View source for Howard Beach

{{Short description|Neighborhood in New York City}}
{{about|the neighborhood|the British harpsichord player|Howard Beach (harpsichordist)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Howard Beach
| settlement_type         = [[Neighborhoods of Queens|Neighborhood in Queens]]
| image_skyline           = Howard Beach 1 by David Shankbone.jpg
| imagesize               =
| image_alt               =
| image_caption           = Homes on [[Hawtree Creek]]
| image                   = <!-- other image (specify File: or Image: namespace) -->
| nickname                =
| motto                   =
| anthem                  =
| image_map               = {{maplink|frame=y|plain=y|frame-align=center|zoom=12|type=shape|from=Neighbourhoods/New York City/Howard Beach Queens.map}}<!--{{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-lat=40.705|frame-long=-73.975|zoom=9|type=point|coord={{coord|40.658|-73.84}}}}-->
| mapsize                 =
| map_alt                 =
| map_caption             = Location within New York City
| coordinates             = {{Coord|40.658|-73.840|type:city_region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}


<!-- location ------------------>

| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{flagu|United States}}
| subdivision_type1       = State
| subdivision_name1       = {{flag|New York}}
| subdivision_type2       = [[City (New York)|City]]
| subdivision_name2       = New York City
| subdivision_type3       = [[List of counties in New York|County]]/[[Borough (New York City)|Borough]]
| subdivision_name3       = [[Queens]]
| subdivision_type4       = [[Community boards of Queens|Community District]]
| subdivision_name4       = [[Queens Community Board 10|Queens 10]]<ref name="NYCPlanning">{{cite web|title=NYC Planning {{!}} Community Profiles|url=https://communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov/queens/10|website=communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov|publisher=New York City Department of City Planning|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref>

<!-- established --------------->
| established_title       = <!-- Settlement -->
| established_date        =
| established_title1      = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
| established_date1       =
| founder                 =
| named_for               = William J. Howard

<!-- population ---------------->
| population_footnotes    = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| population_total        = 26,148
| population_as_of        = [[2010 United States census|2010]]
| population_est          =
| pop_est_as_of           =
| population_demonym      = <!-- demonym, i.e. Liverpudlian for someone from Liverpool -->
| population_note         =

<!-- demographics (section 2) -->
| demographics_type2      = Economics
| demographics2_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| demographics2_title1    = [[Median household income|Median income]]
| demographics2_info1     = $91,175

<!-- postal codes, area code --->
| timezone                = [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|EST]]
| utc_offset              = −05:00
| timezone_DST            = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST          = −04:00
| postal_code_type        = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code             = 11414
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbering plan|Area code]]s
| area_code               = [[Area codes 718, 347, and 929|718, 347, 929]], and [[Area code 917|917]]
}}

'''Howard Beach''' is a neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the [[New York City]] [[Borough (New York City)|borough]] of [[Queens]]. It is bordered to the north by the [[Belt Parkway]] and [[Conduit Avenue]] in [[Ozone Park, Queens|Ozone Park]], to the south by [[Jamaica Bay]] in [[Broad Channel, Queens|Broad Channel]], to the east by 102nd–104th Streets in [[South Ozone Park, Queens|South Ozone Park]], and to the west by 75th Street in [[East New York, Brooklyn]]. The area consists mostly of low-rise [[Single-family detached home|single-family detached houses]].

Howard Beach is located in [[Queens Community Board 10|Queens Community District 10]] and its ZIP Code is 11414.<ref name="NYCPlanning"/> It is patrolled by the [[New York City Police Department]]'s 106th Precinct.<ref name="NYPD 106th Precinct"/> Politically, Howard Beach is represented by the [[New York City Council]]'s 32nd District.<ref>[http://www.nyc.gov/html/dc/downloads/pdf/queens.pdf Current City Council Districts for Queens County], New York City. Accessed May 5, 2017.</ref>

==History==
{{more citations needed|section|date=August 2016}}

[[File:Cross Bay Boulevard (Howard Beach).jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Cross Bay Boulevard]]]]

===Early development===
Howard Beach was established in 1897 by William J. Howard, a [[Brooklyn]] glove manufacturer who operated a {{convert|150|acres|adj=on}} goat farm on meadow land near [[Aqueduct Racetrack]] as a source of skin for kid gloves. In 1897, he bought more land and filled it in. In the following year, he built 18 cottages. He opened a hotel near the water, which he ran until it was destroyed by fire in October 1907. Gradually, he bought more land. In 1909, he formed the Howard Estates Development Company. He dredged and filled the land until he was able to accumulate {{convert|500|acres}} by 1914. He laid out several streets, water mains and gas mains, and built 35 houses that were priced in the $2,500–$5,000 range.

The [[Long Island Rail Road]] established a station named [[Ramblersville (LIRR station)|Ramblersville]] in 1905 and a Post Office by the same name opened soon thereafter. A casino, beach, and fishing pier were added in 1915 and the name of the neighborhood was changed to Howard Beach on April 6, 1916. Development continued and ownership was expanded to a group of investors who sold lots for about $690 each starting in 1922. Development, however, was limited to the areas east of Cross Bay Boulevard near the LIRR station now known as Bernard Coleman Memorial Square (then Lilly Place). The rest of Howard Beach consisted of empty marsh land except for the area to the south of Coleman Square, centered around Russell and 102nd Streets, which consisted of many small fishing bungalows that dotted alongside Hawtree Creek and Jamaica Bay. This area of Howard Beach retained the name Ramblersville. In 1919, the LIRR established opened the [[Hamilton Beach station]], located about a quarter-mile south of the Howard Beach station at Coleman Square.

