Far Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York is crawling with people come summer. The convenience of getting there by train, away from traffic jams, draws the city crowd. A quick trip on the subway will bring you to another world. Skyscrapers are lost in the distance and instead replaced with beach type bungalows, city streets are replaced with wooden planks of the sturdy boardwalk and sidewalks with sand.

As curiosity loomed in on what Far Rockaway looks like pre-summer, I began asking myself the question of what does the beach look like without the crowds? Just how different is it from the hustle and bustle of city living? The answer could be found behind my camera lens.

Photos for this photo essay were taken by Marianna Jamadi with video editing by Olga Zapisek and background music by folk band Father Sleep.