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The Rockaways were once home to a vast bungalow community, populated by out of towners from the city during the summer. These bungalows were designed for summer living - no heating systems. As times changed, and other summer getaways like the Hamptons became popular because they were easily accessed now by automobile, the downfall of the Rockaways became unavoidable. People started stealing the copper pipes out of the bungalows to sell as scrap, and the bungalow communities became slums.
Fast forward to 1964
The Arverne Urban Renewal project was supposed to transform
Rockaway. In this initiative, all bungalows south of the elevated A train from Beach 32nd Street west to Beach 84th Street were razed. Currently, the land from Beach 32nd to Beach 56th Place is vacant save one building, P.S. 106 at 180 Beach 35th Street.
I was born in Rockaway. They rebuilt sections of Averne, but I'm sure much of the area was damaged due to the Hurricane.
I had heard from people on 47th Street and Beach Channel Drive who decided to stay that they had to move up to the second floor of their house during the storm. I don't know what happened after as no one I know has been able to reach them.
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