Far Rockaway

I'm not much of a fan of any of the towns on the Rockaway Peninsula. Far Rockaway used to be a luxurious summer resort community like the Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard. Over the years, it deteriorated in condition, leaving it with decrepit houses, poorly performing schools, and terrible crime rates. Its poor condition and lack of popularity is ironic, considering the fact that it is located on the water, has beautiful beaches, and is located just over one hour from Manhattan. One important thing to note is that only the A train runs to the Rockaways, making it difficult and time consuming to commute to the city. There used to be a Long Island Rail Road stop, but that was shut down years ago. The population consists primarily of Orthodox Jews, but there are also many African Americans and Russians. While Far Rockaway housing is relatively cheap and the town has worked to clean up its image, its reputation is still pretty bad. This was also one of the towns hit hardest by the recent mortgage crisis, and foreclosures brought the home prices down quite a bit.

While the town is improving every year due to the efforts of town officials and residents, it will be a while before it can attract a huge influx of residents. The main problems are its crime rates, the long commute to the city, and the fact that this area is often hit the hardest by storms, tornadoes, etc.

Far Rockaway is one of four neighborhoods located on the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. It is the easternmost section of the Rockaways. Rockaway’s character is very inner-city oceanfront district feel. The area is being renewed with new beach houses and waterfront development. Time has been spent in cleaning up the neighborhood and as a result the crime rate is at an all-time low.

The one-way streets, already narrow, are made more so by parked cars. They connect areas with sometimes strikingly varied housing styles. It is not uncommon to see 1900s shingle-style homes sitting next to stucco-fronted Capes topped with statues of lions and palms.

Schools in the area are known to have some issues. Schools are crowded and test scores are low, and as a result the children are suffering. Improvement tactics are on their way, but haven’t resulted as of yet.

Many residents take advantage of the neighborhood’s beachfront, biking along the 40-foot-wide promenade that hugs East Rockaway Inlet. The area, with few bars or restaurants, is dominated by nail salons and 99-cent stores. A place called Corner Cuisine, on New Haven Avenue and Beach 20 Street, beats the fast-food joints. It has Haitian specialties; a small order of rice, beans and chicken is $6.