cultural Affairs and the office of Councilman Eric Ulrich.

000000

www.rockawaytimes.com

42 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

BROADWAY IN ROCKAWAY

J

The Rockaway Theatre Company

BY DYLAN WATTON

ohn Gilleece walked into the Post Theatre carrying a naked skeleton and a briefcase. But he wasn’t preparing for a medical lecture—his cadaver companion was a prop for Neil Simon’s play The Sunshine Boys, the first show of the 2016 season for the Rockaway Theatre Company (RTC).

Now in its 19th year, RTC has provided the peninsula with highquality productions of both original and adapted plays and musicals with the stated mission of “Bringing Broadway to Rockaway.”

“While we have improved over the years, it’s amazing that so many people still don’t know there’s a theatre company here,” Susan Jasper, RTC’s producer, said. “People just aren’t aware of what they can get here. There’s nothing like seeing live people on a stage. And you can see live people here in Rockaway for $15 when you pay $12 just to see a movie in theaters.”

RTC was founded in 1997 and first based out of the Park Place Seaport Theatre on Beach 116th Street. According to Gilleece, the company was in the middle of rehearsing its Halloween show when they lost the right to use that location. Shortly thereafter, the RTC Board approached the National Parks Service about an unused location in Fort Tilden, a former movie house for soldiers where propaganda and recreational films were screened during World War II. This was the Post Theatre, and RTC has called it home since October 31, 1997.

“We’re looking to bring culture first, entertainment second,” Gilleece, RTC’s artistic director, said. The dulcet tones of his voice lend themselves well to voiceover work, which he was recording for use in The Sunshine Boys that day. “We’ve seen the wonderful effects of live theatre in a community in the past 19 years.”

RTC has done renditions of scores of classic shows whose posters line the theatre, form Jasper’s personal favorite The King and I to Fiddler on the Roof to last year’s acclaimed One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. For many years RTC also produced the Rockaway Café, a series of jukebox musicals with original books and choreography; Jasper hinted it could make a comeback for RTC’s 20th anniversary next year.

RTC has recruited world-class actors to act in

its productions and is actively involved in training the next generation of theatergoers and performers with its successful children’s program (it is currently at capacity with a long waiting list).

Started by costume designer Peggy Vivino and house manager Peggy Page, the children’s theater workshops produce plays and musicals for schoolage kids 7-12 and teenagers 13-17, with the occasional integrated show.

Hurricane Sandy decimated the Post Theatre, which the RTC had spent years and hundreds of thousands of dollars renovating. “The flood came in one day after our production of Brighton Beach Memoirs ended,” Jasper said. “We had to start all over.” Through donations and many volunteers, RTC returned in 2013 with a Rockaway Café production aptly titled “The Comeback.”

RTC is still a not-for-profit organization supported by the community and by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of “people from the community who enjoy theatre and want to see it succeed,” Jasper said. Despite the shifting financial landscape RTC's prices have not changed in 16 years—all shows are $15 for seniors and children and $20 for adults.

“This is a theatre of local New Yorkers, which you don’t find in Manhattan anymore,” Stephen Ryan, who played Ben Silverman in Sunshine Boys, said. “You really become part of a family.”

During the summer RTC will put on two musical productions—Stephen Sondheim’s Follies, running from June 3—June 19 and the classic La Cage Aux Folles, running from August 5—August 21. For ticketing information call 718-374-6400.

Summer 2016

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 43

www.rockawaytimes.com

44 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

NEIGHBORHOOD GLANCE

ROCKAWAY BEACH

W

350157RT

hile the term “Rockaway Beach” is often used interchangeably to describe the peninsula as whole, it is in fact its own unique neighborhood. By zip code, it begins at around Beach 98th St., going eastbound the first use of the 11693 zip code. Rockaway Beach is home to the 100th Precinct, one of the two NYPD stations that serves the neighborhoods of the Rockaways. The A train crosses into Rockaway within the boundaries of Rockaway Beach and the western side of the line in Rockaway makes three stops in the area at Beach 90th Street, Beach 98th Street, and Beach 105th Street. The Q22 runs the length of the street that takes the neighborhood’s name, Rockaway Beach Boulevard (one the major thoroughfares throughout the entirety of the peninsula), along with the Q53 and Q52 which run into Queens. Rockaway Beach Boulevard is now part of the address of a number of new restaurants and boutiques that have popped up since Sandy.

Thus, Rockaway Beach has been ground zero for the Rockaway Renaissance. This includes the Community House, Playland Motel, Whit’s End, Uma’s, Sayra’s, The Rock Wine Bar, Rockaway Roasters, Zingara Vintage, and CROM Physical Culture. On the mile-long stretch of boardwalk, flocks of residents and visitors have frequented the new concession stands which contain a wide variety of favorites.

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 45

Summer 2016

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Summer 2016

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48 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

Rockaway Beach Summer Guide 2016

From beach yoga and Zumba to a roller disco under the stars, the Rockaways offer summer fun for everyone.

Here’s a sample of what’s in store.

www.rockawaytimes.com

FAMILY FUN DAY

Saturday, June 4 2:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

B. 108th St. Hockey Rink Join us for a fun-filled kids’ day featuring an inflatable obstacle course, bounce houses, snacks, face painting, crafts, games, and music. Sponsored by Councilman Ulrich

ROCKSTOCK AND BARRELS

Saturday, June 18 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

B. 90th St. Skate Park and Surf Beach Rockaway rocks with the 10th anniversary of this annual surf contest, skate and music festival. rockstocknyc.com

Summer 2016

WATER FESTIVAL Friday, Aug. 12 Noon–3:00 p.m.

Bayswater Park, B.32nd St. and Beach Channel Drive A fun-filled day of waterslides, bounce houses, popcorn, cotton candy, face painting, and more. Sponsored by Councilman Richards

YOGA ON THE BEACH

Saturdays, June 25–Sept. 10 8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.

B. 108th St. on the beach Join yoga instructor Helen Kilgallen from Elaine’s Dance School in this beginner Hatha Yoga class.

Bring a mat, large towel, or blanket.

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 49

SHAPE UP NYC: ZUMBA FITNESS WITH MAXIE

Tuesdays, July 5–Aug. 9 7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

B. 17th St. performance space Get in shape with this popular form of exercise featuring Latin-inspired dance steps.

Sponsored by Queens Public Library and Connect Care

ZUMBA UNDER THE STARS WITH LISA G

Thursdays, July 7–Aug. 25 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

B. 108th St. Hockey Rink Get in shape with this popular form of exercise and dance, which combines Latin and

African dance steps.

Sponsored by Sweet and Low and Coordinated by District Leader Lew Simon

DREAMLAND ROLLER DISCO

Saturdays, May 28–Sept. 3 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

B. 108th St. Hockey Rink Roller skate under the stars with Lola Staar. Skate rentals will be available, or bring your own!

...PLUS SO MUCH MORE!

Visit nyc.gov/parks for more Rockaway fun.

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 51

Summer 2016

ART OF BECOMING LOCAL

Just A Little Work

A

BY PAULA DIGIOIA

fter reading Klaus Biesenbach’s Becoming A Local article in last year’s Rockaway Times Summer Guide, I began to reminisce about my own passageway to the peninsula. I thought I should write about it, so when I’m old and gray sitting on my porch 40 years from now, I’ll remember how I ended up on the Irish Riviera.

My introduction to Rockaway was in the fall of 2001. It was my sophomore year of college at Pratt. My roommate, now dearest friend Susanne, invited me to stay over at her house in Breezy Point. It was her birthday weekend and the plan was to go to see her friend’s band, A Hundred Thousand, play.

I recall getting ready in my dorm room. I was wearing a jean mini-skirt and black high boots, which were platform and suede. Very 90’s goth. I didn’t like my shirt – it was a black, stretchy material with a mall collar and sleeveless. We were running late and I didn’t have time to change (again). We rushed in the car and headed to Rockaway. It was my first time crossing the bridge.

We spent the night partying. I thought the drummer in the band was HOT and I got his number. We hung out ‘til the early morning, ending the night at Pickles

PAULA ON THE PORCH

& Pies. I was told to get the Godfather (ham, salami, pepperoni and provolone cheese with lettuce, tomato, sweet peppers, oil and vinegar) and I did. I hazily recall an incident outside Pickles & Pies involving other friends from Pratt, a cab and a crazy commotion with numerous f-bombs dropped with a dash of semiContinued on Page 52

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52 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

THE ART OF BECOMING LOCAL

A Little Work Continued on Page 51

overt racism. Somehow we found our way back to Breezy. I drunkenly ate my Godfather on the floor in Susanne’s sister’s bedroom. It was so delicious.

I started dating the drummer in the band… and now he’s my husband! Between then and now, I spent many, many days in Rockaway during our courtship – 4th of July parties, all the summer holidays for that matter, random nights, Christmas, you name it. We had some times, alright!

