The abandoned Rockaway Beach Branch of the Long Island Rail Road in Queens, once a bustling transportation line, has become a wild, overgrown area teeming with nature and urban exploration. Over the years, nature has reclaimed the area, with forests growing amidst the decaying infrastructure, creating a hidden oasis within New York City. Two competing visions for the line's future have emerged: one to transform it into a park akin to the High Line, and another to restore train service. The Friends of the QueensWay aim to build a park and have secured significant funding, while QueensLink proposes reviving train service with substantial cost estimates. As debates continue, the line remains a contested yet captivating space, attracting locals and explorers alike who are drawn to its hidden beauty and history.

The Rockaway Beach Branch, abandoned since 1962, once connected Manhattan to the ocean beaches of New York City, stretching three and a half miles through various landscapes, including parkland valleys and concrete viaducts.

Nature has taken over the abandoned line, with forests growing, signal towers falling, and wildlife such as coyotes colonizing the area, creating a unique and decayed beauty that attracts urban explorers.

Local residents and explorers enjoy the hidden wilderness, with some parts of the line open to the public while others are secured behind fences, making it a secretive and hard-to-access site.

Friends of the QueensWay, a nonprofit organization, aims to convert the abandoned line into a linear park similar to Manhattan's High Line, with significant funding secured for the first phase of park construction.

QueensLink proposes restoring train service on the line, with plans to connect it to the subway system through a new tunnel, though the project faces high cost estimates and competition for funding.

The debate over the line's future has led to a clash of visions, with some residents fearing loss of privacy and increased public access, while others support utilizing the area for transportation or recreation.

Amidst the uncertainty, the Rockaway Beach Branch continues to serve as a testament to urban decay and renewal, drawing interest for its historical significance and untamed natural beauty.