After [[World War II]], Queens and Long Island experienced a significant suburban building boom. The marshland west of Cross Bay Boulevard was filled in, paving the way for the construction of numerous [[Cape Cod (house)|Cape Cod]] and High Ranch-style homes on {{convert|50|by|100|ft|m|adj=on}} and {{convert|60|by|100|ft|m|adj=on}} lots. This area was developed as Rockwood Park to the north and Spring Park to the south, together comprising what would be known as New Howard Beach, while the area east of the boulevard became known as Old Howard Beach.

In the early 1950s, farmland north of Rockwood Park was transformed with the addition of red-brick, two-story garden-style cooperative apartments, six-story co-op and condo buildings, and private two-family homes. This new neighborhood was named Lindenwood. Development continued through the 1960s and 1970s, with Cross Bay Boulevard emerging as the primary shopping district for the area.

In the 1990s and 2000s, many older homes in the neighborhood were demolished and replaced with [[McMansion|McMansions]].

===Post-1980s===
====Hate crimes====
In 1986 and 2005, Howard Beach became the site of two widely publicized [[Anti-Black racism|anti-Black]] [[Hate crime|hate crimes]].

On December 20, 1986, Michael Griffith, a 23-year-old Black man, was killed in Howard Beach following a [[Howard Beach racial attack|racial attack]]. Griffith, along with Cedric Sandiford and Timothy Grimes, sought assistance in Howard Beach after their car broke down on Cross Bay Boulevard. They were attacked by a group of white youths at [[New Park Pizza]], severely beating Griffith and Sandiford. Fleeing the assault, Griffith ran onto the Belt Parkway and was struck and killed by a car. New York City Mayor [[Ed Koch]] compared the attack to a [[lynching]].

Black civil rights activists organized protests in Howard Beach and surrounding neighborhoods, calling for boycotts of white-owned businesses. During protests, mostly Black marchers carried signs comparing Howard Beach to [[apartheid]]-era [[South Africa]], while white residents displayed racist signs.<ref name="Mack">{{cite book |last=Mack |first=Dwayne A. |editor-last1=Alexander |editor-first1=Leslie |editor-last2=Rucker |editor-first2=Walter C. |title=Encyclopedia of African American History, Volume 1 |date=2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, Calif. |isbn=978-1-85109-769-2 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Uhh7GggNxQoC&q=%22Howard+Beach+incident%22 814-816] |chapter=Howard Beach Incident, 1986}}</ref> Three local teenagers—Jon Lester, Scott Kern, and Jason Ladone—were convicted of manslaughter, while another assailant was acquitted.

On June 29, 2005, a group of local white men in Howard Beach attacked three Black men with baseball bats, resulting in one victim being hospitalized with serious injuries. Police arrested two of the attackers, including Nicholas Minucci, who claimed the victims had attempted to rob him.<ref>{{cite news |title=Howard Beach 'Bias' Attack. Bat-Wielding Thug Clubs Black Man |first1=Kerry |last1=Burke |first2=Tamer |last2=El-Ghobashy |first3=Alison |last3=Gendar |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2005/06/30/2005-06-30_howard_beach__bias__attack__.html |newspaper=New York Daily News |date=June 30, 2005 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110815051408/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2005-06-30/news/18299267_1_attackers-nicholas-minucci-glenn-moore | archive-date=August 15, 2011 |access-date=January 17, 2010}}</ref> Minucci, 20, was found guilty on June 10, 2006 of robbery and the racist attack of Glenn Moore, during which he used a racial slur.<ref>{{cite news |title=Batsman Convicted of Howard Beach Hate Crimes |first=Corey |last=Kilgannon |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/10/nyregion/10howard.html |newspaper=New York Times |date=June 10, 2006 |access-date=January 17, 2010}}</ref> On July 17, 2006, Minucci was sentenced to 15 years in prison.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fat Nick Gets 15 Years |first1=Austin |last1=Fenner |first2=Scott |last2=Shifrel |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2006/07/18/2006-07-18_fat_nick_gets_15_years__minu.html |newspaper=New York Daily News |date=July 18, 2006 |access-date=January 17, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128082135/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2006/07/18/2006-07-18_fat_nick_gets_15_years__minu.html |archive-date=January 28, 2011  }}</ref>

====Hurricane Sandy====
As [[Hurricane Sandy]] approached New York on October 28, 2012, city officials ordered the evacuation of residents in Zone A neighborhoods, including the Hamilton Beach section of Howard Beach, due to the threat of severe storm surges. Most of Howard Beach was in Zone B, where evacuation was voluntary. Many residents chose to remain, influenced by the relatively minor impact of [[Hurricane Irene]] the previous year.

On October 29, Sandy made landfall, bringing a ten-foot [[storm surge]] from [[Jamaica Bay]] that flooded Old Howard Beach, New Howard Beach, Broad Channel, the [[Rockaway, Queens|Rockaways]], parts of Lindenwood, and sections of [[Ozone Park, Queens|Ozone Park]]. The storm caused widespread destruction, including extensive damage to homes, businesses along Cross Bay Boulevard, the [[Howard Beach–JFK Airport station|Howard Beach–JFK Airport]] subway station, and the [[IND Rockaway Line]] trestle over Jamaica Bay. Power outages lasted upwards three weeks.

After Sandy, the [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] and the [[New York City Office of Emergency Management]] provisionally re-classified Howard Beach, along with the Brooklyn neighborhoods of [[Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn|Gerritsen Beach]] and [[Red Hook, Brooklyn|Red Hook]], as Zone A neighborhoods. The Howard Beach post office, heavily damaged during the storm, reopened on April 5, 2013, following significant repairs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Howard Beach Post Office Reopens After Undergoing Sandy Repairs |url=http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/179998/howard-beach-post-office-reopens-after-undergoing-sandy-repairs |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630011726/http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/179998/howard-beach-post-office-reopens-after-undergoing-sandy-repairs |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 30, 2013 |publisher=NY1 |access-date=April 6, 2013 }}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Cross Bay Boulevard wiki.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Cross Bay Boulevard]]]]
[[File:Coleman Square by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Coleman Square]]
Like many New York City neighborhoods, Howard Beach is composed of several smaller neighborhoods including Howard Beach, Old Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach, Ramblersville, Spring Park, Rockwood Park, Lindenwood, and Howard Park. Often, Old Howard Beach, Ramblersville, Howard Park, and Hamilton Beach are collectively referred to as "Old Howard Beach." The main section of Howard Beach is a small peninsula bordered by the [[Belt Parkway]] and Conduit Avenue to the north, [[Jamaica Bay]] to the south, [[Hawtree Creek]] to the east (separating it from Hamilton Beach), and Shellbank Basin to the west, which separates it from Cross Bay Boulevard.

