Free computer access is available at all the libraries. The Seaside Community Library has:
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International Language Collections at the Seaside Community Library include:
Special Interest/Noteworthy Collections at the Seaside Community Library include:
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Child Care / Preschools | ||
A Child’s Place/Joan Gallagher 141-07 Beach Channel Dr. Belle Harbor NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-1160 | Kidz Playhouse 127-10 Newport Ave Belle Harbor NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-7270 | THE ACTION CENTER,A.S.P #2 @ PS:225 190 Beach 110th St. Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 945-5218 |
Community Board | ||
Queens Community Board 14 1931 Mott Ave. 1931 Mott Ave Far Rockaway NY , 11691 phone: (718) 471-7300 |
Community Organizations & Services | ||
Chamber of Commerce of the Rockaways 253 Beach 116 St. Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-1300 |
Fire Department | ||
Engine 268
Ladder 137 257 Beach 116 St. Rockaway Park NY , 11694 | Engine 329 402 Beach 169 St. Fort Tilden NY , 11695 |
Local Hospitals | ||
St. Johns Episcopal Hospital South Shore 327 Beach 19th St. Far Rockaway NY , 11691 phone: (718) 869-7000 |
Local Newspapers | ||
Rockaway Point News, Inc. PO Box 164 Ft. Tilden NY , 11695 phone: (718) 634-8730 fax: editor@rpnewsonline.com |
Parks and Playgrounds | ||
Gateway National Recreation Center Beach 149 St., Beach Channel Drive, beach 169st phone: (718) 318-4300 | Fort Tilden Visitor Center Beach 169 Street Rockaway phone: (718) 318-4300 | Breezy Point Tip Beach 222 St., Rockaway Inlet Atlantic Ocean |
Police Department | ||
100th Precinct 92-42 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Rockaway Park NY , 11693 phone: (718) 318-4200 |
Post Office | ||
Rockaway Park Post Office 113-25 Beach Channel Drive Rockaway Park NY , 11694-8777 phone: (800) 275-8777 |
Private / Parochial Schools | ||
St. Francis de Sales (Nursery-8) 219 Beach 129 St. Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-2775 | Peninsula Preparatory Academy Charter School 111-11 Rockaway Beach BLVD Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: | Yeshiva of Belle Harbor (N-5) 134-01 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Belle Harbor NY , 11694 phone: (718) 474-0045 |
Yeshiva Merkaz Hatorah of Belle Harbor (HS and Post HS) 505 Beach 129 Street Belle Harbor NY , 11694 phone: (718) 474-3064 |
Public Elementary Schools | ||
P.S. / M.S. 114 Belle Harbor (Q114) 134-01 Cronston Avenue Rockaway Beach NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-3382 | Waterside Children's Studio School (Q317) 190 Beach 110 St Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-1344 |
Public High Schools | ||
Channel View School for Research (Q262) 100-00 Beach Channel Drive Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-1970 | ROCKAWAY PARK HIGH SCHOOL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY (Q324) 100-00 BEACH CHANNEL DRIVE Queens NY, 11694 phone: (718) 318-6170 |
Public Intermediate / Junior High Schools | ||
WATERSIDE SCHOOL FOR LEADERSHIP (Q318) 3-20 Beach 104 St. Rockaway Park NY , 11694 phone: (718) 634-1128 | Scholars' Academy Middle/High School 320 Beach 104th Street Rockaway Park NY, 11694 phone: (718) 474-6918 |
School | ||
Q318 Waterside School for leadership 1 90 Beach 110 St. Rockaway Park NY, 11694 |
Senior Centers | ||
JASA Rockaway Park Senior Center 106-20 Shorefront PKWY Rockaway Park NY, 11694 |
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. Stacey Pheffer Amato AmatoS@nyassembly.gov | |
District Office 95-16 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Rockaway Beach NY, 11693 phone: (718) 945-9550 fax: (718) 945-9549 | Albany Office LOB, Room 827 Albany NY, 12248 phone: (518) 455-4292 fax: (518) 455-4723 |
NYS Senate Hon. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. Addabbo@nysenate.gov | |
District Office 159-53 102nd Street Howard Beach NY, 11414 phone: (718) 738-1111 fax: (718) 322-5760 | Albany Office Room 613, Legislative Office Building Albany NY, 12247 phone: (518) 455-2322 fax: (518) 426-6875 |
US Congress Hon. Gregory W. Meeks | |
District Office 153-01 Jamaica Ave., Suite 204 Jamaica NY , 11432 phone: (718) 725-6000 fax: (718) 725-9868 | Legislative Office 2234 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC, 20516 phone: (202) 225-3461 fax: (202) 226-4169 |
Boro President Hon. Melinda Katz Info@queensbp.org | |
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Mayor Hon. Bill de Blasio | |
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The Rockaway peninsula, a barrier beach eleven miles long in southern Queens, includes the neighborhoods of Far Rockaway, Arverne, Rockaway Beach, Rockaway Park, Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, and Neponsit. The original inhabitants of the Rockaways were the Canarsie Indians. It is thought the name Rockaway is derived from “rechquarkie”, an Indian word with many spelling variants, which means “the place of our people”, or “the sand place”.
The Rockaways, along with Coney Island in Brooklyn, were long a favorite summer resort for New Yorkers, only declining in popularity after World War II. Considered a healthy place to get away from the dirt and heat of the city, people flocked to the beaches in the summer. There were once piers, pavilions by the water, grand hotels, large rooming houses, and colonies of beach cottages. Most cottages have disappeared, but some still are in use today, and in some areas there is attention to their preservation. The amusement park “Playland” opened in 1901 and enjoyed a heyday until it closed in 1986. The entire area has undergone many changes: enduring urban blight, seeing vigorous housing development, moving from being largely a resort area to a bedroom community.
In 1935, 30,000 to 36,000 people lived in Rockaway Beach. According to the U.S. Census, the largest immigrant groups were Irish, German, Russian, and Jewish. The population rose 25% between 1950 and 1959, including the addition of African-American residents. In 1998, the population of the Rockaways was almost 100,000. Today, the population of the community includes Polish, Hungarian, Hispanic, Chinese, Korean, and Arabic immigrants.
Its proximity to the mainland still draws thousands of summer visitors from the rest of the city to enjoy its beaches and sea air.
An article in the Rockaway Argus newspaper in 1930 refers to “numerous additions” to the “collection of books” at the first Seaside Branch, located at the north side of Beach Channel Drive. In her annual report for 1929, the children’s librarian refers to the many summer beachgoers coming to the library.
In April 1961, the Seaside Branch relocated as a “storefront library” on the ground floor of the Pioneer Hotel at 184 Beach 116th Street. Open House was held during National Library Week. There were 52,000 books in its collection. Harold Tucker was Chief Librarian of QBPL. That branch closed in January 1977 while construction continued on the present branch at 116-15 Rockaway Beach Blvd. The staff moved to the Peninsula Branch until the new Seaside Branch was completed and opened in 1979.
In 2010 the Seaside Library was renovated. The renovation included new furniture, interior changes, self check out, RFID technology, a Young Adult area, and more public computers
Sources:
Seyfried, Vincent and William Asadorian. Old Rockaway, New York in Early Photographs, Dover, 2000
Bellot, Alfred H. History of the Rockaways from 1685 to 1917, Bellot’s Histories, Far Rockaway, NY, c1918.
The Wave, Wave Publishing Co., Rockaway Beach, NY.
Rockaway Argus, Rockaway Beach, NY.
Annual Reports, Seaside Branch. Long Island Division, Queens Library.
Website:www.rockawave.com