Tag Archives: Rockaway History
Schilling’s Roadhouse Gets a New Life
Earlier this year, many in Rockaway were alarmed when one of the neighborhood’s oldest buildings, Schilling’s Roadhouse (later, The Irish Circle), at Beach 102nd Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard, was put up for sale. Dating to 1893, the structure survived … Continue reading
2015–Year of the Taco–Again?
I guess you could say it started with that bridge, which connected the borough of Queens to the island of Manhattan and points west in 1909. The zenith was reached last week, when the world’s largest travel guide publisher, Lonely … Continue reading
A Ferry Nice World, Long Ago
I often try to imagine a world without cars, and vintage maps are helpful. This week, I am gazing at two examples–(1) the Beers 1886 map of Central Rockaway Beach, New York and (2) a sepia drawing of Staten Island as it appeared from … Continue reading
Past and Future Tents in the Rockaways
9/4/14 UPDATE: Camp Rockaway achieved its Kickstarter funding and will be showing off a model tent on Saturday, September 6, 2014, from noon to 5 p.m., at Beach 92 and Holland Avenue in Rockaway Beach. The public is invited to … Continue reading
Jane’s Walk 2014: Fifth Avenue of the Peninsula, Beach 116th Street and Rockaway Park Into the New Century
At the turn of the century, only ten streets of hundreds on the Rockaway Peninsula were numbered—and Fifth Avenue (now known as Beach 116 Street) was one of those ten streets. The City of New York, which replaced the Town … Continue reading
Yes, There Were Once Double Dunes…and Triple Dunes…
We can’t find any vintage photos to document what Rockaway Beach looked like when it was first settled in the 1860’s. The closest we have to a visual image is a fisherman’s map, circa 1900, that marks natural features such … Continue reading
Is the Mailbox About to Become Obsolete?
It used to be the largest employer in the United States. Until Walmart began its explosive growth in the late 1990’s, the U.S. Postal Service, with a workforce of over a half-million (and, incidentally, the largest motor fleet in the … Continue reading
Remember the Ouija Board?
Here’s undoubtedly THE biggest news since Superstorm Sandy hit on October 29, 2012: The first new FEMA flood maps in 25 years were issued yesterday. For a summary on the new maps and stunning photos, check out the Jan. 28, … Continue reading
Celebrate Book Month by Rattling the Skeletons in Rockaway’s Closet!
The Rockaway Peninsula is a land of mystery. Did you ever wonder why we have a yacht club without a dock, and a graffiti-covered concrete box perched on a deserted stretch of bay front beach? And why there is a … Continue reading
“We Used to Vacation” and Other Lost Summer Rituals
I headed into the kitchen for my morning coffee, and flicked on the radio. A song recorded by The Cold War Kids was on, called We Used to Vacation. A great lost summer ritual. In the past week, I’ve been … Continue reading
Oy Vey Rockaway 