I live in Manhattan, but have always enjoyed coming to Rockaway, so I decided to do a work from home/staycation in the Rockaways during this stressful year. I looked at a few places and this was the best deal and location. I did not want to be in an area that was super-crowded (like 98th or 108th). This is very close to the beach at 67th, which is primarily a surfing beach and less crowded. The apartment is on the 2nd floor of a walk-up about 5-7 minutes walking from the beach. There are long-term residents in the building, who were also very kind and helpful with whatever I needed. There are some great restaurants nearby and also a stop-and-shop grocery store and pharmacy. I rented a car for the month, and the owner provided me a parking spot in the driveway for an extra fee. But, there was also free street parking. The apartment is right next to the A train stop at 67th street, which is convenient. There is not a lot of traffic on the street, as it is a dead end street.
Despite the current situation, I was able to do a lot on the Rockaway Peninsula and surrounding areas - frequented various beaches, surfing school, Jacob Riis Park, Fort Tilden, great food in Sheepshead Bay, Whale/dolphin watching cruises, Kayak tours of Jamaica Bay, etc. The majority of the people I interacted with were incredibly kind and hard-working.
There was no downside to the stay, just maybe a few quirks that all worked out. My stay was during August, when there were a few parties on the street at night on the weekend. But, I didn't really mind, because it was the weekend in the summer of a really difficult year for everyone. A big storm caused the internet to go out, but the owner fixed/upgraded it right away. It was a great connection - I was able to stream work video calls, tv, music, etc. I also was a bit sensitive to the fan noise coming from the fridge, which the owner went out of his way to get it replaced for me. There was a slight issue with the hot water and both the owner and neighbor were helpful in fixing it.
It was a great stay. I was very sad to leave the Rockaways!