The Rockaways

"Hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach" by taking the A train to its southernmost terminus, where the transformation of a once-neglected area, which spans several neighboring beach communities along the skinny Rockaway Peninsula, into a sort of Williamsburg-on-the-waterfont is fully underway. The beach scene is best described as "anti-Hamptons hipster," and throughout the late May through mid-September season, buzzy restaurants and bars draw crowds, as do the sandy shores: water activities here include not only swimming, but also surfing, jet skiing, and even whale- and dolphin-watching excursions.