Surfing, skating and snacking on the boardwalk in Far Rockaway

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On the newly renovated Rockaway Boardwalk, you can see the ocean’s waves crashing onto the shoreline, surfers, pedestrians and scooters sharing the space that extends from Beach 9 Street to Beach 126 Street.

Spanning 5.5 miles in length, it was officially reopened for the July 4 weekend this year. More than $140 million was spent to restore Rockaway Beach following Hurricane Sandy, according to NYC Parks.

Construction began in April 2014 and is part of a coastal protection system to help the community withstand future extreme weather conditions. Building will continue in the fall on the final 20 blocks from Beach 19 to 39 Streets and the entire boardwalk will be completed by Memorial Day of next year, NYC Parks officials said.

Pat Peluso, a Rockaway resident for the majority of her life, said she loves the new boardwalk “because it revived the whole area” after the wrath of Sandy left the neighborhood in shambles.

There is a concrete wall built under the boardwalk to stop sand from infiltrating the residential area during a heavy storm. The materials chosen to build the new boardwalk were “decided during a series of collaborative design sessions with Rockaway residents,” according to a statement released in June by NYC Parks.

Jorge Sanchez, a surfer from Woodhaven, goes to the beach at Rockaway as often as he can. “I miss the old boardwalk,” he said. Sanchez added that before Sandy, people would find relief from the sun under the boardwalk. That is no longer possible due to the new construction, but he said the community would make the best of it.

Musician Simon Chardiet was playing his upright bass on the boardwalk at Beach 95 St. on July 27. “I loved the way it smelled,” the resident said of the old boardwalk. Chardiet, an avid surfer, said, “There’s something about Rockaway, I don’t want to leave.”

Off, but near, the boardwalk are playgrounds, basketball courts at Beach 82 St. and Shore Front Parkway, a skate park at Beach 91-92 streets, volleyball courts at Beach 26, 73 and 108 streets and 22 handball courts.

Nine spray showers are available and bathrooms can be found along the boardwalk at Beach 9, 17, 30, 59, 67, 86, 97, 106 and 116 streets, said Crystal Howard, the director of media relations for NYC Parks.

There is a food court at Beach 97 Street, which includes the Low Tide Bar, La Fruteria, CitySticks Parlor, The Lobster Joint, Breezy’s BBQ, Uma’s, and several others. At Beach 86 Street Rippers offers several variations of burgers on its menu.