[[Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards|Cross Bay Boulevard]] serves as Howard Beach's primary commercial hub. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was lined predominantly with locally owned shops and restaurants. Since the 1990s, chain stores and franchises have become more prominent along the boulevard. Former entertainment landmarks included Kiddie-Park and Cross-Bay Lanes. The [[Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial Bridge]], named after a [[Joseph P. Addabbo|former U.S. Representative]] from the district, carries Cross Bay Boulevard over Jamaica Bay, linking mainland Queens to [[Broad Channel, Queens|Broad Channel]].

Bernard Coleman Memorial Square, near the Howard Beach – JFK Airport station, is a small plaza featuring a memorial honoring soldiers from Howard Beach who died in [[World War I]], World War II, the [[Korean War]], and the [[Vietnam War]].<ref name="dailynews-2002-09-22">{{cite news|title='Small town' has big pride – & image woes: The Howard Beach story |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/ny_local/2002/09/22/2002-09-22__small_town__has_big_pride_-.html |work=New York Daily News |first=Jonathan |last=Lemire |date=September 22, 2002 |access-date=January 17, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605022307/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/ny_local/2002/09/22/2002-09-22__small_town__has_big_pride_-.html |archive-date=June 5, 2011  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |work=Bridge and Tunnel Club |url=http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/queens/howardbeach/colemansquare/index.htm |title=Coleman Square, Howard Beach}}</ref>

===Hamilton Beach===
Hamilton Beach is bordered by the 102nd Street Creek to the north, the [[IND Rockaway Line]] tracks and [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|JFK Airport]] to the east, [[Hawtree Creek]] to the west, and [[Jamaica Bay]] to the south. Before incorporation, Hamilton Beach was characterized by dirt roads, bungalow-style homes, and the absence of a sewer system. Often referred to as West Hamilton Beach,<ref name="forgotten-ny.com">{{cite web|url=http://forgotten-ny.com/2013/12/west-hamilton-beach-queens/|title=WEST HAMILTON BEACH, Queens|work=forgotten-ny.com|date=December 22, 2013|access-date=February 10, 2015}}</ref> it is one of the few New York City communities with its own volunteer fire department. East Hamilton Beach, once located on the east side of the Long Island Rail Road tracks, was demolished in the 1940s to allow for the expansion of Idlewild Airport (now JFK Airport). The neighborhood has no connection to [[Hamilton Beach Brands]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/ramblersville/ramblin.html|title=Ramblin' in Ramblersville|website=forgotten-ny.com|access-date=April 10, 2018}}</ref><ref name="forgotten-ny.com"/>

Until June 27, 1955, Hamilton Beach had a [[Hamilton Beach station|station]] on the [[Long Island Rail Road|LIRR]]'s [[Rockaway Beach Branch]]. The station was closed when much of the branch was sold to the [[New York City Transit Authority]]. The community consists of one main road, 104th Street, with ten dead-end blocks connected to it, surrounded mostly by water. There is a single vehicular entrance and two pedestrian access points: a boardwalk linking the [[Howard Beach–JFK Airport station|Howard Beach-JFK Airport station]] at Coleman Square to 104th Street, and the Hawtree Basin pedestrian bridge, which connects Hamilton Beach to Old Howard Beach.

Hamilton Beach features a small park at its southern end, including a 200-foot baseball field, a handball court, a jungle gym, and a beach. Gateways Hamilton Beach Park, located south of 165th Avenue, serves as the final stop for the [[Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards buses|Q11]] bus. Since the early 21st century, housing development in the area has increased.

===Lindenwood===
Lindenwood, a section of Howard Beach, was developed in the 1950s and 1960s on landfill property and is considered part of New Howard Beach. The neighborhood features six-story orange- and red-brick [[apartment]] buildings constructed in the early to mid-1960s, smaller red-brick "garden apartments" built in the 1950s (visible from the [[Belt Parkway]]), and two-family homes, some attached, built in the 1960s. High-rise apartment buildings are primarily co-ops (red brick) or condominiums (orange brick), including Heritage House East and West, among the first condominium apartments in New York State. Additional townhouses near the [[Brooklyn]] border have been constructed since the 1970s. Many former playgrounds around apartment buildings have since been converted into sitting areas, with restrictions such as no dogs allowed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lindenwood Dog Days Coming And Going |first=Joseph |last=Wendelken |url=http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17386042&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574908&rfi=6 |newspaper=Queens Chronicle |date=October 26, 2006 |access-date=January 17, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

At the heart of Lindenwood is P.S. 232, now known as the [[Walter Ward (politician)|Walter Ward]] School, named after a longtime local City Councilman.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://schools.nyc.gov/SchoolPortals/27/Q232/default.htm?searchType=school|title=Welcome!|date=December 22, 2014|work=nyc.gov|access-date=February 10, 2015}}</ref> The Lindenwood Shopping Center features a supermarket and about 20 stores. A second supermarket, "The Village," opened in the early 1970s but later housed a mall, flea market, bingo hall, private school, and ultimately became a walk-in medical center. Another small strip mall is located on [[Linden Boulevard]], next to the Lindenwood Diner.