I want to share one memory that sticks out in my mind. It was a turning point for me, the beginning of my assimilation into the Rockaway Borg collective. It was a summer night and we were all waiting on the sidewalk, getting ready to go out to the bar– I can’t recall whose house we were in front of or what bar we ended up at – but I remember what everyone was wearing.

I noticed my outfit – a skirt, a yellow V-neck shirt with sparkles around the “v” and matching yellow, glitter-sprinkled high heels. The other girls had on jean shorts, flip-flops and a casual t-shirt or tank. Some had hoodies tied around their waist.

I remember feeling out of place. It was obvious I wasn’t from these parts. I still had my Long Islandness front and center. The next time I was

on the peninsula, I toned it down a few notches.

I suppose at this point I started to recognize Rockaway’s distinctiveness, not just in what people wore, but in the culture. I learned of Rockaway’s eccentricities, its relaxed beach vibe blended with its city grit attitude, with a twist of Irish pride to top it off. It’s a small town with a big voice surrounded by a city like no other.

Now I’m here. Sitting on my porch, looking at the water, wearing flip-flops and an old t-shirt covered in paint, typing away. Looking back, I know I wasn’t 100 percent accepted in the early years. You have to earn your way into the collective. Marrying in is essentially like getting your Rockaway Green Card. Throw a house purchase in the mix, and no one will challenge your status.

But I think I was accepted way before then. If you can’t marry in, the assimilation process can be a long one. Either they like you or “you’re a herb!” *Don’t get me wrong, I still where glitzy outfits, but there’s a time and a place. Rogers is not one of them!

(For more of Paula’s musings, visit theglorifiedtomato.com)

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Summer 2016

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 53

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54 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

T

Memory Lane

he bus company that used to serve the Rockaways was known as The Green Line.

In June, 1993 there was a ship, The Golden Venture, smuggling almost 300 illegal immigrants that ran aground off Fort Tilden. Ten people died.

• Dunkin Donuts on Beach Channel Drive and Beach 113th Street used to be a Wendy’s which used to be a Nathan’s which used to be Rock Away a dance club-bar which used to be a movie theatre.

• The hockey rink off the boardwalk at Beach 108th used to be a basketball court known as unofficially McGuire’s Park because famous basketball players Al and Dick McGuire played there often.

• There were shops and attractions on the boardwalk in the Beach 30’s --- most were destroyed by a fire in September 1969.

• In the late 1930s there was an airport in Edgemere called the Rockaway Airport. It was taken over by the military during World War II and never reopened as a commercial airport after the war.

• The prayer garden of St. Francis de Sales on Rockaway Beach Boulevard between Beach 129th and Beach 128th Street was the former site of the Seville Hotel which was used as a nursing home for many years.

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 55

Look for our upcoming bus tours: • LI Wine Tour, Sight & Sound Theater “Samson” • Nashville • Taste of Maine • Fall Foliage in Vermont • Newport at Christmas and more…..

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ith a boardwalk that is expected to run from Beach 126th to Beach 9th (most of it new, some still to be replaced) for the first time in almost four years, bicycles will get plenty of use this summer. It’s not unusual to see dozens of bikes locked outside pubs and boardwalk railings seem like they come adorned with bikes. It’s simply the best way to get around the peninsula. Rockaway has two full-service bicycle shops to meet all your needs. Here’s to a flats-free summer but just in case: Paul’s Bicycle Shop is located at 163 Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Beach (718 318 2000). In addition to bicycle sales and repairs, the shop also provides rental service. And great customer service!

You can also make a stop and see John at The Mini Mall which is located at 430 Beach 129th Street in Belle Harbor (718 945-6787). The shop specializes in beach cruisers, new and refurbished, and also provides repair services.

www.rockawaytimes.com

56 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

THE ROCKAWAY BEACH

R

Volleyball For All

ockaway Beach has become New York City’s training ground for the city's best volleyball players thanks to the Rockaway Beach Volleyball League.

Riis Park is a site to behold every Wednesday night during the summer as over a thousand beach loving “athletes” of every size, gender and age come together making every Wednesday the social event of the summer.

With 76 teams playing coed six player beach volleyball the guys and girls mix it up on and off the court as only Rockaway can.

Started in 1989 with two nets and four teams made up of a bunch of friends getting together, the league has grown into the college recruiting breeding ground that it is today. Rockaway has always been known for its great basketball and swimming teams, but

as the decades went by with the parents now playing beach volleyball, a generation of kids grew up around the game. The high school city and state championship teams are usually sprinkled with Rockaway kids who have been bumping, setting and spiking since they could walk. Many Rockaway kids through the years have played college ball throughout the country in Division I, II, and III. The league is comprised of nine divisions so whether you are an overweight grandpa or a future Division 1 college athlete there is a league for you. The game brings families together.

Many teams start out as family affairs, with parents and their young high school kids playing Continued on next page

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 57

Summer 2016

VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE

Continued from previous page

together. Until the kids pass the parents skill level and move on to form teams of their own with their peers and move up through the better divisions. Lifelong friends form teams and share laughs, memories, and the bond that only sports can provide. Each week one of Rockaway’s local bars sponsor the week and after the last net is taken down the players head there for a free buffet and some cordials as they talk about the night's action.

It is not all fun and merriment though, because after all, it is sport. While the games are played between friends and neighbors in a good natured atmosphere, as Vince Lombardi said, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” Nobody likes to lose, and the most coveted prize in Rockaway is to win the championship sweatshirt at the end of the year. Winners proudly wear that sweat-

shirt around town and earn a new level of respect from their neighbors.

The first night of play is May 20th, which is practice night when players gather to get their uniforms, set up the net and get the rust off those old bones. The games count for real starting May 27th and continue every Wednesday until August 5th. The playoffs are on Saturday August 8th starting at 10 am.

If you have never been to the playoffs you should put it on your calendar, it is fun filled day with music, food, and great competition as the players fight it out for six hours of volleyball at its best.

The Rockaway Beach Volleyball League is a nonprofit organization. To run a league of this size takes a lot of hard work. It is run by a committee of eight people who volunteer their time and limited skills to organizing the league. Check out RBVL.com to learn more.

OCEAN BLISS YOGA STUDIO 112-20 Beach Channel Drive 646-492-4455

across from Stop & Shop’s at Mrs. Elaine’s Dance Studio (2nd fl)

www.oceanblissyoga.net or visit Ocean Bliss Yoga FB page Effective May 27th, Memorial Day Weekend SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

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8:30 am Breathe & Flow Yoga 75 min Lori

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8:30 am Align & Flow Yoga 75 min Helen

PRIVATE CLASSES

8:30 am Align & Flow Yoga 75 min Helen

8:30 am Align & Flow Yoga 75 min Denise Ends June 18

10:00 am Children’s Yoga Age 4 & up $10

10:00 am Stretch/Restore 70 min Helen

10:00 am Basic Yoga 70 min Kathy

10:00 am Yin Yoga 70 min Sarah

10:00 am Wall/Gentle 70 min Sarah Starts May 20

9:45 am Yoga Flow 60 min starts 6/25

7:00 pm Yin Yoga 75 min Paulette

7:30 pm Evening Flow 60 min Cecilia

June 24th Yin Workshop 6-7:30pm with Helen $25

Beach Yoga starts on June 25th at 8am on 108th St.

7:00 pm Stretch/Restore 75 min Helen

7:00 pm Evening Flow 75 min Paulette

SUMMER SPECIAL: STUDENTS, MILITARY AND LIFEGUARDS $10 per class.

Helen Kilgallen - 646-492-4455 email: rockawayhelen@aol.com

• $160 for 2 Months of Unlimited Yoga • 10 Classes for $120 • $15 drop in Please Visit our Website @oceanblissyoga.net for any changes to the schedule, special workshops and more information about the classes

“I came for yoga and stayed for community”

58 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

www.rockawaytimes.com

NEIGHBORHOOD GLANCE

A

ARVERNE BY THE SEA

rverne by the Sea doesn’t look like anything else in Rockaway.

To its west on Shore Front Parkway are Dayton and Surfside Towers, 12-story high apartment buildings that have been around for decades.

To the immediate east there remains a lack of beachfront property in Edgemere and other parts of Far Rockaway.

But from the Ocean Breeze Condos on Beach 80th Street to the neighboring Water’s Edge complex on Beach 60th Street, Arverne by the Sea has led a revitalization of the south side of Arverne and is a primary symbol of the overall Rockaway Renaissance.

