How many summer mornings have you woken up thinking, Today’s the day I’ll learn to surf, or What a beautiful day to go to a beach lacking in buried syringes, then considered the schlep to Far Rockaway and curled back up on your mattress? Lame, you guys — commit! I’ve traveled to this gem of Queens real estate by train (F to the A from Park Slope), bus (B44 to Q35 from BedStuy), and car (nondescript sedan). And yes, each trip — even driving — took more than an hour. In my opinion, it’s totally worth the time investment (bring a book), but a new company called Rockabus is launching this weekend to make the commute to the coast a little less draining. The service, which runs between Rockaway and Williamsburg (pickup at Union and Meeker – we triple checked with the Rockabus people!), will cost $10 one way and $18 round trip. And to kick it off, you can ride it free all this weekend.
Rides to and from Shore Front Parkway at 86th Street in Rockaway are free this weekend. Just get a wristband from an attendant at each stop pre-boarding and post-wipeout. The bus runs every 40 minutes from 9:30am – 6:55pm Saturday and Sunday. We’ll see you this weekend, Rockaway fish taco in hand, and check back for our review: was the Rockabus really worth it?
Follow Kelly as she hitches a ride to Rockaway Beach: @iamkellymurphy.
View Comments (9)
While this may seem like a good deal, it behooves me to point out that $18 is practically the price of a Megabus ticket to Boston or D.C. Just sayin.
It's also a 90 minute bike ride from McCaren Park to Riis Park/Fort Tilden; which is free.
proper spelling: McCarren. Sorry, I am a born and bred Greenpointer. ;)
You guys know that the Rockabus is a yellow school bus, right? Who in their right mind would pay $18 to have a yellow school bus take them back and forth from Williamsburg to Rockaway? Oh wait.
The Rockabus website says this picks up at Metropolitan and Union, not Metropolitan and Union.
Whoops, I meant metropolitan and union, not metropolitan and meeker.
I double-checked with Sam from Rockabus:
"As far as the pick up point goes, it will be Union and Meeker, beneath the BQE."
So ignore anything misleading on the website or Twitter!
Looks like the site's been updated from last night. Good spot! We'll get that changed in the article.
That's cool! I still prefer riding my bike there though!