The locals in Rockaway are very protective of their beach and there's a good reason why. The 7-mile beach is the cleanest in the city, according to the Department of Health.
More than 2 million bathers visited Rockaway Beach last year, making it one of the biggest attractions in Queens.
On any given day, 5 miles of city-owned beach are opened to swimmers. The other 2 miles are generally off limits because the endangered Piping Plover bird nests on the peninsula.
Everyone in Rockaway has an opinion about their favorite beach location.
"Beach 137th St. is a good spot because nobody goes there," said Brian Ward, 20, a Rockaway native who has worked as a lifeguard for five years. "It's a quiet beach and good for kids."
Rockaway is also home to the only "surfers only" beach in New York City.
The Parks Department designated the section, between Beach 89th and Beach 91st Sts., in 2005 because of the consistently good waves near the rock jetty.
"Surfing is becoming more and more popular," said Doug Parent, the head of the New York City Surfrider's Foundation. "The Parks Department is really starting to embrace the sport. We're working on opening other beaches in the Rockaways."
Mother Nature takes its toll on the beach, and every few years the Army Corps of Engineers must pump sand back into the shore to combat erosion.
That sand is needed for a famous sand castle competition held every July.
"We have some very imaginative contestants every year," said Tighe Leavel, owner of West End Realty, which runs the competition. "I've seen whales, walruses, noses and massive sand castles."
Parking, however, is always a problem in the Rockaways. Get there early, or take mass transit, because finding a spot west of Beach 116th St. is nearly impossible.
Beach season starts on May 26 and ends on Labor Day. Efforts are being made by some lawmakers to extend this year's beach season.An offshore tropical storm last July drew an adventurous surfer to Rockaway Beach.Things we did last summer: At Rockaway's Beach 91st, Marcello (left) and Nai'a Mergen collect shells. Right, just a few of the more than 2 million others who enjoyed the city's cleanest beach at Rockaway last year.