Arverne by the Sea is split up into six separate “neighborhoods”—Ocean Breeze (which is exclusively condos), Palmer’s Landing, The Sands, The Breakers, The Dunes, and the still-to-be-developed The Tides, which will be a mix of residential and retail once completed. Most of the complex is soldout, with only The Dunes having very limited space

left. Arverne by the Sea has spearheaded the remaking of the north side of Rockaway Beach Boulevard by bringing in the Rockaway YMCA, a giant Stop and Shop, a transit plaza on Beach 69th Street, and a retail area containing banks, food, a beauty parlor, a surfclothes store, and the headquarters of Congressman Gregory Meeks.

Glenn DiResto co-owns Rockaway Jet Ski and is a lifelong Rockaway resident. He said that he was intrigued by the development despite the high cost for the homes and has been thrilled since he moved in eight years ago. “Rockaway was not a destination. This whole development changed the whole dynamic of what’s going on here. It’s well-thought out, developed and designed right on the waterfront. It was attracting new people to the peninsula. This and the surfing community are the two biggest factors in the change in Rockaway.”

Summer 2016

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 59

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60 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

What’s On the Other Side of The Shuttle Stop?

BROAD CHANNEL

BY DAN GUARINO

S

o what’s on the other side of subway wall at Broad Channel Station? Only the last inhabited island in Jamaica Bay, a terrific community and nearly overlooked treasure that will make you think you stepped into another world.

Back in the day the small island boasted hotels, restaurants, dance halls, night clubs, a huge swimming pool and sports complex, outdoor movie theater, miniature golf course, its own airstrip and even hunting, fishing and more. Along the way it was also home to over 40 bars.

In the 1920’s, during Prohibition, speakeasies and homemade distilleries sprouted. Being an island had its advantages for illegal rum running, and the Channel was often referred to as “Little Cuba.”

Venturing beyond the shuttle stop, is well worth the trip. Strolling through its streets, viewing the several canals built behind the house on its west side, passing by its many boat clubs or seeing the rows of homes still built out on stilts over the water will take you as far as away from the city as

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you can get, at least in imagination miles.

Broad Channel offers fun bayside dining at the newly reopened Bayview Grille & Marina. You can also get bagels, drinks, and other edibles nearby and pick up whatever you might need at several stops on the town’s main street, Cross Bay Boulevard.

Broad Channel is also home to the National Park Service’s Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

Dubbed one of the most important urban refuges in the U.S., people from around the world come to explore its 9,155 acres and glimpse the more than 330 bird species and other animals there.

And you just passed through it on your way into Broad Channel Station! How amazing is that?

Dan Guarino is a Broad Channel resident, awardwinning associate editor, writer of the Broad Channel Bits column, founder of Facebook’s Broad Channel Free Press page and author of two books on Broad Channel.

“I don’t just write about this stuff. I live here,” he says.

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 61

Summer 2016

NEIGHBORHOOD GLANCE

A

ARVERNE

rverne has a rich past as one of Rockaway’s most historically important and transitive neighborhoods. Today, the area’s boundaries are generally defined as stretching from Beach 56th Street going west to Beach 79th Street. The neighborhood proper gets its name from a developer and lawyer named Remington Vernam, as his wife realized that the way he signed his checks (“R. Vernam”) would make for a distinctive name.

Throughout the first half of the 20th century, Arverne was a vacation destination for wealthy visitors and some year-round residents. Today, Arverne is a mix of lower-to-middle class housing, including public housing, with a number of businesses lining the streets. The main thoroughfare is Beach Channel Drive, and the area is served mainly by the Q22 and Q52 buses and two stops on the A train (Beach 67th Street and Beach 59th Street).

The primary school in Arverne is PS/MS 42 (The R. Vernam School), whose most notable alumnus is Jonas Salk, inventor of the polio vaccine. The south side of Arverne has experienced a complete makeover over the past decade with the development of Arverne by the Sea. “When I came out here it was a wasteland,” Joan Robinson said. She and her husband Gary own neighborhood-mainstay restaurant Goody’s. “There was no commercial space.

I would sit in my car outside this space and in an hour maybe six cars would pass by. I saw this burnt-out hole here and just wanted to build something.” Running a business and living in the area has not come without its challenges, Joan explained. “Sometimes it is not the safest place, as many people know. We’ve been kind of waiting for the community to build and grow. But we’ve been growing with the community too. The whole beachfront used to be deserted. Now they have a big transit hub on Beach 69th and I could see this becoming a nice beach community one day.”

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62 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

FITNESS

Stay Fit This Summer

BY KATIE MCFADDEN

N

eed to maintain that bikini body throughout the summer? From gyms to martial arts to yoga studios and even free classes, Rockaway has it all. Set aside the excuses and get moving this summer!

If you’re looking for a tough workout, head to CROM Physical Culture (217 Beach 92nd Street). Chris and Sarah Romulo run this gym, which offers a variety of group classes including CrossFit, Shred, bagwork conditioning, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and most recently, Muay Thai. If you like group classes, also check out Rockaway Gliders (114-04 Beach Channel Drive).

Mary Edwards and her staff lead classes that include TRX, spinning, kettle bells, Pilates, cross training and more.

Rockaway Gliders also hosts the Rockapulco Run series. If you’re a

runner, there’s the Father’s Day Half Marathon at 8 a.m. on June 18, the Kevin Kearney Scholarship 5K at 7 p.m. on July 22 and the End of Summer Half Marathon at 8 a.m. on August 27. Check out www.rockapulcorun.com to register for the events, which all start at Beach 102nd Street.

If you’re looking for a basic gym that offers group classes and weight and cardio equipment, head to Burn Fitness (103-32 Rockaway Beach Blvd). Burn Fitness has fitness machines as well as classes like yoga, kickboxing, pilates, total body, Butts and Guts, Amazing Arms, Boomercize and more. The Rockaway YMCA (207 Beach 73rd Street) is also home to fitness equipment, a sports gym, group classes like spin, zumba, yoga, boxing, kettlebell, total body sculpt, bootcamp and water aerobics in the pool, which is also available for open lap swim.

If you’re a

Continued on next page

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 63

Summer 2016

FITNESS Continued from previous page yogi or need to de-stress, there are many options around the peninsula. Ocean Bliss Yoga (11220 Beach Channel Drive) is a total yoga studio, offering scenic views of the bay as you inhale and exhale. Helen Kilgallen and her staff offer everything from basic yoga to align and flow, yin yoga, gentle yoga and children’s yoga, with classes seven days a week. If you’re looking to turn up the heat, try Hot Yoga or Bikram Yoga. Hot Yoga Rockaway Beach (181 Beach 116th Street Fl 2) is the only place in The Rock that offers this detoxifying yoga in a 100-degree studio. Anita Ruderman and her staff offer 60 or 75-minute classes seven days a week. Right next to Hot Yoga is All Seasons Fitness (181 Beach 116th Street Fl 2), which offers a variety of classes including yoga, Zumba, Pilates, kickboxing and a pain-relief class called MELT. For those looking to become a karate master, head to World Champions Karate Center (112-20 Beach Channel Drive). Sensei Bruce Hodes offers karate for adults and kids, Tai Chi and more. If you like organized sports like basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, lacrosse or gymnastics, head to Aviator Sports (3159 Flatbush Avenue), right over the Marine Parkway Bridge in Brooklyn. Aviator also has a large CrossFit program, rock climbing, ice skating and more.

Summer is the perfect opportunity to get fit on the water. A-Team Paddleboard (114-04 Beach Channel Drive) offers stand up paddleboard rentals and lessons as well as SUP Pilates and SUP yoga. On Beach 67th Street, you’ll find surf schools like Locals and Skudin Surf, which offer surf lessons. Want to try kayaking? The National Parks Service offers free kayaking every Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Riis Landing near the Marine Parkway Bridge.

In addition to the many gyms and fitness programs around the peninsula, the Department of Parks and Recreation hosts a few free activities to stay in shape over the summer. Starting June 25, Parks will offer Yoga on the Beach at 8 a.m., every Saturday through September 10. These classes are lead by Helen Kilgallen of Ocean Bliss Yoga.

Bring a mat or towel and do a sun salutation right on the sand. Like to dance? Try a Zumba class.

This Latin-inspired dance workout has become a hit in recent years and Parks will offer classes twice a week. Every Tuesday at 7 p.m., from July 5 to August 9, Maxie will lead a Zumba class at the Beach 17th Street Performance Space. On Thursdays at 7 p.m., Lisa G will teach Zumba Under the Stars at the Beach 108th Street Hockey Rink from July 7 through August 25.

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64 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 65

Summer 2016

REST YOUR HEAD

Places to Stay in Rockaway

O

ne of the biggest changes to Rockaway over the past few years is the simple idea that there’s more to see than just one day can provide you! If you need a place to stay overnight, here are some options for you: • Playland Motel: With each room designed by a different artist every guest will have a unique experience here. It is located in the heart of Rockaway and close to many of the finest beaches, restaurants, and more on the entire peninsula. Their own food is excellent as well.

