The Ferry to Rockaway Beach

The best way to reach the city's surf beach is by water. NYC Ferry's Rockaway route leaves Wall Street's Pier 11, stops at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park, then runs out through the Narrows and along the Brooklyn shore to a landing at Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive. The Wall Street leg takes about an hour, and the adult one-way fare is $4 as of October 2026, the same as a ride up the East River. You get the harbor, the Verrazzano and open ocean light for the price of a subway trip.

Buy the fare in the NYC Ferry app or at the landing machines, and claim a spot on the open upper deck on the way out. The beach is a few blocks south of the landing. The ferry site warns that the free shuttle bus fills up, and points riders to the Q22 instead, which stops two blocks south at Rockaway Beach Boulevard. The route runs year-round; the fall schedule took effect September 14, 2026, so check the app for current departures, and plan a late-afternoon ride home.