Personal Narrative Essay: The City Of Far Rockaway

In 2008, I moved to an apartment in Rockaway Park located in Far Rockaway. I’ll admit, the neighborhood was far from attractive when I first arrived. The rumor mills stirred up a storm suggesting that Far Rockaway was well… “Rough around the edges” for a lack of a better term. Working on Riker’s Island, most of our patients who reside in Queens often came from Far Rockaway, thereby confirming the rumors that the town was riddled with crime, infested with drugs and plagued with anything one might consider rebellious or unscrupulous were true. And on my first day, I got lost and winded up surrounded by… you guessed it, The Projects. That was enough to dither anyone from any potential Real Estate or, in my case, rental agreement – regardless how appealing the offer could be. So why did I agree to move there in spite of the distasteful first impression? Before I can answer that, allow me to dive into the demographic details and
It runs from Riis Park, all the way to Long Beach or Atlantic Beach, Long Island. The Jews occupy some of Queens, (Seagirt) to Long Beach (Lawrence, NY or Five Towns). The Blacks occupy most of Queens, from Seagirt to Beach 100 Street. And the remaining of Far Rockaway belongs to the Irish all the way up to Breezy Point, which is 98% white according to Wikipedia.
But what sets the Rockaways apart from all other towns and neighborhood across the entire New York State is the beach. Sure, there are beaches everywhere and once you’ve seen one, then you’ve seen them all. That could be true, yet, it’s not just the beach; it’s the boardwalk, the houses, the buildings and the overall experience. Far Rockaway might be the only region that allows people from all walks of life to share the same experience, regardless of income, race or creed. Unlike the Hamptons you don’t need be a millionaire to enjoy the shore. The beach is ours and no one can take that away from