97-20 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Rockaway Beach, NY 11693/347-954-9063 • The D Piper Inn: The 12-room place on Beach 114th Street run by Peter Duffy is a step back in time to Rockaway’s heyday in the early 1900s.

Great woodwork and stained glass windows make it a one-of-a-kind stay. The boardwalk will be back this summer, finally, and be just a few short steps away. 158 Beach 114th St., Rockaway Park, NY 718-945-1830 • Community House: One of Rockaway’s newest establishments is expected to have rooms ready for rent by the summer. It has a beautiful outdoor drinking area and is centrally located on

the peninsula. Another great choice for foodies as well. 101-19 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Rockaway Beach, NY 11694/347-619-9417 • Marina 59: If you want to try something off the beaten path, why don’t you spend a night on a boat? The marina offers stunning views of Jamaica Bay and has a number of artist types who hole up for the entire summer. Check with the marina prior to coming to make sure they have availability. 59-14 Beach Channel Drive, Far Rockaway, NY 11692/718-945-4500 • Truck-A-Float – floating pods at Marina 59. See Truckafloat.com • Airbnb: Many people throughout Rockaway will rent out a room or even an entire house for a night or two. Check on this famous website for listings. Airbnb is typically reliable and safe.

• LaQuinta Inn: Opened in May, 2016. 43-17 Rockaway Beach Blvd, Far Rockaway, NY 11692 • Feel at Home Vacations: A locally based enterprise that rents nine units on Beach 110th Street and five units on Beach 90th Street. They provide nightly, weekly and monthly rentals.

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66 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide SERVING THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 50 YEARS

CURRAN’S SUPERIOR MEATS

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS

Here’s to a fantastic summer!

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 67

Summer 2016

T

ROCKAWAY SNAPSHOTS

ROC

K AW

ay Snaps aw

s hot

Rock

he Rockaway Times ran a Photo Contest and we probably could have filled this guide with the awesome shots that talented folks sent in. Here are just a few of our faves. Timmy Burke (bicycle), Barbara Millet (BFF), Patricia Hickey (red sky), Ed Gormley (Hoops and The Bridge) and Laura Deckelman (Man and his Dog) are the talented photographers.

E AY T I M S S U M M E R G

UIDE

68 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

www.rockawaytimes.com

NEIGHBORHOOD GLANCE

I

EDGEMERE

magine gondoliers sculling up Beach 45th Street, ferrying passengers on a romantic trip through a small enclave of the Rockaway peninsula. If Frederick J. Lancaster had his way, New Venice would have been a tourist attraction for New Yorkers and travelers alike, seeking to get a western version of the Italian city’s Grand Canal. Instead, Lancaster and his business partners set out to build a more conventional—and cheaper—waterfront resort area, which he christened Edgemere (meaning “at the sea’s edge”).

Modern-day Edgemere’s boundaries are roughly from Beach 56th Street to Beach 32nd Street. The south side of the neighborhood remains chronically undeveloped, with mile-long stretches of weeds and dirt occupying the barren land. The boardwalk ran all through the neighborhood prior to its destruction from Hurricane Sandy, which on most

streets here was the only southern semblance of a structure, save for some billboards. On the north side of the freeway there are schools, housing projects, community centers, and numerous single and two-family homes.

Edgemere is home to the seldomvisited Rockaway Community Park.

“Situated on 253 acres on the Jamaica Bay in southern Queens, Rockaway Community Park offers a great opportunity for wildlife and nature lovers… Once a resort for the well-heeled of New York, Rockaway Community Park is now an unspoiled getaway for all New Yorkers,” the Parks Department Website says. The neighborhood is also home to the increasingly popular Edgemere Farm, a community garden offering fresh greens and more to the entire peninsula. The most recent development is the opening of a La Quinta Inn hotel on Beach 43rd Street.

Summer 2015 2016

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 69

ROCKAWAY WATERFRONT ALLIANCE

Who Are These Kids?

P

erhaps you’ve seen them planting, perhaps you’ve seen them painting. Those active young people are part of the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance (RWA). Since its founding more than ten years ago, RWA has worked to instill a respect for nature and advance the physical, economic, and social sustainability of the Rockaway Peninsula.

This summer RWA’s teen Shore Corps interns will be working on conservation projects that address local environmental threats. Shore Corps is a paid service learning internship for teens that builds leadership, stewardship, and career skills. Shore Corps was created in 2011 in response to an absence of employment opportunities in the Rockaways for teens.

For those too young for Shore Corps, Aqua 101 is an active summer youth program for middle schoolers ages 9-13. Aqua 101 participants will take part in environmental stewardship, art projects, and water based activities like marine science, swimming, surfing, and kayaking.

Also going on this summer at RWA is our Environmentor program. Environmentor is a yearlong science research and mentoring program that provides high school students paid internships to conduct research under the guidance of scientists along Jamaica Bay. While the students have been participating in the program since the fall, the summer will be the students’ chance to really get their hands dirty as they join their mentors in the field each week to participate in research.

RWA is based in the Rockaway Institute for a Sustainable Environment (RISE). RISE is RWA’s new cultural and community center in the restored 1920s Firehouse at Beach 59th St and Rockaway Beach Blvd.

For more information on RISE, please visit rwalliance. org and help support RISE by sharing or donating to our GoFundMe campaign at gofundme.com/rise59. For more information about any of our programs, visit rwalliance.org or contact Program Coordinator Juli Schroeger (jschroeger.rwalliance.org).

www.rockawaytimes.com

70 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

TAKE A RIDE

Bike Adventures

BY KATIE MCFADDEN

R

iding a bike is part of the culture of Rockaway, and it’s by far the best way to get around in the summer. With crowded streets, packed trains and limited parking in the summer, biking to or around the peninsula is the way to go. With a bike path along the brand new boardwalk, biking around town will be as easy as it was pre-Hurricane Sandy, but there are also plenty of other places to explore by two wheels.

Need a bike? Rockaway has two bike shops, Paul’s Bike Shop on Beach 116th and the Mini Mall on Beach 129th Street. Paul’s Bike Shop offers a variety of bikes and bike accessories to purchase, repair services, and even offers bike rentals. The Mini Mall, serving the peninsula for more than 30 years, also offers a variety

Your neighborhood pet shop Food, supplies, grooming, training & tropical fish!

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Rockapup has you covered.

Adopt-a-palooza Sat, June 25 at Riis Beach The largest adoption event Rockapup has ever sponsored. With dogs & cats from ASPCA, North Shore & more, you don't want to miss it! rockapup.com/events

347.619.5369 | rockapup.com | 145 B 116 St

of bikes to purchase or order as well as repair services.

The boardwalk is expected to be continuous for six-miles by July, so enjoy the beachside ride.

Explore Rockaway’s many businesses by bike, both on and off the boardwalk. Spend a day taking a concession tour and make stops along the way for a delicious snack or refreshing drink at the concession spots on Beach 17th, Beach 67th, Beach 86th, Beach 97th, Beach 106th or take a ride up to Riis Park to visit the Riis Park Beach Bazaar.

If you’re in the mood for adventure, Rockaway is home to several scenic areas to get to by bike.

Take a ride down to Beach 24th to 26th Street and the beach block to see a bit of Rockaway history in the Far Rockaway Beach Bungalow Historic District. Get a glimpse of the different styles of tiny houses that used to fill the peninsula by the hundreds. Next, work your way up to Rockaway Community Park between Beach 51st and Beach 58th Street. It looks like a typical city park at first, but venture beyond first base of the baseball field, walk along the wooden bridge, and you’ll find yourself in a serene oasis. Walk out onto one of the piers and take in the sounds of the birds flying over Sommerville Basin and watch fishermen cast their lines, planes take off from JFK airport, or enjoy a perfect view of the Manhattan skyline.

On the west end, Fort Tilden is a must see. Fort Tilden, starting at Beach 169th Street, is home to the Rockaway Theatre Company, the Rockaway Artists Alliance’s art galleries, plenty of old military buildings now decorated by graffiti, and Battery Harris, which is topped with an observaContinued on Page 73

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Summer 2016

EDUCATION

Schools blic le entary an i le c ools • P.S. 42, Beach 66th Street, Arverne • P.S. 43, Beach 29th Street, Far Rockaway • P.S. 47, Power Road, Broad Channel • P.S. 104, Mott Avenue, Far Rockaway • P.S. 105, Beach 51st Street, Arverne • P.S. 106, Beach 35th Street, Far Rockaway • P.S. 114, Cronston Avenue, Belle Harbor • P.S. 197, Hicksville Road, Far Rockaway • P.S. 215, Briar Place, Far Rockaway • P.S. 253, Central Avenue, Far Rockaway

• M.S. 53, Nameoke Street, Far Rockaway • M.S. 183, Beach 79th Street, Rockaway Park • Challenge Preparatory Charter School, Far Rockaway • Peninsula Preparatory Academy, Far Rockaway

blic Hig c ools

• Mesivta Chaim Shlomo • Siach Yitzchok Elementary School for Boys • St. Camillus • St. Francis de Sales • St. Rose of Lima • Tichon Meir Moshe • Torah Academy for Girls • West End Temple • Yeshiva Bnei Torah • Yeshiva Darchei Torah • Yeshiva of Far Rockaway

• Far Rockaway High School • Channel View School for Research • Rockaway Park High School • Scholars’ Academy

aroc ial an rivate c ools • Beth El Temple • Bnois Bais Yaacov • Chaim Berlin High School • Church Of God Christian Academy

Are you looking to buy, rent or sell in Rockaway?

