Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk is located on the coast of the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, and while the locals use it all year round, it truly comes alive each Memorial Day weekend. The beach is considered the city’s only legal surfing beach. It has several kids’ playgrounds and the shallow surf is full of kids and their parents cooling off from the city heat. The packed sandy beach is great for long strolls, biking, beach volleyball, and all sorts of other beach activities. Most people just stretch out on the sand and soak up the sun. There is an hourly ferry from Pier 11 that connects the beach to Manhattan near Wall Street, making Rockaway Beach one of the most accessible and cheapest beaches for city residents seeking a bit of refreshment in the summer.

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