Rockaway, New York City’s only surfing beach, is finally primed for tourists

Rockaway, Queens CNN — One of Rockaway Beach’s most appealing traits may also be the very thing holding it back. Christina Traugott, who grew up here and is planning a move back after living in the West Village, says Hurricane Sandy “really brought the local community together, and it feels like the rest of the city rediscovered the beaches in the Rockaways after the storm.” “I’m a firm believer, from experience, that chaos and destruction creates new growth,” Rambaran says, adding that while this statement may seem a “little heavy for food and beverage,” it’s nonetheless true. Diana Diroy/CNN To Jigarjian, who’s also the hotel’s social impact officer and curator, surfing is a means to connecting to the community and to visitors to the area: “… Bringing the surf and all of that culture — the urban beach — to all New Yorkers and connecting it with a place like this is such a beacon of hope right now.” As delighted as the folks behind The Rockaway Hotel are to provide a new offering to locals and nearby New Yorkers, their hope is to appeal to people far beyond NYC: “We want this to be an international escape for surfers as well,” Jigarjian says. Van Englen hasn’t said anything about staying over at The Rockaway Hotel, but she’s taken advantage of its offerings for drop-in guests: “I can say I’ve been to the hotel about five times now in its opening month.” Traugott, who’s about to become a local again, agrees the new space has a lot going for it: “I think the food and drinks are a little nicer than other options in the area and thus they’ll be the destination of choice for special occasions for a while.” Jigarjian says “bringing the community and the vibrancy of the already existing amazing culture here in Rockaway and giving it a platform,” is one of the things she’s hoping the hotel will do. If it’s true that “Rockaway represents New York City,” as Krasner put it, then surely there’s room for The Rockaway Hotel.