Historically, Lindenwood's population was predominantly [[American Jews|Jewish]], [[Italians in New York City|Italian]], and [[Hispanics and Latinos in New York|Hispanic]]. When the Jewish population was larger, Temple Judea on 153rd Avenue and 80th Street served the community. The building was later converted into apartments after the synagogue merged with the Howard Beach Jewish Center in Rockwood Park. The neighborhood once had two pool clubs, later replaced by walk-up apartments and townhouses, including one near P.S. 232 that was redeveloped in 1980. A tennis bubble at 153rd Avenue and 79th Street was built around 1980.

===Old Howard Beach===
Old Howard Beach is a section of Howard Beach that lies between [[Shellbank Basin]] and [[Hawtree Creek]] to the east of [[Cross Bay Boulevard]]. Coleman Square, [[Walter J. Wetzel Triangle|Wetzel Triangle]] and Frank M. Charles Park are located in Old Howard Beach. The area is locally referred to as "Old Howard Beach" since it was the original place in which founder William Howard built his famous hotel, and later the area's first houses in the 1920s. The current housing in Old Howard Beach consists of several different types of houses. Those located near the former Howard Beach General Hospital (built in 1962) are mainly 1950s and 1960s detached two-family homes, while the areas near Coleman Square, Frank M. Charles Park, and Shellbank Basin contain primarily single-family homes. The Q11 bus serves the neighborhood.

===Ramblersville===
[[File:Ramblersville (2870333429).jpg|275px|thumb|right|c. 1900 photograph of Ramblersville by William M. Vander Weyde (1871–1929)]]
Ramblersville is a small neighborhood of about a dozen blocks between Hawtree Creek and [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|JFK Airport]].<ref>[http://www.eastman.org/ar/strip44/htmlsrc/vanderweyde_sld00001.html#74:0056:0164 Six photographs] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609043307/http://www.eastman.org/ar/strip44/htmlsrc/vanderweyde_sld00001.html |date=June 9, 2007 }} by [[William van der Weyde|William M. Vander Weyde]], American (1871(?)-1929)</ref><ref>
[http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/ramblersville/ramblin.html Ramblin' in Ramblersville], Forgotten New York</ref><ref name= newman>Newman, Andy. "[http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/new-york-today-mr-de-blasio-goes-to-albany/ New York Today: Mr. de Blasio Goes to Albany]". ''The New York Times''. February 25, 2015.</ref> It is nearly surrounded by waterways leading into [[Jamaica Bay]]. The neighborhood is bordered by 160th Avenue to the north, Hawtree Creek to the west (across which lies Old Howard Beach), the [[IND Rockaway Line]] to the east (beyond which are Bergen Basin and JFK Airport), and 102nd Street Creek to the south. 102nd Street crosses the creek to connect to Hamilton Beach at Russell Street. The neighborhood spans approximately {{convert|1000|ft|m}} on each side, and lacks the rectangular street grid of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Ramblersville is purportedly the oldest neighborhood in what later became Howard Beach and once considered itself independent of New York City when the city was unified. A 1905 ''[[The Washington Post|Washington Post]]'' article described the neighborhood as having houses built on stilts, with a population of 1,000 in the summer and a dozen in the winter. In 1962, the city replaced the neighborhood’s private water mains; at that time, the population consisted of approximately 130 families.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/the-sewers-of-ramblersville-abandoning-cesspools-would-ease-pollution-of-jamaica-bay-but-hookup-costs-are-a-concern-1.270227|title=The Sewers Of Ramblersville / Abandoning cesspools would ease pollution of Jamaica Bay, but hookup costs are a concern|work=Newsday|access-date=February 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>"[https://www.proquest.com/docview/144533971/ Venice in New York: Oddities of Ramblersville on a Jamaica Bay Creek]". ''The Washington Post''. July 30, 1905. p. A8.</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1962/07/07/archives/section-of-queens-to-get-new-mains.html "Section of Queens to Get New Mains"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', July 7, 1962, p. 8. Accessed June 7, 2022.</ref>

[[Fishing]] was a significant industry in the neighborhood. In 2001, ''The New York Times'' compared Ramblersville to a [[fishing village]], having pebbled streets and wooden bungalows built on pilings, surrounded by tall grass and marshy fields.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/04/nyregion/neighborhood-report-howard-beach-junk-you-junk-us-too-embattled-residents-say.html "Neighborhood Report: Howard Beach: Junk to You, Junk to Us Too, Embattled Residents Say"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 4, 2001. Accessed June 7, 2022.</ref>

North of Ramblersville is 159th Drive, also called Remsen Place, named after Jeromus Remsen, an [[American Revolutionary War]] officer. This area was historically known as "Remsen's Landing." Before 1916, the entire area now known as Howard Beach was commonly referred to as Ramblersville, including Hamilton Beach to the south and Old Howard Beach to the west. The [[Howard Beach–JFK Airport station|Howard Beach – JFK Airport station]] was originally the Ramblersville Station of the [[Long Island Rail Road]].

Ramblersville is the smallest neighborhood in New York City in terms of real estate per square foot.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2015/02/24/the_story_of_ramblersville_new_yorks_smallest_neighborhood.php|title=The Story of Ramblersville, New York's Smallest Neighborhood|work=Curbed NY|access-date=May 29, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325004022/http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2015/02/24/the_story_of_ramblersville_new_yorks_smallest_neighborhood.php|archive-date=March 25, 2015}}</ref><ref name= newman/>

===Rockwood Park===
Rockwood Park primarily consists of [[Single-family detached home|single-family detached houses]]. Often referred to as part of "New Howard" by local residents, it is bounded by 78th and 92nd Streets (running north-south) and 156th and 165th Avenues (running east-west). Public transportation in the area is provided by the Q41 and [[Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards buses|Q21]] bus routes. To the west of 78th Street, the neighborhood's westernmost boundary, lies [[Spring Creek Park]], marking the border between [[Brooklyn]] and Queens.