If so, you owe it to yourself to give us a call and understand what we mean when we say: “Clients come first at Calemine & Co.”

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72 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

S

SWEETS N TREATS ummer’s so much sweeter when sweets and treats are on the menu. Rockaway’s got lots to offer.

Coastal Yogurt. Rockaway’s First (and finally!) Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt Shop.

108-19 Rockaway Beach Drive (a short block in off Rockaway Beach Blvd. A block from the beach and the hockey rink). It’s awesome.

Phone:718-474-0700 Uncle Louie G is a Restaurant Row fave.

The store sells ices, cakes, frozen yogurt and soft-serve ice cream.

92-10 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Rockaway Beach, NY 718 474 2268) Carvel is a classic and longtime neighborhood favorite: 189 Beach 116th Street, Rockaway Park, NY 718 945-5877 Ciro’s Pastry Shop is loved by many a local (and visitors too!)

415 Beach 129th Street, Belle Harbor, NY 718 634-7332 Breezy Dogs & Shakes, Surf & Swirl, and Sugar Shack are other favorites.

• Kids Toys • Layettes • Arts & Crafts • Parents Meet-ups

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 73

Summer 2016

TAKE A RIDE

Bike Adventures Continued From Page 70

tory that offers breathtaking views of the beach and the bay. Be sure to park your bike by the big staircase and climb to the top. If you want to take it even further, head to the Breezy Point Tip, the westernmost point of the peninsula. This requires a ride through the private community of Breezy Point, so stick to the main road until you reach the Breezy Point Surf Club. You’ll have to park your bike and then walk for about a mile along the beach to reach the tip, but you’ll see plenty of birds as you make your way to the jetty that is a fishing hotspot.

There are also some fun accessible options to explore off the peninsula. A must see, right over the Marine Parkway Bridge, is Dead Horse Bay in Brooklyn. The marshland which was once used as a landfill is home to a treasure trove of everything from old bottles to washed up boats, full of graffiti. On the other side of Flatbush Avenue, you’ll find Floyd Bennett Field, an old airport, turned naval station turned park. There is plenty to explore from the community gardens to the archery and camping areas, the old airplane

hangars, Aviator Sports Complex and the Ryan Visitor Center, where you can learn about the history of the site. If you take a ride over the Cross Bay Bridge and through Broad Channel, you’ll find your way to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

Stop by the visitor center to see if any special programs are going on, or feel free to hike the trails and see the variety of wildlife, including hundreds of species of birds. Happy adventuring!

Exhibition at Kean University Karl & Helen Burger Gallery, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, New Jersey

“Waves in Black and White” 2011 series of 30 images May 2016 - August 2016 "Waves in Black and White", No 7.

Archival inkjet print, size 30"x40", limited editions.

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74 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

JAMAICA BAY

BROOKLYN AVIATOR MARINE PARKWAY BRIDGE

BE

BEACH 129t RIIS PARK FORT TILDEN BREEZY POINT

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 75

Summer 2016

FAR ROCKAWAY RESTAURANT ROW ROCKAWAY TIMES BOARDWALK

EACH 116th SHOPS

th SHOPS

ATLANTIC OCEAN

W

here TO GO

Things to see & do in the Rockaways

76 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

www.rockawaytimes.com

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 77

Summer 2016

NATURALLY

T

Ways to Discover Nature and History in Rockaway

here’s no shortage of natural and historic beauty in and around Rockaway. Here are some spots to check out to connect with the outdoors: • Far Rockaway Beach Bungalow Historic District: This series of intact, quaint bungalows, located on three blocks in Far Rockaway (Beach 24th, 25th, and 26th Streets), are a throwback to the types of homes that dominated the eastern end of the peninsula in the early 20th century. The bungalows have been subjects of numerous documentaries and articles and were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in July 2013.

• Bayswater Point State Park: Tucked away in an otherwise residential neighborhood, this pristine park offers outstanding panoramic views of Jamaica Bay, bird-watching and fishing opportunities, and a chance for an easy, family-friendly hike. It’s essentially a secret that deserves much more recognition. 1479 Point Breeze Place, Far Rockaway, NY 11691/718-967-1976 • Rockaway Community Park: Another littleknown yet beautiful location. Containing 253 acres of unspoiled greenery and wildlife, the park juts out into Jamaica Bay and gives no hint of its more urban

surroundings. Like Bayswater Point State Park it’s a great fishing location. Almeda Ave., Norton Ave. bet.

Beach 58 St., Sommerville Basin and Beach 49 St., Conch Basin • Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge: The crown jewel of Rockaway’s natural beauty. Part of the multi-state Gateway National Recreation Area, the refuge is worldrenowned for its bird-watching (you can see osprey nests from Cross Bay Boulevard). Among the many other animals you can find are diamondback turtles, horseshoe crabs, and an abundance of fish. Check out the East and West trails. Visitors Center located at 304 Cross Bay Broad Channel, NY 11693/718-318-4340 • Fort Tilden: Established in 1917, Fort Tilden used to be an active military base. Today it’s home to local art and theatre collectives, sporting fields, and more. Don’t be afraid to go exploring all around here—the abandoned battery buildings are now graffiti havens, and Battery Harris East offers stunning 360-degree views of New York City and Rockaway. 169 State Rd, Breezy Point, NY 11697/718-338-3799 • The Beach: Isn’t that why you came here in the first place?

BAYVIEW URGENT CARE CENTER Walk-Ins Are Welcome - No Appointments Necessary!

• EKG • Lab Work • Pulmonary Function Testing • Asthma Attacks • Ear Infections • Fractures • Minor Lacerations • Stitches • Vaccinations • Physicals • DOT Exams • X-Ray • Ultra-Sounds Available And More

Doctors Sadhana Gupta, MD Zoya Koroleva, DO Stanislav Kaminyar, DO Alla Buzinover, DO

Proudly Serving the Rockaway Community for Over 2 Years Monday – Friday 9 am – 8 pm OPEN 7 Days: Saturday – Sunday 9 am – 5 pm Most Insurance Plans Accepted – Parking Available

WE SPEAK ENGLISH, RUSSIAN 115-06 Beach Channel Drive, Suite 101, Rockaway Park, NY - 718-474-7744

78 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

www.rockawaytimes.com

ROCKAWAY CLASSICS

Burgers of Rockaway

T

he beach and burgers—does it get any better than that? We don’t think so. Here are a few great places to get the most classic of American meals (and some other great food too): • DredSurfer Grill: Right on the beach, this Caribbean-American restaurant is one of the most happening summer spots in Far Rockaway.

You can’t go wrong with a simple burger-andfries here but don’t be afraid to try it’s more seasonal and island-inspired fare such as the Rasta Pasta or crab legs. If you’re a sailor get the Salmon Burger. 16-27 Seagirt Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11691/646-463-3271 • Rippers: Be brave and get the Hardbody, a double dose of beef with American cheese, pickles, and special spicy sauce. It’s at the Beach 86th Street concession.

• Checkers: Burgers, fries. All the good stuff.

Keep an eye out for their specials at this Arverne

By The Sea location. Worth a stop when driving by or getting off the subway. 6820 Rockaway Beach Blvd, Arverne, NY (718) 474-1700 • Goody’s: The best kept secret in Rockaway.

Tucked away in Arverne, this West Indian/soul

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food restaurant has top-notch jerk chicken, oxtail, ribs, and mac and cheese, but its finest offering is the self-proclaimed “Best Burger in Town” Goody Burger. Coated in exquisite barbeque/jerk sauce this burger bursts with flavor. No need to argue with the moniker. 70-18 Amstel Blvd, Arverne, NY 11692/718-318-9616 • The Wharf/Belle Harbor Steak House/Last Stop/Pickles and Pies: Beach 116th Street is often the gateway to Rockaway and it has outstanding burger choices. Get The Burger Deluxe at The Wharf. Belle Harbor Steak House offers a top of the line burger. Adjacent to the A train is Last Stop, which serves a fine griddle-top burger at a very fair price. Down the street at Pickles and Pies you can get their Cheeseburger Deluxe 24 hours a day, making it one of the best late night food joints on the peninsula. Last Stop: 222 Beach 116th St, Rockaway Park, NY 11694/718-945-6450; Pickles and Pies: 202 Beach 116th St, Rockaway Park, NY 11694/718-634-6041 • Jameson’s: In addition to having the best Buffalo Wings in Rockaway this quaint Irish pub offers a large variety of burgers. When in Rome get the 129th Street Burger, with avocado, cherry peppers, pepper jack, and chipotle mayo.

