You have reached your destination just before the end of the line when the train pulls into Playland. This should be your first sign you are about to begin a magical journey.
Rockaway does not disappoint in its ability to play. You can find it all here. Perfect small town love, amazing beach vibes, sand, surf, and great night life. When you are living out on the Rockaways, the days easily blend into nights and as much as I love the beach and surfing, the night life almost has it beat.
There are a few great bars within walking distance from the beach and each night is a bar hop, meeting up with friends or making new ones as you go. Start your evening at Rockaway Beach Surf Club, an outside space under the tracks of the A train that will serve as the meeting place after the beach.
Go in your bathing suit and store your board in their lockers in the back. When the train passes above, it is the perfect juxtaposition of surf and city that perfect describes life in the Rockaways and it is easy to see how my best friend got stuck here.
If you are needing a dinner break, their food truck, "The Cookout" is new this season and parked in the surf shack's backyard. They serve incredible seafood - try the Shrimp Po' Boy and thank me later.
In the backyard you can sip cocktails on the family style benches with friends and watch old surf movies playing on the screen outside. I want this place to be my home bar - I wish I could start every night here under the A train with tan skin and surf scars. I even saw Nolan Funk here of Awkward. fame. And yes, I am too old to know MTV actors anymore.
The crowds will begin here and dwindle as the sun sets and the nightly bar crawl begins. There are a few stops along the way but the only other you must not miss is the Playland Motel. The only place you can rent a room on the Rockaways, this stop has a full sand, beach backyard and a ground level bar where you go to late night and be seen.
The vibe here is perfection, dancing is non-stop, and this is the happy smile you will leave with.
Andrew VanWyngarden, the lead vocalist of MGMT is known to frequent the bar when local. He currently purchased a home in the area, packed it with his friends, and heads to Playland in the evenings to DJ - for fun.
It is incredible but that is how night's happen in Playland.
P.S. Andrew, you're dreamy.
In a place called "Playland" my dreams of being a wannabe beach bum seem plausible. I want to ride my bike on the sandy streets with no shoes on my feet and a deep crisp tan on my Native American skin. I want to surf all day and play all night. I want out of the grind, and it probably wasn't the best idea for my current mindset to visit my best friend in a place called Playland. It is perfection and exactly what your soul needs.
This is what I have been missing. Can I come back yet?
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