The area remained undeveloped through the first half of the 1900s. After World War II, marshland west of Cross Bay Boulevard was filled in, leading to the construction of [[Cape Cod style|Cape Cod-style]] houses. In the 1960s and 1970s, high ranch-style houses were built. The area became associated with upscale living and was home to notable figures, including [[Gambino crime family]] boss [[John Gotti]], who lived on 85th Street. Starting in the late 1980s and continuing through the 2000s, many original Cape Cod-style homes were replaced with [[McMansion|McMansions]].

Folk singer Woody Guthrie also lived in the neighborhood, at 159-13 85th Street, after moving from Coney Island.

==Demographics==
Based on data from the [[2010 United States census]], the population of Howard Beach was 26,148, a change of -1,973 (-7.5%) from the 28,121 counted in [[2000 United States census|2000]]. Covering an area of {{convert|1471.79|acres}}, the neighborhood had a population density of {{convert|17.8|PD/acre|PD/sqmi PD/sqkm}}.<ref name=PLP5>[http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/census2010/t_pl_p5_nta.pdf Table PL-P5 NTA: Total Population and Persons Per Acre - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010], Population Division – New York City Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 16, 2016.</ref> The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 76.8% (20,069) [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.6% (413) [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% (28) [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 3.5% (923) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0% (5) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.2% (62) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1% (249) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 16.8% (4,399) of the population.<ref name=PLP3A>[http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/census2010/t_pl_p3a_nta.pdf Table PL-P3A NTA: Total Population by Mutually Exclusive Race and Hispanic Origin - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010], Population Division – New York City Department of City Planning, March 29, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2016.</ref> {{As of|2022}}, half of the population is Italian or of Italian descent.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Domino |first1=David |title=A Nice Italian Neighborhood in Queens |url=https://www.wetheitalians.com/art-heritage-new-york/nice-italian-neighborhood-queens |website=WETHEITALIANS |access-date=5 July 2022}}</ref>

The entirety of Community Board 10, which comprises Howard Beach, southern Ozone Park, and South Ozone Park, had 125,603 inhabitants as of [[New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene|NYC Health]]'s 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 81.7 years.<ref name="CHP2018">{{Cite web|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/data/2018chp-qn10.pdf|title=South Ozone Park and Howard Beach (Including Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Old Howard Beach, Ozone Park and South Ozone Park)|date=2018|website=nyc.gov|publisher=NYC Health|access-date=March 2, 2019}}</ref>{{Rp|2, 20}} This is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.<ref name=":21">{{Cite web|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/tcny/community-health-assessment-plan.pdf|title=2016-2018 Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan: Take Care New York 2020|date=2016|website=[[government of New York City|nyc.gov]]|publisher=[[New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene]]|access-date=September 8, 2017}}</ref>{{Rp|53 (PDF p. 84)}}<ref>{{cite web | title=New Yorkers are living longer, happier and healthier lives | website=New York Post | date=June 4, 2017 | url=https://nypost.com/2017/06/04/new-yorkers-are-living-longer-happier-and-healthier-lives/ | access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref> Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 22% are between the ages of 0 and 17, 28% between 25 and 44, and 28% between 45 and 64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 9% and 13% respectively.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|2}}

As of 2017, the median [[household income]] in Community Board 10 was $73,891.<ref name="CB10PUMA">{{cite web|url=https://censusreporter.org/profiles/79500US3604113-nyc-queens-community-district-10-howard-beach-ozone-park-puma-ny/|title=NYC-Queens Community District 10--Howard Beach & Ozone Park PUMA, New York|publisher=Census Reporter|access-date=July 17, 2018|archive-date=May 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503052814/http://censusreporter.org/profiles/79500US3604113-nyc-queens-community-district-10-howard-beach-ozone-park-puma-ny/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2018, an estimated 19% of Howard Beach and South Ozone Park residents lived in poverty, compared to 19% in all of Queens and 20% in all of New York City. One in ten residents (10%) were unemployed, compared to 8% in Queens and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 56% in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park, higher than the boroughwide and citywide rates of 53% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, {{as of|2018|lc=y}}, Howard Beach and South Ozone Park are considered to be high-income relative to the rest of the city and not [[gentrification|gentrifying]].<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|7}}

==Politics==
Howard Beach is part of the 15th [[New York State Senate|State Senate]] district, represented by [[Joseph Addabbo Jr.]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latfor.state.ny.us/maps/2012s/SD_nyc.pdf|title=2012 Senate District Maps: New York City|publisher=The New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment|date=2012|access-date=November 17, 2018}}</ref> and the 23rd [[New York State Assembly|State Assembly]] district, represented by [[Stacey Pheffer Amato]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latfor.state.ny.us/maps/2012a/AD_nyc.pdf|title=2012 Assembly District Maps: New York City|publisher=The New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment|date=2012|access-date=November 17, 2018}}</ref> It is part of District 32 in the [[New York City Council]], represented by [[Joann Ariola]].<ref>{{cite web | title=District 32 | website=[[New York City Council]] | date=February 24, 2009 | url=https://council.nyc.gov/eric-ulrich/district-32/ | access-date=November 17, 2018 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Following [[redistricting]] in 2012, the neighborhood was split between the [[New York's 5th congressional district|5th]] and [[New York's 8th congressional district|8th congressional district]]s. The 5th District covered the parts of Howard Beach east of 104th Street and the 8th District covered the rest of the neighborhood west of 104th Street.<ref name=redistricting>[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/03/20/nyregion/new-york-redistricting.html New York Redistricting], ''New York Times'' (March 20, 2012).</ref> These districts were represented by [[Gregory Meeks]] and [[Hakeem Jeffries]] respectively, {{as of|2018|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web | title=House Election Results: Democrats Take Control | website=The New York Times | date=November 19, 2018 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/06/us/elections/results-house-elections.html | access-date=November 19, 2018}}</ref>