421 Beach 129th St, Rockaway Park, NY 11694/718-474-9364 (This report kept Dylan Watton full but he’s still out there sampling so if he missed something let us know).

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 79

Summer 2016

GET ON THE WATER ents. All events are weather dependent. Kayaks, SUPs, Paddles and PFDs provided. Volunteers are always welcome!

e r v i ng

For Over

Years

uni

r Co mm

Ou

S

ayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, rowing and other human powered watercraft await you. Most events are no charge, special events might have a minimal suggested donation.

The Gateway Bike & Boathouse was organized in 2008 as a not-for-profit group to help give Rockaway residents and visitors an easy way to get on the water, specifically Jamaica Bay. There are now four locations for launching along the Bay shoreline. From east to west the launch sites include Bayswater Cove, Beach 88th Street, Riis Landing and Rockaway Point.

Reservations for “walk-up� programs are not required but encouraged. Other events require reservations. Basic boat handling skills are taught by certified instructors. Distance and duration of trips vary with the type of program and the skills of the participants.

Most paddling events occur on the weekend but early morning or evening weekday paddles are planned as well. Some trips may be themed.

Specific events are designed for participants of different skip levels. Many are open to children 12 and above when accompanied by their par-

60

ty

K

Kayaking and More

www.rockawaytimes.com

80 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

NEIGHBORHOOD GLANCE

T

FAR ROCKAWAY

hirty-one miles of carbon steel connect Inwood in Upper Manhattan to what is effectively a different world in the same city. On a good day, it would take at least two hours to go from terminus-to-terminus on the A line, the longest in the New York City subway system. The southern end of the A is housed in the oldest subway station still in use, opening on July 29, 1869 in what was then and still is Far Rockaway.

Far Rockaway is often used a catch-all for the entirety of the peninsula, or at least the eastern half of it, but the nominal neighborhood starts at around Beach 32nd Street and encompasses everything east of that, excluding the Bayswater area. The extension of the Long Island Railroad in the 1880s led to massive growth for Far Rockaway, both a tourist destination and a residential area.

Between Beach 24th and Beach 26th Streets a number of small bungalows were built in the 1920s

which now make up the federally-recognized Far Rockaway Beach Bungalow Historic District. By the 1950s, the discontinuation of the majority of LIRR service to the Rockaways, a drastic increase in the amount of public housing, and the subsequent flight of wealthy residents to the suburbs led to the end of Far Rockaway’s prominence as a getaway spot and its transition to a diverse, low-tomiddle income residential and commercial area.

Community Board 14’s headquarters are located in the heart of the neighborhood on Mott Avenue.

In addition to being the home of the subway/LIRR station, Mott Avenue houses several bus lines, restaurants, businesses large and small, numerous churches, and the 101st Precinct. Further down on Beach 9th Street is a popular playground and the beginning of a concrete boardwalk which stretches for several blocks.

Homegrown Art

S

Weatherization Assistance Program

www.margert.org

ince 1995 Rockaway Artists Alliance (RAA) has encouraged and engaged individuals, particularly youth and seniors, in the arts and cultural activities on the Rockaway peninsula.

Based in Fort Tilden, RAA is renowned for comprehensive arts and cultural programming including yearround arts education programs for children such as camp kidsmART, the kidsmART after-school program and theater and art classes. For adults, classes range from painting to yoga and printmaking in the newly built printmaking studio.

Serving as RAA’s premier gallery for two decades, art exhibitions are free to the public and range from multimedia showcases to solo shows. RAA partnered with MoMA/PS1 in 2014 for Rockaway!, a summer long event featuring the artwork of Patti Smith. The entities partner again this year. RAA’s NEA award winning component, Forbidden Fruit: Street Art in a National Park will be part of NPS’s centennial celebration.

In addition to visual art exhibitions, RAA fosters the growth and exposure of many local and nonlocal performers with regularly scheduled musical events.

Galleries and Education Center: Studio 6 & Studio 7 Building T149 Fort Tilden, GNRA Rockaway, NY • 718 474 0861 www.rockawayartistsalliance.org inforaa@aol.com

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 81

Summer 2016

PLACES TO KNOW

Post Offices, Precincts, and Firehouses

recincts

ost O ices • 113-25 Beach Channel Drive, Rockaway Park, NY 11694-9997 • 90-14 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Rockaway Beach, NY 11693-9997 • 329 Beach 59th Street, Arverne, NY 11692-9997 • 1836 Mott Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691-9998 • Postal services available at All American Channel Market, 925 Cross Bay Blvd., Broad Channel

• 100th Precinct, 92-24 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Rockaway Beach, NY 116931527; Captain Janice L. Holmes • 101st Precinct, 16-12 Mott Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691-4202; Deputy Inspector Justin C. Lenz

Fire epart ents • Engine Company 329: 402 Beach 169th Street, Roxbury, NY 11694

• Engine Company 286, Ladder Company 137: 257 Beach 116th Street, Rockaway Park, NY 11694 • Engine Company 266, Battalion 47: 92-20 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Rockaway Beach, NY 11693 • Engine Company 265, Ladder Company 121: 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Arverne, NY 11692 • Engine Company 264, Engine Company 328, Ladder Company 134: 16-15 Central Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Licensed Real Estate Associate Broker Sales & Rentals: Breezy Point, Neponsit, Belle Harbor, Rockaway Park

/Breezypointrealestate

SERVING ROCKAWAY BEACH TOO !

Carolyn Redmond, Broker (718) 474-6722

www.BREEZYPOINTHOUSES.com

Hair Salon For All Your Haircare Services • Free Parking • Late nights- Wed, Thurs, Fri Wifi Open Tuesday -Sunday 104-06 Rockaway Bch. Blvd

718-318-1080

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82 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

PLACES OF WORSHIP Saint Rose of Lima RC Church 130 Beach 84th Street Rockaway Beach, NY 11693 718 634 7394 Weekend Mass Schedule: Saturday: 5:00PM Sunday: 8:00AM, 9:30AM (Spanish), 11:00AM, 12.30PM (Polish)

at olic rc es St. Mary Star of the Sea and St. Gertrude Parish 1920 New Haven Avenue Far Rockaway, NY 11691 Phone: 718-327-1133 Weekend Mass Schedule Saturday Evenings (Sunday Vigil) 5:00 pm 7:30 pm (Spanish) Sundays 8:15 am; 9:45 am (Alternating English & Spanish) 11:30 am (Spanish) 1:15 pm

Saint Francis De Sales RC Church 129-16 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Belle Harbor, NY 11694 718 634 6464 Weekend Mass Schedule: Saturday: 5:30PM Sunday: 7:30AM, 9:00AM, 10:30AM, 12:00PM, 5:30PM Saint Thomas More RC Church (Blessed Trinity Parish) 204-25 Rockaway Point Boulevard Rockaway Point, NY 11697 718 634 6357 Weekend Mass Schedule: Saturday: 5:00PM Sunday: 8:30AM, 10:00AM (Saint Edmund), 11:30AM

Saint Camillus RC Church 99-15 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Rockaway Beach NY 11694 718 634 8229 Weekend Mass Schedule: Saturday: 5:30PM Sunday: 8:30AM, 11:30AM Saint Virgilius RC Church 16 Noel Road Broad Channel, NY 11693 718 634 8229 Weekend Mass Schedule: Saturday: 4:00PM Sunday: 10:00AM

Saint Genevieve RC Church (Blessed Trinity Parish) 6 Beach 178th Street Rockaway Point, NY 11697 718 634 7276 Weekend Mass Schedule: Saturday: 5:00PM Sunday: 9:00AM, 12:00PM

Protect your world

ynagog es e ples West End Temple 147-02 Newport Avenue Neponsit, NY 11694 718 634 0301 Temple Beth-El 201 Beach 121st Street Rockaway Park, NY 11694 718 634 8100 Seaside Jewish Center 103-00 Shore Front Parkway Rockaway Park, NY 11694 718 634 1141 Congregation Ohab Zedek 134-01 Rockaway Beach Blvd Belle Harbor, NY 11694 718-474-3300

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 83

Summer 2016

B

A Day on the Bay

BY KATIE MCFADDEN

The beach may get most of the play during the summer, but the bay is also a hotspot for fun activities, good eats, and summer sunsets.

