The forecast for this weekend looks beautiful — temperatures in the 50s and nary a cloud in the sky. For New Yorkers, that’s practically sandal weather. So why not head to the beach? Specifically, Rockaway Beach in Queens. We promise, it will be good for your soul.
If you don’t have a car at your disposal, we suggest grabbing the ferry from Wall Street; it takes about an hour. Once you’re there, enjoy the feeling of being far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. If the waves are good, watch the city’s die-hard surfers do their thing. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can take a surf lesson yourself from the pros at Locals Surf School — they teach year round. After that, head to Fort Tilden (about a 15-minute drive), a former military site with hiking trails and great views of Jamaica Bay and the Manhattan skyline.
Reward yourself for hiking (or, alternately, just for making it through the past year) with a cold, local beer from Rockaway Brewing Company. Be sure to catch the sunset around 7 p.m. (hello daylight savings) and then head to Uma’s for some delicious Central Asian cuisine. For those unfamiliar, we recommend Uma’s signature salad (roasted peppers, fried eggplant, fresh tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs topped with feta cheese — we swear this alone is worth the journey), borscht soup and traditional manti dumplings.