==Police and crime==
Howard Beach, southern Ozone Park, and South Ozone Park are patrolled by the 106th Precinct of the [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]], located at 103-53 101st Street.<ref name="NYPD 106th Precinct">{{Cite web|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/bureaus/patrol/precincts/106th-precinct.page|title=NYPD – 106th Precinct|website=www.nyc.gov|publisher=[[New York City Police Department]]|access-date=October 3, 2016}}</ref> The 106th Precinct ranked 26th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. The rate of car thefts is high because of the area's proximity to the Belt Parkway.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/crime-safety-report/queens/south-ozone/|title=Ozone Park and Howard Beach – DNAinfo.com Crime and Safety Report|website=www.dnainfo.com|access-date=October 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415051020/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/crime-safety-report/queens/south-ozone|archive-date=April 15, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{As of|2018}}, with a non-fatal assault rate of 32 per 100,000 people, Howard Beach and South Ozone Park's rate of [[violent crime]]s per capita is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 381 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|8}}

The 106th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 81.3% between 1990 and 2018. In 2018, there were 6 murders, 16 rapes, 183 robberies, 246 felony assaults, 133 burglaries, 502 grand larcenies, and 97 grand larcenies auto recorded in the precinct.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs-en-us-106pct.pdf|title=106th Precinct CompStat Report|website=www.nyc.gov|publisher=[[New York City Police Department]]|access-date=July 22, 2018}}</ref>

== Fire safety ==
Howard Beach contains a [[New York City Fire Department]] (FDNY) fire station, Engine Co. 331/Ladder Co. 173, at 158-99 Cross Bay Boulevard.<ref>{{cite web | title=Engine Company 331/Ladder Company 73 | website=FDNYtrucks.com | url=http://www.fdnytrucks.com/files/html/queens/e331.htm | access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite FDNY locations}}</ref>

Hamilton Beach is served by the West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department, which has Engine 2 (Brush Unit), Engine 4, Engine 6, Ambulance 947 & 947-1, and two Chiefs vehicles,<ref>{{Cite web|title=West Hamilton Beach Fire Department – Howard Beach, NY|url=https://whbvfd.org/|access-date=2020-07-14|website=whbvfd.org}}</ref> as well as a water pump.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department receives new equipment to combat tidal floods|url=https://qns.com/story/2018/10/22/hamilton-beach-volunteer-fire-department-receives-new-equipment-combat-tidal-floods/|access-date=2020-07-14|website=QNS.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Health==
{{As of|2018}}, [[preterm birth]]s are more common in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park than in other places citywide, though births to teenage mothers are less common. In Howard Beach and South Ozone Park, there were 97 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 14.2 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide).<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|11}} Howard Beach and South Ozone Park have a low population of residents who are [[Health insurance coverage in the United States|uninsured]]. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 8%, lower than the citywide rate of 12%.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|14}}

The concentration of [[particulates|fine particulate matter]], the deadliest type of [[air pollution|air pollutant]], in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park is {{convert|0.0068|mg/m3|oz/ft3}}, less than the city average.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|9}} Twelve percent of Howard Beach and South Ozone Park residents are [[Smoking|smokers]], which is lower than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|13}} In Howard Beach and South Ozone Park, 27% of residents are [[Obesity|obese]], 19% are [[Diabetes mellitus|diabetic]], and 34% have [[hypertension|high blood pressure]]—compared to the citywide averages of 22%, 8%, and 23% respectively.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|16}} In addition, 21% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|12}}

Eighty-three percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is less than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 77% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", about equal to the city's average of 78%.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|13}} For every supermarket in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park, there are eight [[convenience store|bodegas]].<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|10}}

The nearest major hospitals are [[Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center]] in [[Brooklyn]]<ref>[http://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/redesign/dsrip/pps_applications/docs/maimonides_medical_center/3.8_maimonides_cna.pdf New York City Health Provider Partnership Brooklyn Community Needs Assessment: Final Report], [[New York Academy of Medicine]] (October 3, 2014).</ref> and [[Jamaica Hospital]] in [[Jamaica, Queens|Jamaica]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Finkel | first=Beth | title=Guide To Queens Hospitals | website=Queens Tribune | date=February 27, 2014 | url=http://queenstribune.com/guide-to-queens-hospitals/ | access-date=March 7, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204185507/http://queenstribune.com/guide-to-queens-hospitals/ | archive-date=February 4, 2017 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Post offices and ZIP Code==
Howard Beach is covered by the [[ZIP Code]] 11414.<ref>{{cite web | title=Howard Beach, New York City-Queens, New York Zip Code Boundary Map (NY) | website=United States Zip Code Boundary Map (USA) | url=https://www.zipmap.net/New_York/Queens_County/Z_Howard_Beach.htm | access-date=March 11, 2019 | archive-date=April 5, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405035401/https://www.zipmap.net/New_York/Queens_County/Z_Howard_Beach.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref>  The [[United States Postal Service]] operates two post offices nearby: the Station A post office at 160-50 Cross Bay Boulevard<ref>{{cite web | title=Location Details: Station A | website=USPS.com | url=https://tools.usps.com/find-location.htm?location=1367493| access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref> and the Station B post office at 102-12 159th Avenue.<ref>{{cite web | title=Location Details: Station B | website=USPS.com | url=https://tools.usps.com/find-location.htm?location=1353830 | access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref>

== Education ==
[[File:Howard Beach library, February 2017.jpg|thumb|Queens Public Library, Howard Beach branch]]
Howard Beach and South Ozone Park generally have a lower rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city {{as of|2018|lc=y}}. While 28% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 23% have less than a high school education and 49% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 39% of Queens residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|6}} The percentage of Howard Beach and South Ozone Park students excelling in math rose from 33% in 2000 to 61% in 2011, and reading achievement rose from 37% to 48% during the same time period.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web|url=http://furmancenter.org/files/sotc/QN_10_11.pdf|title=S. Ozone Park / Howard Beach – QN 10|date=2011|publisher=[[Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy]]|access-date=October 5, 2016}}</ref>

