Daniella, Beach 98th Street, Rockaway.
Noell, Beach 98th Street, Rockaway.
"Nobody really knows about us, we’re Far Rockaway... It’s like who cares about them, it’s just Rockaway. Nobody wants to come to Rockaway, forget Rockaway. But we matter in our way because we’re just like everybody else. We have our own communities. We deal with same thing they deal with, so why shouldn’t we matter just like everyone else? Who’s to say we can’t impact each other? We matter, in our own way we matter, even if no one thinks we do." - Leah Joyner, Rockaway.
Rose, Rockaway.
"Rockaway people are resilient. We will find a way to get through it. I watched this community when I moved here when I was five. It was predominately a senior citizen type of area back then, it was well maintained and it took a little dive but it’s now on the rise again. I love this place, I truly do. I am Far Rockaway. I love everything that it stands for. Just like every other area has its good points, it’s bad points, its highs and its lows. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.” -Dexter Archibald, Dayton Towers, Rockaway.
"I see Rockaway as a blank canvas that’s just waiting to get painted. There’s so much that can be done...Rockaway matters. It’s this beach that’s one hour away from 42nd street where you can surf, you can go in the water for free. It’s the A train, it’s right there... It’s a big plus for New York." -Louisa Louis, 76th Street, Rockaway.
"There was so much paperwork afterwards. My neighbor who lived across the way, he helped me a lot with my papers, my social security, my insurance. This man for me, he was my friend. He helped me a lot. His daughter found him dead in his car, so now I have nobody. I cried for one month." -Roma Ciofalo, Shore Front Parkway, Rockaway.
"It was probably one of the few times, and it’s unfortunate, that a tragedy could bring people together but it really did. I just wish that people could have that sense of selflessness and a sense caring about other people all the time. Maybe that’s asking too much, I don’t know. It was nice. I got a chance to meet neighbors I’ve never met... It was really an experience in what the human spirit can do if they see themselves as part of a community, and what they can’t do if they don’t see themselves as part of a community." -Vincent Haywood, Beach 122nd Street, Rockaway.