Branch Detailed Info | Queens Library

Free computer access is available at all the libraries.

The Peninsula Community Library has:

10 public computers
Free Internet access
Microsoft Office software
Limited free printing

Queens Library Public Internet Use Policy.

TBD

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International Language Collections at the Peninsula Community Library include:

Spanish books and CD’s for children and adults
Armenian, Chinese, French, Hebrew, Polish, Romanian and Russian books for adults.

Special Interest/Noteworthy Collections at the Peninsula Community Library include:

Large Print collection
Black Experience
Graphic Novels
Book/Multisets/Videos and software for Adult Basic Education
ESOL

Child Care / Preschools
Community Board
Community Organizations & Services
Fire Department
Local Hospitals

Local Newspapers
Police Department
Post Office
Private / Parochial Schools
Public High Schools

Public Intermediate / Junior High Schools
Senior Centers
Elected Officials
History
Special Services

Child Care / Preschools
Hammels-Arverne Day Care Center 216 Beach 87 Street Rockaway Beach Blvd. NY , 11693 phone: (718) 474-3162

Community Board
Community Board District # 14 1931 Mott Avenue Far Rockaway NY , 11691 phone: (718) 471-7300 fax: (718) 868-2657

Community Organizations & Services
Chamber of Commerce of the Rockaways 253 Beach 116th Street Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-1300	100th Precinct Community Council 333 Beach 90th Street Rockaway Beach NY , 11693 phone: (718) 318-6536	Rockaway Artists Alliance 260 Beach 116 Street Rockaway Beach NY , 11694 phone: (718) 474-0861
Rockaway Beach Civic Association PO Box 930134 Rockaway Beach NY , 11693 phone: (718) 318-1973	Rockaway Museum 88-08 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Rockaway Beach NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-4000	Rockaway Rotary Club PO Box 940631 Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-0800
Visiting Nurse Service of New York Early Head Start Program/Early Steps Family Center 86-01 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Rockaway Beach Blvd. NY , 11693 phone: (718) 318-8040 fax: (718) 318-7699

Fire Department
Engine 266/Brush Fire Unit/Thawing Unit 266 92-20 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Rockaway Beach NY , 11693

Local Hospitals
Peninsula Hospital Center 51-15 Beach Channel Drive Far Rockaway NY , 11691 phone: (718) 734-2000 fax: (771) 834-2993

Local Newspapers
The Wave 88-08 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Rockaway Beach NY , 11693-0097 phone: (718) 634-4000

Police Department
100th Precinct 92-24 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Rockaway Beach NY , 11693 phone: (718) 318-4200

Post Office
U.S. Postal Service Rockaway Beach 9014 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Rockaway Beach NY , 11693-9997 phone: (800) 275-8777 fax: (718)634-5926

Private / Parochial Schools
St. Rose of Lima (PK-8) 154 Beach 84th Street Rockaway Park NY , 11693 phone: (718) 474-7079	St Camillus School (K-8) 185 Beach 99th Street Rockaway Beach NY , 11691 phone: (718) 634-5260 fax: (718) 634-8353

Public High Schools
Beach Channel High School 100-00 Beach Channel Drive Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-9419

Public Intermediate / Junior High Schools
PS 183 Dr. Richard R. Green (PK-8) 2-45 Beach 79th Street Rockaway Beach NY , 11693 phone: (718) 634-9459 fax: (718) 634-9458	WATERSIDE SCHOOL FOR LEADERSHIP (Q318) 190 BEACH 110 STREET Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-1128 fax:	Q262 Channel View School for Research (6-12) 100-00 Beach Channel Drive Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-1970 fax: (718) 634-2896

Senior Centers
United Irish Foundation Hammel Senior Center 90-01 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Rockaway Beach NY , 11693 phone: (718) 634-4047	Ocean Promenade Nursing Center 140 Beach 113th Street Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 945-6350	Park Nursing Home 128 Beach 115th Street Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 474-6400
Surfside Manor Home for Adults 9502 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Rockaway Park NY , 11693 phone: (718) 945-5500 fax: (718) 634-8925

Elected Officials
NYC Council Hon. Eric Ulrich EUlrich@council.nyc.gov
District Office Address 93-06 101st Avenue Ozone Park NY, 11416 phone: (718) 738-1083 fax: (718) 738-1918	Legislative Office Address 250 Broadway, Suite 1555 New York NY, 10007 phone: (212) 788-7069
NYS Assembly Hon. Phillip Goldfeder GoldfederP@assembly.state.ny.us
District Office 214 Beach 96th Street Rockaway Beach NY, 11693 phone: (718) 945-9550 fax: (718) 945-9549	Albany Office LOB, Room 834 Albany NY, 12248 phone: (518) 455-4292 fax: (518) 455-4723
NYS Senate Hon. James Sanders, Jr. Sanders@nysenate.gov
District Office Address 142-01 Rockaway Boulevard South Ozone Park NY , 11436 phone: (718) 523-3069 fax: (718) 523-3670	Albany Office Room 508, Legislative Office Building Albany NY , 12247 phone: (518) 455-3531 fax: (518) 426-0529
US Congress Hon. Gregory W. Meeks
District Office 153-01 Jamaica Ave., 2nd Floor Jamaica NY , 11432 phone: (718) 725-6000 fax: (718) 725-9868	Legislative Office 2234 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC, 20515 phone: (202) 225-3461 fax: (202) 226-4169
Boro President Hon. Melinda Katz Info@queensbp.org

Mayor Hon. Bill de Blasio

History

Rockaway Beach, located on the Rockaway Peninsula, has a rich history dating back to the early 17th century. Called Reckowacky or “the place of our own people”, by the Canarsie Indian tribe who had settled here, Rockaway was first sold to the Dutch in 1639.

The land was then sold to Captain Palmer in 1685. Richard Cornell purchased the land from Palmer two years later.

After the railroad opened in 1872, Rockaway Beach’s popularity grew as a premier beach resort, serving tourists and New York society’s elite families. Later, Rockaway Beach catered to the middle class.

Rockaway Beach was incorporated in 1897. In 1898 Rockaway Beach and the surrounding villages officially became part of Queens County. Steeplechase, the area’s first amusement park, was opened in 1901. Rockaway’s Playland opened in 1928 and remained a popular tourist spot until the 1980s.

Local areas of interest to tourists include “Whaleamena”, a Central Park Children’s Zoo whale sculpture donated to the Rockaways and located at the Beach 95th Street boardwalk entrance. The “Dough Girl” Monument, located on Rockaway Beach Boulevard and Beach 94th Street, recognizes the efforts of women who served in the armed forces. A four block section of Rockaway Beach was officially designated as the city’s first surfer’s only beach. Today, renewed interest in the Rockaways is spurring housing development.

More information about the Rockaway Beach community is available from the following sources:

Websites

Rockaway … “place of waters bright” www.rockawave.com/common/history/history.html

Books

Old Rockaway, New York in Early Photographs by Vincent Seyfried and William Asadorian

Queens A Pictorial History by Vincent Seyfried

The Peninsula Branch of the Queens Borough Public Library opened in July of 1943 and was then known as the “Rockaway Branch”. The branch was closed from 1958 through 1959 but subsequently reopened as the result of community pressure. In 1972 the branch was moved to a newly built City of New York building and renamed as the Peninsula Branch. A fire in 1999 temporarily closed the Peninsula Branch for several months until repairs and renovations were completed.