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It's the dead of winter, but that doesn't mean we're not already thinking about summer. And one of our favorite warm-weather traditions is day trips out to Rockaway Beach—besides the sun, surf and people-watching, it's home to some seriously tasty eating and drinking options. But a concessions shake-up could mean your favorite boardwalk vendors might not be returning for summer 2021.
Rippers at Beach 86th Street, Low Tide Bar at Beach 96th and Caracas at Beach 106th first came to the Rockaway Beach boardwalk in 2011, as a post-Hurricane Sandy boost for the area. Now, the NYC Parks Department has snubbed the decade-old concessions, which are managed by the locals-led Rockaway Beach Club, for a pricey 15-year bid from the folks behind Brooklyn Bazaar. (The latter already oversee the concessions over at Riis Park.)
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Not everybody's happy with the contract changes, which will include up to 20 new concession stands along the boardwalk in the upcoming years, as well as renovations to turn the existing structures into year-round dining destinations. Rockaway residents started social media and letter writing campaigns to the Parks Department and voiced their grievances at a public hearing on Monday night.
The Bazaar team assured that they would work with existing vendors to maintain their boardwalk sites, reported Gothamist. However, the high-priced bid—$300,000 a year, with annual increases—raises concerns about potential rent spikes. Fingers crossed that our boardwalk favorites remain come summer.
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