Growing up in the 70s, Rockaway Beach lost much of its summer seaside getaway panache peppered with quaint bungalows decades before. The community became the forgotten New York through its urban decay. My grandparents retired in one of the apartment towers along the shoreline. I never thought much of the area making the long ride on the A train, but the Atlantic Ocean big waves always made up for Rockaway’s desolate burnt out landscape.

Much to my bemusement, Rockaway is revitalized to its former heyday as a surf town. The reimagined boardwalk captures a SoCal mood with East Coast surfers dominating the scene. A few years before I noticed urban surf shops opening in Williamsburg, Dumbo and Lower East Side merchandising the spirited free lifestyle.

This summer, with new NYC Ferry service to Rockaway, makes the once forgotten destination even closer. The gallery below is some of my iPhone captures of the lofi Queens beach.