East Rockaway, NY

129 3 Bedroom Apartments for Rent with Washer-Dryers

Originally begun as a shipping and trading center for Long Island's south shore, East Rockaway developed into a center for local milling, thanks to the construction of a grist mill in 1688. Since then, perhaps the oddest story in East Rockaway's history concerns the bell from the local bell tower which was stolen by a high school student during the 1960s. For some reason, the bell still hasn't been replaced. That's not to say that things don't happen here. The historic East Rockaway docks, for example, were renovated in 2005, and historic 19th century structures such as the Village Hall and the Grist Mill Museum are not only renovated; they're also open to the public. With a population of 9,818, the town has a thriving business community, tons of civic pride and plenty of beautiful parks and recreational centers for the locals to rejoice in. It's one of those towns that celebrates Arbor Day (complete with plenty of local press) and holds annual Easter egg hunts where everyone actually shows up. As for that missing bell, maybe East Rockaway feels that it's more important to maintain its funky, semi-modern/late-Victorian village ambiance than to worry about replacing an oversized bronze bell that probably kept everyone awake all night anyway. See more