Whether you call it Rockaway, The Rockaways or Rockaway Peninsula, this area of Queens is one of the most unique neighborhoods in all of New York City. Located within Queens, yet near Long Island, this neighborhood was once a popular summer retreat for New Yorkers in the 1800s. Today, it has one of the most economically diverse populations in all of New York and is by far one of the fastest gentrifying areas in the city.