The Place: The Palms, the latest reason you’re supposed to spend weekends in Rockaway, in the form of an art gallery, a pop-up dinner spot, a pseudo spa, a beachy boutique, a Brazilian smoothie shack, an occasional live music venue and a palm tree arbor.

The Hype: They have had and are having some dinners with some impressive guest chefs.
The Reality: Navy’s Camille Becerra already put one together, as did Whitney Aycock, known locally as “The Pizza Nazi.” Though there was no pizza when we were there, and the waitresses-elbowing-you-in-the-head quotient was higher than we’d have liked.

The Hype: The dinners take place at a few long communal tables by candlelight beneath a long, charming outdoor stretch of giant palm trees.
The Reality: They do.

The Hype: Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha) is putting together movie nights.
The Reality: Yes. Cool.

The Hype: It’s got a spa.
The Reality: It’s got a small cement hole in the ground that will, we’re told, be a mud bath imminently. You’ll wash this mud off in the ocean.

The Hype: You should trek to Rockaway to check this out.
The Reality: There’s... still a lot to finish.

Mud-bath zoning laws are a bitch.