Howard Beach and South Ozone Park's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is less than the rest of New York City. In Howard Beach and South Ozone Park, 18% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per [[school year]], lower than the citywide average of 20%.<ref name=":21" />{{Rp|24 (PDF p. 55)}}<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|6}} Additionally, 82% of high school students in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|6}}

===Schools===
* [http://www.ps146q.org/ PS 146 The Howard Beach School]
* [http://schools.nyc.gov/OurSchools/Region5/Q207/default.htm?searchType=school PS 207 The Rockwood Park School]
* [http://schools.nyc.gov/SchoolPortals/27/Q232/default.htm?searchType=school PS 232 The Walter Ward School]
* St. Helens Catholic Academy K–8 ([[Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn]])

Before the public elementary schools changed to K-8 schools, residents of Howard Beach that attended PS 207, PS 232 or PS 146 then went to Junior High School 202 (Robert H. Goddard Junior High School) for grades 7–8.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://schools.nyc.gov/SchoolPortals/27/Q202/default.htm|title = Find a School – New York City Department of Education}}</ref> It is located on the northwest corner of Conduit Boulevard and Lafayette Place, and a footbridge crosses over Conduit Boulevard, allowing students from southern Howard Beach to attend the school. Some 9th graders also attended JHS 202.

For grades 9–12, residents could attend their zoned school which is [[John Adams High School (Queens)|John Adams High School]] in nearby Ozone Park. Others attended specialty high schools such as [[Beach Channel High School]] in [[Rockaway Park, Queens|Rockaway Park]], or Catholic high schools such as [[Christ the King Regional High School|Christ the King]], [[St. Francis Prep]], [[Stella Maris High School|Stella Maris]] or [[Archbishop Molloy]].

In July 2020, Our Lady of Grace Catholic School made the announcement that it would no longer be operating, as the Diocese took over the property and decided to close the educational component due to financial strain as an indirect result of the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Six Catholic Academies in Queens and Brooklyn to Close Due to Financial Strain Resulting from Pandemic {{!}} The Forum Newsgroup|url=http://theforumnewsgroup.com/2020/07/17/six-catholic-academies-in-queens-and-brooklyn-to-close-due-to-financial-strain-resulting-from-pandemic/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=theforumnewsgroup.com}}</ref>

===Library===
The [[Queens Public Library]] operates the Howard Beach branch at 92-06 156th Avenue.<ref>{{cite web | title=Branch Detailed Info: Howard Beach | website=Queens Public Library | url=https://www.queenslibrary.org/about-us/locations/Howard-Beach/ | access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref>

== Transportation ==
[[File:Howard Beach-JFK Airport.jpg|thumb|The structure of the [[Howard Beach–JFK Airport (IND Rockaway Line)|Howard Beach–JFK Airport]] station]]
The [[New York City Subway]]'s [[Howard Beach–JFK Airport (IND Rockaway Line)|Howard Beach–JFK Airport]] station, on the [[IND Rockaway Line]] ({{NYCS trains|Rockaway}}) was formerly a [[Long Island Rail Road]] station on the [[Rockaway Beach Branch]]. Frequent fires on the [[Trestle bridge|trestle]] to Broad Channel forced the LIRR to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the 1950s, which allowed [[New York City Transit]] to purchase the line in 1956.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forgotten-ny.com/SUBWAYS/Rockaway%20Line/rockline.html |title=Rockaway Branch |work=Forgotten New York |access-date=June 8, 2006}}</ref> The station provides a connection between the {{NYCS trains|Rockaway|time=nolink}} and [[AirTrain JFK#Routes|Howard Beach JFK AirTrain route]]. Prior to the AirTrain JFK's opening, the [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey|Port Authority]] provided a free shuttle bus to the terminals at [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|JFK Airport]].<ref name="NYTimes-JFKExp-2009">{{Cite web|url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/if-you-took-the-plane-to-the-train-sing-the-jingle/|title=If You Took the Train to the Plane, Sing the Jingle|last=Grynbaum|first=Michael M.|access-date=July 3, 2016|date=November 25, 2009|work=The New York Times}}</ref>

The [[MTA Bus Company]] provides service throughout Howard Beach on the {{NYC bus link|Q11|Q41|Q52 SBS|Q53 SBS|prose=y}} local buses and the {{NYC bus link|QM15|QM16|QM17|prose=y}} express buses.<ref>{{cite NYC bus map|Q}}</ref> In addition, [[New York City Transit]]’s {{NYC bus link|B15}} bus makes one stop in Lindenwood before heading to JFK Airport.

