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A narrow strip of Queens squeezed between the Atlantic Ocean and Jamaica Bay, Rockaway Park has the feel of a small beach town that happens to be on the subway. Families here are used to sand in their strollers and salt air on a Tuesday. The boardwalk runs right through the neighborhood, and for a toddler it is essentially a long flat runway. The Beach 30th Street Playground is the real anchor for little ones, with water features, sprinklers, climbing structures, and swings right next to the beach, meaning you can do both in one trip. The Queens Public Library Seaside branch, on Rockaway Beach Boulevard, just reopened after a long renovation and runs programs for young kids, so it is worth checking what they have on the calendar. Getting here from the rest of the city takes commitment: the A train runs to the Rockaway Park terminus at Beach 116th Street, or you can take the NYC Ferry from Manhattan. Most people who come with a toddler tend to make a full day of it rather than a quick stop, which means weekends here have a relaxed, we-are-all-in-this-together energy that is genuinely easy to be around.