Kennedy’s
Kennedy’s has seen some significant renovations, beginning with the construction of a new building in 1970. The building today might not be the original one brought over by Maxwell Kennedy, but it keeps all the same charm and tradition he expected in 1910.
Maxwell Kennedy shipped in the first iteration of Kennedy’s from across the bay in 1910, ferrying over what would become Kennedy’s Casino from its original location near the Sheepshead Racetrack in Coney Island. That building, posted up on wood pilings, was almost blown off the face of the planet in 1919, when a team of naval personnel transporting a depth charge packed with 120 lbs of TNT accidentally detonated the munition just five hundred feet from the restaurant.
The old boardwalk in Breezy Point
According to Kennedy’s lore, the six men transporting the weapon were never to be found – likely vaporized by the explosion- and the blast left a deep crater in the sand, but the building itself was spared from damage.
Earlier this year, Rogers unveiled a new facade, blending old traditions with new and adding a touch of class to Beach 116th Street
The original structure was razed to make room for the current, more modern building in 1970, and the building received significant renovations in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Still, there is something old-world and classic about Kennedy’s that makes it worth the trip into Breezy Point again and again.
Rogers began its life as a part of the Hotel Rogers, a 25-room hotel with a restaurant and bar
Rogers
A throwback to the golden age of the Rockaway Hotels, Rogers Bar was born as the hotel bar of the Hotel Rogers back in 1919. When it was first opened over a century ago, the Hotel Rogers had 25 guest rooms and a restaurant, but as Rockaway’s fortunes began to decline during the mid-20th century so too did those of the Hotel. By 1992, with the rooms nearly always empty, they finally decided to shutter the hotel portion of the business but kept the bar up and running, catering to a steady stream of locals and the occasional visitor off the A-train. In 2015, the Rogers family sold the business to Michael McMahon, who pledged to keep the same charm and traditions of the Hotel Rogers alive under his watchful eye.
Rogers began its life as a part of the Hotel Rogers, a 25-room hotel with a restaurant and bar
With McMahon at the helm, Rogers has seen something of a rebirth, expanding into a new backyard beer garden and bringing on a much-needed facelift to brighten up the once-dreary corner of Beach 116th Street. McMahon says that he has plans to reopen the hotel side of the business too, looking to get in on the re-awakening of the Rockaway Beach tourism scene as folks from Manhattan are once again beginning to make their way down to our shores. Even with the renovations, however, there is something incredibly authentic about Rogers – a sense that once is stepping into a bygone age of opulence and optimism, all made that much better by one of the best pints of Guinness in the city!
Healy’s
The old Healy’s bar, complete with George and JFK
A renovated Healy’s interior – but the photo of George and JFK remains at center! (Photo from Healy’s Instagram page)
Take a step back to the days of the Irish Riviera, when Healy’s was one of a host of pubs with legendary names like Dingy Dan’s, Boggiano’s, McGuire’s, and Curran’s. Healy’s was opened in 1968 by George Healy, a man who had made a living in the hotel business working with the famed Tishman brothers. With the Tishman’s, George rubbed elbows with the rich and famous – including, among others, President John F. Kennedy himself. After Geroge’s wife died shortly after the birth of their ninth child, however, George decided he needed to settle down, and he believed that opening the bar could be his ticket to ensuring his children would have food on their table every night. As fate would have it, George was right, and Healy’s grew into a neighborhood institution. By 1985, George sold the bar to two of his sons, Thomas and James.
Today, the bar is run by Thomas’ two sons, Thomas and Kevin, and continues to uphold the sense of community and tradition that’s made it a Rockaway staple for more than half-a-century. Last year, Healy’s underwent a major facelift to bring the inside of the bar into the 21st century, but the community-vibe and the sense of Rockaway pride from the staff and patrons truly brings one back to the bygone days of the Irish Riviera.
The Harbor Light
The Harbor Light back when it was the Newport Inn, welcoming visitors from the NY World’s Fair
The Harbor Light as many locals fondly remember her, pre-Sandy
The newest iteration of the Harbor Light, rising from the ashes of the old to usher in a new era on Beach 130th Street
The Harbor Light, established in 1980, might not necessarily be the first place that springs to mind when one thinks of when they imagine historic Rockaway establishments, but the place has been witness to its fair share of history over the years. And, what’s more, the spot the Harbor Light sits on has a storied past all of its own, reaching back to the turn of the century. Beginning life as Mrs. Dolan’s Inn, then Pete’s Place, and The Newport Inn, the building on the corner of Beach 130th and Newport Avenue has been keeping the residents of Belle Harbor fed and entertained for over a century.
The original building, sadly, was destroyed during the tragedy of Hurricane Sandy, but the new structure pays homage to the old legacy.
