Where do you think young New Yorkers go when the mercury rises above thirty degrees? Or for a cool summer party? Certainly not that they blow their budget every weekend on the hip rooftops of Brooklyn and the Meatpacking District. No, New York partygoers go a little further and to Rockaway Beach, less than half an hour's drive from JFK Airport. On the peninsula below Brooklyn that was an inconspicuous piece of land two years ago, it is increasingly seeing and being seen and the Playland Motel is one of the attractions. There are 12 rooms, each decorated by a different New York artist, although the overall atmosphere is that of surf-hippie-chic with walls of whitewashed planks, seventies tie-dye and brightly colored cloths. The menu is not very surprising (pizza, chicken, burgers and quinoa dishes) but tasty, the walk to the beach takes you less than five minutes and the Tiki Disco is famous. For those who have their hotel in Manhattan or Brooklyn, the A train comes almost right up to the motel and during peak season you can hop on the Rock-a-Bus to and from the peninsula for $10 on weekends. Playland Motel