Kosher and Jewish Life in Far Rockaway

Far Rockaway is a neighborhood on the Rockaway Peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens in the United States. It is the easternmost section of the Rockaways. In September 1609, Henry Hudson and his crew were the first Europeans to see the Rockaways and Jamaica Bay. The Rockaway Association wanted to build a hotel on the Rockaway peninsula in the 19th Century and eventually built the Marine Hotel, they also built the Rockaway Turnpike. This allowed more people to visit and more hotels to be built. The proximity of the location to the beach made it an ideal place for tourists and vacationing people from the other boroughs. Far Rockaway continued to be a popular holiday destination until the 1950s. Over the next few decades the area declined, but in the last 10 years more money has been invested in the area. The area is still very poor with over 50% of households earning less than $30000 per year. The beaches are still popular especially with surfers. The temperature reaches 14oC on average in the summer and 0oC in January. Rainfall is moderate and occurs all year round.