The
Rockaway Peninsula, commonly referred to as
The Rockaways or
Rockaway, is the name of a
peninsula on
Long Island,
New York, all of which is located within the
New York City borough of
Queens. A popular summer
resort area since the 1830s, Rockaway has become a mixture of lower, middle, and upper-class neighborhoods. Its relative isolation from the urban areas of the city, especially
Manhattan, has traditionally made it a popular summer retreat. The neighborhood is part of
Queens Community Board 14. As of January 1, 2007, the peninsula's total population is estimated to be just below 130,000. Rockaway is entirely in New York's
5th congressional district represented by Congressman
Gregory Meeks. All
ZIP codes in Rockaway begin with 116- and the central
post office is in
Far Rockaway.