Looking for some fun on the water? Head down to Rockaway Jetski behind Thai Rock on Beach 92nd street and the bay. Rockaway Jetski offers everything from half-hour rides right around Jamaica Bay, to four-hour tours around NYC Harbor, with close-up views of the skyline and Statue of Liberty. Rockaway Jetski also has kayak and paddleboard rentals if that’s more your speed.

Ever wanted to experience walking on water? You can come pretty close with paddleboarding. Andrew and Amy Dima own A-Team Paddleboarding at 114-04 Beach Channel Drive. If you’re a beginner looking to learn or you want to brush up on your skills, you can take a lesson. If you know what you’re doing, you can rent a board for an hour or the whole day, and if you love the sport so much that you want a board of your own, A-Team Paddleboarding has everything you need for sale.

Over the past few summers, marine mammals have been coming to check out Rockaway. To give people a better look, American Princess Cruises, which sails out of Riis Landing by the Marine Parkway Bridge, offers whale and dolphin watching tours all summer long. While sightings are not always guaranteed, there’s a great chance you might see a breaching humpback

Jump Dance Studio Summer 2016 Dance Camp

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July 11 - August 25 Mon - Thurs 10:00 - 1:00

August 1 - August 25 Mon - Thurs 3:00 - 8:00

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Company Auditions Two Mandatory Days Wednesday, june 15

Thursday, june 16

7 Years & Under: 3:30 - 5:00 8-10 Years Old: 5:00 - 6:30 11 Years & Up: 6:30 - 8:00

6 Years & Under: 3:30 - 4:30 7-9 Years Old: 4:30 - 5:30 10 Years & Up: 5:30 - 6:30

Audition Fee: Current Company $10 / New members $15 Jump Dance Studio #FBDI UI 4USFFU 3PDLXBZ 1BSL /: XXX +6.1%BODF4UVEJP/: DPN t

whale, a diving dolphin or a skimming seabird on your four-hour tour on the water. Also right out of Riis Landing, the National Park Service holds free kayak rentals from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Sunday. Check with NPS for additional activity schedules.

After your full day of adventure on the bay, settle down for a nice meal and a few drinks. You’ll find seafood and American fare at The Wharf, a longtime Rockaway business that is known for its prime views of the sunset and skyline on Beach 116th. You can also catch great views at Bungalow Bar on Beach 92nd Street, where you can sip on a frozen drink while eating a burger or other delicious American fare. Head to Thai Rock next door if you’re looking for some Asian cuisine and live music. If you’re looking for a quick bite, The Fisherman’s Dog food truck at 112-10 Beach Channel Drive has lobster rolls, burgers and more. Across the bay in Broad Channel, you’ll find the brand new Bayview Grille, where you can enjoy tasty comfort foods while looking over the bay. Further west, in Breezy Point, you can relax at the bayside bar and eatery, The BayHouse or check out Kennedy’s for a slightly more upscale experience.

Loved your day on the bay? Spend the night at Truck-A-Float, a floating camp site at Marina 59 in Far Rockaway. Marina 59 also offers a plethora of activities and rentals for motorized fishing skiffs, kayaks, paddleboards and sailboats.

www.rockawaytimes.com

84 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

ALL SUMMER IS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY SALES EVENT 2016 NX

2016 Rx

Call For Pricing and A Test Drive

BAY RIDGE LEXUS 6502 5th Ave, Brooklyn

866-813-0151

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 85

Summer 2016

FOOD AND DRINK

A

Bars And Grills

s The Rockaway Times expands its menu, so to speak, we thought it’d be a good idea to help you find the places that offer food and drinks.

Or those that offer one but not the other. Bon appetit. Cheers. And here’s looking at you.

Kennedy’s – Breezy Point - 718-945-0202 Jamesons – Beach 129 - 718 -474-9364 Pico – Beach 129th - 718-945-3474 The Wharf – Beach 116 and the Bay – 718-474-8807 Rogers – Beach 116th 718-634-5308 Belle Harbor Steakhouse – Beach 116th - 718-318-5100 Kerry Hills – Beach 115 and RBB 718-318-1964 Brendan’s – Beach 112 and RBB 718- 634 2337 Caracas – Boardwalk and Beach 106 Lowtide – Boardwalk and Beach 97 Playland – Beach 97th and RBB 347-954-9063 Connolly’s –155 Beach 95th 718-474-2374 Uma’s – Beach 92 and RBB 718- 318-9100 The Rock Wine Bar – Beach 92 and RBB 718-838-8916 Bungalow Bar – Beach 92 and Bay - 718-945-2100 Thai Rock – Beach 92 and Bay (718) 945-5111 Tacoway Beach / RB Surf Club – Beach 302 Beach 87th

Grassy’s – Broad Channel - 718- 474-1688 Bayview – 25 Van Brunt Rd, Broad Channel 718-945-2525 Good Eats, too Cuisine by Claudettes, Beach 116 (718) 945-5511 Goody’s BBQ Beach 70th and Amstel 718-318-9616

Servicing Brooklyn More than 30 Years All Work Guaranteed – Quality Service

Complete Automotive Service Repairs • Front End • Computer Wheel Adjustment • Air Conditioning • Electrical Computer Diagnostics • State Inspection • Photo Inspection

Monday - Thurs 7 am-8pm; Fri 7am-6 pm Closed Saturday; Sunday 7am-6pm 1701 Gravesend Neck Rd (corner of E 17th St, Bklyn, NY)

Emil or Ralph 718-332-8499 – 718-332-9358

86 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

www.rockawaytimes.com

U.S. Congress – NY 5th District Gregory Meeks (D) 67-12 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Arverne, NY 11692 Phone: (347) 230-4032

NY State Senate – 15th District Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. (D) 8808 Rockaway Beach Blvd Rockaway Beach, NY 11493 718-318-0702

City Council – Dictrict 32 Eric Ulrich (R) Rockaway District Office 115-06 Beach Channel Drive Suite 103 Rockaway Park, NY 11694 718-738-1083

NY State Assembly - District 23 Phillip Goldfeder (D) 214 Beach 96th Street Rockaway Beach, NY 11693 (718) 945-9550

NY State Senate – 10th District James Sanders Jr. (D) 1931 Mott Avenue, Suite 305 Far Rockaway, NY 11691 Phone: 718-327-7017

City Council - District 31 Donovan Richards (D) 1931 Mott Avenue, Suite 410 Far Rockaway, NY 11691 718-327-4794

350114RT

ELECTED OFFICIALS

Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 87

Summer 2016

LIBRARIES

New York Public Library Branches located in Rockaway Arverne Branch 312 Beach 54th Street Arverne, NY 11692 718-634-4784 Hours: Mon and Thu 12pm-8pm, Tue 1pm-6pm, Wed and Fri 10am-6pm Broad Channel Branch 16-26 Cross Bay Boulevard Broad Channel, NY 11693 718-318-4943 Hours:MonandThu12pm-8pm,Tue1pm6pm, Wed and Fri 10am-6pm Far Rockaway Branch 1637 Central Avenue Far Rockaway, NY 11691 718-327-2549 Hours: Mon 9am-8pm, Tue 1pm-6pm, Wed and Fri 10am-6pm, Thu 12pm-8pm, Sat 10am-530pm

Peninsula Branch 92-25 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Rockaway Beach, NY 11693 718-990-8502 Hours: Mon 9am-8pm, Tue 1pm-6pm, Wed and Fri 10am-6pm, Thu 12pm-8pm, Sat 10am-530pm Seaside Branch 116-15 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Rockaway Park, NY 11694 718-634-1876 Hours: Mon and Thu 12pm-8pm, Tue 1pm-6pm, Wed and Fri 10am-6pm

Queens Public

My

is

104-08 Rockaway Beach Boulevard • Rockaway Park, NY 11694 • (718) 945-9560 • myNYCB.com Bank Anywhere You See NYCB! Equal Opportunity Lender

All services not available at all locations.

© New York Community Bank- Member FDIC

www.rockawaytimes.com

88 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

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Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide 89

Summer 2016

THE

WHARF

Rockaway’s Restaurant On The Bay “ There’s No Other Place Quite Like It”

COME SEE WHY!!

“... A beautiful place to eat, watch the lovely sunset, have a couple of drinks... The staff is wonderful, the food is good.

It’s like a little mini-vacation...”

Multimedia Edition, Aug. 22, 2008

Rentable For All Occasions 416 BEACH 116th St.

On Jamaica Bay (Behind the Getty Gas Station) 718.474.8807

Open Year Round • 7 Days a Week Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 9am-8pm • Mon. - Thurs.

9am - 10pm • Fri., Sat., Sun.

90 Rockaway Times - Summer & Community Guide

www.rockawaytimes.com

Summer Calendar New events pop up all the time so please check the weekly Rockaway Times as well. But start marking your calendar now with these happenings.

Wednesdays Starting May 25 Rockaway Beach Volleyball League Games at Riis Park Beach

Fridays, May 25-September 2

Saturday, June 4 - 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Family Fun Day at Beach 108th Street Rink Saturday, June 11 - 12 p.m.

