The Rockaway Beach boardwalk has finally been rebuilt after Hurricane Sandy

Just in time for summer, the boardwalk at Rockaway Beach is finally back in action. Nearly five years after Hurricane Sandy tore up miles of the seaside boardwalk in Queens, it’s back—and this time, it’s not going anywhere.  

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Rockaway Beach, NY

In its second incarnation, the boardwalk is made of concrete, not wood. No, it’s not as charming as the creaky, salt-stained planks of the past, but at least they won’t be torn loose when the next massive storm hits the city. The new esplanade runs from Beach 9th to Beach 126th streets, and it will help cement Rockaway as one of the best beaches in NYC (pun intended).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also added 3.7 million cubic tons of sand to the beach, and walls were built underneath the boardwalk to keep the dunes in place. Take that, Sandy. 

Another iconic seaside structure destroyed by Sandy, the Jersey Shore roller coaster, was also just rebuild this spring. Next up is the L train shutdown in 2019 to finally fix the tunnels flooded by the hurricane back in 2012.