If you spot someone stumbling onto the A train with a surfboard, it’s hardly a secret where they’re heading. It’s been said New York's best waves are at Rockaway Beach — likely why it’s the only spot in the city where catching swells is legal. “The Rockaways” collectively refers to nine seaside enclaves on the Rockaway Peninsula, which juts from Long Island’s landmass in the opposite direction of suburbia. While contiguous with Nassau County, it would be genuinely isolated from the rest of New York City if not for the Marine Parkway and the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial bridges. Subways, ferries, and plenty of bus routes have had a hand in turning this summer getaway into a year-round residential area. While the Rockaways are undoubtedly a trip from the urban “mainland,” there remains a charm to life by the beach — getting away from it all while still being part of it all.