Indaculture Plays at Riis Park Beach Bazaar

8:15 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Campfire Fridays at the Riis Park Beach Bazaar

Sunday, June 12 - 11 a.m.

Saturday, May 28 - 3:45 p.m. Simon & The

Washed Ashore Art Exhibition at the RISE Center (5803 Rockaway Beach Blvd)

Bar Sinisters Play at Riis Park Beach Bazaar

Saturday, May 28 - 7 p.m.

Locals Summer Kickoff Party at the Rockaway Beach Surf Club

Saturday, May 28 - 6 p.m.

Solshyne at Low Tide Bar Beach 97

Saturdays, May 28 - September 3 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dreamland Roller Disco with Lola Star at Beach 108th Street Rink

Sundays, May 29 – August 28 - 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Riis Landing Walk

Tuesday, June 14 - 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Children’s Puppet Show “Brier Rabbit” at Beach 17th Street Boardwalk

Saturday, June 18 - 8 a.m.

Father’s Day Half Marathon at Beach 102nd Street. See www.rockapulcorun.com.

Saturday, June 18 - 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Rockstock & Barrels Music and Surf Festival at Beach 90th Street

June 20-August 15 - Summer Solstice

Up and Paddle Kayaking at Riis Landing Rockaway Freeway and Beach 80th Street

Art Gallery at New York Arbor

Sunday, May 29 - 3:45 p.m.

Saturdays, June 25 - 8 a.m.

Supertones Play at the Riis Park Beach Bazaar

Yoga on the Beach at Beach 108th Street

Sunday, May 29 - 6 p.m. Wine With Sue Summer Kickoff at Low Tide Bar Beach 97

Saturday, June 25 - 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Adopt-a-Palooza Mega Pet Adoption Event at Riis Park Beach Bazaar

Sunday, May 29 10 p.m. Indaculture Plays at Connolly’s (155 Beach 95th Street)

July 2 – September 5 - Forbidden Fruit:

Saturday, July 16, Sunday - July 17 Rockaway Beach Super Boardwalk Craft Fair. TBA. Sunday, July 17 - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Queens Bike Bonanza at the RISE Center (5803 Rockaway Beach Blvd)

Friday, July 22 - 7 p.m. Kevin Kearney Scholarship 5K. at Beach 102nd Street. See www. rockapulcorun.com.

Saturday, July 30 - 11 a.m.

RWA’s Jamaica Bay Cleanup & Kayak Paddle at Dubos Point Wildlife Sanctuary- De Costa Ave @ Beach 64th St. Saturday, July 30, Sunday, July 31 - Rockaway Beach Super Boardwalk Fair. TBA.

Tuesday, August 2 - National Night Out Against Crime. TBA.

August 5 –August 21 -

2 p.m., 8 p.m.

Rockaway Theatre Company’s “La Cage Aux Folles” at the Post Theatre in Fort Tilden. See www. rockawaytheatrecompany.org for tickets.

Friday, August 12 - Noon to 3 p.m. Water Festival at Bayswater Park Beach 32nd Street

Saturday, August 13 - NYC Women’s Surf Film Festival. See www.nycwomenssurffilm.com for details.

Saturdays, August 20 & 27 - 6:30 p.m.

Beach Sessions Dance Series at Beach 91st Street

Saturday, August 20, Sunday, August 21 - Rockaway Beach Super

Street Art in a National Park at sTudio 7 Gallery in Fort Tilden

Boardwalk Craft Fair. TBA.

Tuesdays, July 5 –August 9 - 7 p.m.

Zumba Fitness with Maxie at Beach 17th Street Performance Space

Saturday, August 27 - 8 a.m.

End of Summer Half Marathon at Beach 102nd Street. See www.rockapulcorun.com.

Thursday, July 7 –August 25 - 7 p.m.

Zumba Under the Stars with Lisa G at Beach 108th Street Rink

Saturday, September 10 - 10 a.m.

Rockaway Theatre Company’s “Follies” at the Post Theatre in Fort Tilden. See www. rockawaytheatrecompany.org for tickets.

Saturday, July 9 - 9 a.m.

Stand Up for the Rockaways Paddleboard Race at Beach 110th Street.

September 16- September 25 -

Saturday, June 4, Sunday June 5 - 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday, July 9 - 11 a.m.

Community Celebration & Jamaica Bay Kayak Paddle at Michaelis Bayswater Park - Beach 32nd St & Beach Channel Drive

Thursdays, June 2 – September 1 - 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Rock! Away! Local music & DJs at Riis Park Beach Bazaar

Friday, June 3 -

7 p.m.

Surf NYC Photo Gallery & Book Signing at Rockaway Beach Surf Club

June 3 –June 18 - 2 p.m., 8 p.m.

Rockaway Irish Festival at St. Camillus Parking Lot Beach 100th Street

Rockaway Bike Parade at the RISE Center (5803 Rockaway Beach Blvd)

2 p.m., 8 p.m. Rockaway Theatre Company’s “Wait Until Dark” at the Post Theatre in Fort Tilden. See www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org for tickets.

Saturday, September 17 - 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.Poseidon’s Parade starting at Beach 106th Street

HEALTHY AGING

by JONATHAN ECKSTEIN, D.O.

Whether you’re concerned about weight gain, chronic diseases or sex drive, the key to healthy aging is a healthy lifestyle. Eating a variety of healthy foods, practicing portion control and including physical activity into your daily routine all go a long way to promote healthy aging. And it’s never too late to make healthier lifestyle choices. There are no quick fixes for healthier aging, so be cautious with supplements or expensive treatments.

As you get older, good nutrition plays an important role in how well you age. A low-salt, low-fat diet with fruits and vegetables can reduce age-related risks for disease. Protein is necessary to maintain and rebuild muscles. Try to integrate a variety of lean protein sources such as poultry, fish, and eggs or egg substitutes. We utilize carbohydrates as our body’s preferred source of energy; however, you should avoid simple sugars and concentrated sweets, especially drinks and foods with added sugar. Fat also provides energy, but you should limit the saturated fats from meats, butter and cheese. Poly- and mono-unsaturated fats from corn oil, olive oil, avocados and nuts are a preferred alternate to keep cholesterol levels lower.

By following some basic dietary changes, overall improved health can be achieved. Keep in mind that these changes should be looked at as lifestyle modifications that will benefit you moving forward. A common mistake is dieting to lose

weight and then reverting back to an unhealthy lifestyle. A gym is not a necessity to create a healthy lifestyle. Adding just 30-50 minutes per week of exercise can help to make these changes more visual as we tend to look at our bodies.

Some simple changes such as parking at the furthest spot available and walking this distance to the mall, the library or the grocery store can add up to 15-30 minutes per week.

A muscle reconditioning program or regimen can help you stay at a healthy weight as muscle cells are the major calorie burners in our body. Take the stairs for 1 or 2 flights before waiting for the elevator. Or consider a reconditioning program at the local community center. And chair exercise classes are a great way to start off exercising if you haven’t been moving regularly. Just make sure to drink plenty of water to replace water lost through activity.

The key to healthy aging is to make the lifestyle changes. No quick fixes. No magical pills. Better eating and a basic exercise regimen.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL HOSPITAL E P I S C O PA L H E A LT H S E R V I C E S I N C .

(718) 869- 7000 | WWW. EHS.ORG

24/7 Emergency Care in Long Beach No one expects a medical emergency. But when it happens, only the best possible care will do. At South Nassau’s Emergency Department in Long Beach, our highly skilled medical team is always here 24/7, to provide you and your family with the highest level of emergency care.

OUR EMERGENCY CARE SERVICES INCLUDE: • Board-certified emergency medicine physicians and emergency-trained nurses • On-site laboratory services • Advanced imaging technology, including the only CT scanner on the barrier island • Ability to receive emergency ambulances via 911 Emergency care in your community is provided by South Nassau Communities Hospital, an award-winning Level II Trauma Center.

Located at 325 E. Bay Dr., Long Beach, NY 11561.

Call 516-870-1010 or visit southnassaulongbeach.org.

South Nassau Communities Hospital Off-Campus Emergency Department

In case of an emergency, call 911.

At the corner of E. Bay Dr. and Monroe Blvd.

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Kennedy's Restaurant

New Patio/Outdoor dining coming this summer!

Live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Irish Night every Wednesday in July and August,

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Kennedy Raw Bar also available Available for private parties accommodating 30-120 guests

Kennedysbreezypoint.com 406 Bayside, Breezy Point, NY 11697 Phone: (718) 945-0202

The Tides Neighborhood Between Beach 67th & 69th, with new retail stores...

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718.945.2100 | 377 beach 92nd street, rockaway beach NY | @bungalowbarny | info@bungalowbarny.com