==Notable people==
{{Category see also|People from Howard Beach, Queens}}
Notable current and former residents of Howard Beach include:
* [[Gia Allemand]] (1983–2013), actress, model and reality television contestant<ref>Hutchinson, Bill; Badia, Erik; and Eby, Margaret. [https://www.nydailynews.com/2013/08/15/gia-allemand-dead-at-29-former-bachelor-contestant-dies-in-suicide-by-hanging/ "Gia Allemand dead at 29: Former ''Bachelor'' contestant dies in suicide by hanging"], ''[[New York Daily News]]'', January 10, 2019. Accessed August 19, 2025. "Allemand, a 5-foot-5 brunette knockout, was raised in Howard Beach in Queens."</ref>
* [[Victor Amuso]] (born 1934), mobster who is boss of the [[Lucchese crime family]]<ref>[[Selwyn Raab|Raab, Selwyn]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/12/nyregion/investigators-say-they-re-ready-to-topple-new-mafia-chiefs.html "Investigators Say They're Ready to Topple New Mafia Chiefs"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 12, 1988. Accessed August 19, 2025. "Lucchese Family Boss: Victor Amuso, 54 years old, lives in Howard Beach, Queens."</ref>
* [[Vito Antuofermo]] (born 1953), former boxer and actor<ref>Katz, Michael. [https://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/13/sports/antuofermo-a-born-fighter-returns.html "Antuofermo, A 'Born Fighter,' Returns"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', September 13, 1984. Accessed December 28, 2016. "To be specific, he is an Italian-born fighter, who now lives in Howard Beach, Queens."</ref>
* [[Marco Battaglia]] (born 1973), former [[American football]] [[tight end]] in the [[National Football League]]<ref>Joiner, Brian. [https://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/howard-beach-s-marco-battaglia-a-panther-is-super-bowl-bound/article_ca3226a5-e473-5ee3-ad46-ed8df6f0a822.html "Howard Beach’s Marco Battaglia, A Panther, Is Super Bowl Bound"], ''[[Queens Chronicle]]'', January 29, 2004. Accessed June 7, 2022. "Battaglia, a former star at St. Francis Prep High School in Fresh Meadows and Rutgers University in New Jersey, was born and raised in Howard Beach and is the Panthers’ second-string tight end."</ref>
* [[Gene Borrello]] (born 1984), author, motivational speaker, podcaster, former [[Bonanno crime family]] associate, led a crew out of Howard Beach<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2019/12/19/release-of-mafia-rat-gene-borrello-enrages-his-robbery-victims |title=Release of mafia rat Gene Borrello enrages his robbery victims |work=New York Post |date=December 19, 2019 |access-date=November 18, 2024}}</ref>
* [[DJ Skribble]] (born 1968), DJ, producer, remixer, radio personality and TV actor<ref>Joiner, Bryan. [https://www.qchron.com/qboro/stories/from-s-ozone-park-to-corona-where-a-car-is-not-just-a-car/article_9544433f-41b5-5edd-899e-04b238326257.html "From S. Ozone Park To Corona, Where A Car Is Not Just A Car"], ''[[Queens Chronicle]]'', September 30, 2004. Accessed June 7, 2022. "MTV personality DJ Skribble, a Howard Beach native, even opened his own store in South Ozone Park in August, which he claims can turn the oldest rusted-out clunker into a dream ride for your teenager.... Skribble lives in Howard Beach with his family and spends his free time at the shop with his three cars."</ref>
* [[Vitas Gerulaitis]] (1954–1994), professional tennis player<ref>{{cite news |title=Sports of The Times; 'We've Lost Another of Our Kids' |first=Harvey |last=Araton |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/20/sports/sports-of-the-times-we-ve-lost-another-of-our-kids.html |newspaper=New York Times |date=September 20, 1994 |access-date=November 3, 2007 |quote=It was the finals of the United States Open, and it was Gerulaitis, out of Howard Beach, Queens, against McEnroe, out of Douglaston, Queens.}}</ref>
* [[Keith Gottfried]] (born 1966), former General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer of the [[U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development]] and senior member of the administration of President [[George W. Bush]], spent much of his childhood as a resident of Howard Beach<ref>See:
* {{cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/07/20050727-2.html |title=Personnel Announcement |publisher=Georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov |access-date=August 19, 2013}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_4063443 |title=HUD officer anchored by home life |work=The Denver Post |date=July 18, 2006 |access-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref>
* [[John Gotti]] (1940–2002), [[Gambino crime family]] head, was a resident of 85th Street in Howard Beach<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenstribune.com/archives/featurearchive/feature2002/0613/feature_story.html |title=Queens Tribune Feature Story |publisher=Queenstribune.com |date=October 27, 1940 |access-date=August 19, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130902071527/http://www.queenstribune.com/archives/featurearchive/feature2002/0613/feature_story.html |archive-date=September 2, 2013  }}</ref>
* [[Victoria Gotti]] (born 1962), John's daughter, who starred in ''[[Growing Up Gotti]]''<ref>Celona, Larry; and Tacopino, Joe. [https://nypost.com/2016/09/15/feds-raid-victoria-gottis-home-sons-auto-parts-business/ "Feds raid Victoria Gotti's home, sons' auto-parts business"], ''[[New York Post]]'', September 15, 2016. Accessed December 28, 2016. "Victoria, who married Agnello in 1984, was raised in Howard Beach, Queens, where her 'Dapper Don' father ran the Gambino crime family."</ref>
* [[Woody Guthrie]] (1912–1967), [[folk music]] legend (son [[Arlo Guthrie]]'s music is frequently copyrighted to "Howard Beach Music, Inc.")<ref>Downes, Lawrence. [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/19/arts/music/roaming-through-woody-guthries-new-york.html "This Land Is His Land; Roaming Through Woody Guthrie’s New York"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', September 18, 2014. Accessed December 28, 2016. "Clockwise from top left, Will Geer's Fifth Avenue apartment, a 1940 Guthrie stop; his home in Howard Beach, Queens, in 1955; a Coney Island sign; and the Guthrie home in Queens today."</ref>
* [[Rick Hearst]] (born 1965), soap-opera actor<ref>Novakovich, Lilana.[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/502697381/ "And Emmy makes four; But fatherhood's a far bigger thrill for Hearst"], ''[[The Province]]'', September 6, 1991. Accessed June 7, 2022. "Born in Howard Beach, N.Y., Hearst moved to Texas with his mother at an early age (his parents are separated)."</ref>
* [[James Maritato]] (born 1972), [[professional wrestling|professional wrestler]]{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}
* [[George Martin (American football)|George Martin]] (born 1953), defensive end who played in the NFL for the [[New York Giants]]{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}
* [[Joseph Massino]] (1943–2023), [[Bonanno crime family]] boss and known as the ''"Last Godfather"''<ref>{{cite news |last=Marzulli |first=John |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/the-mob/joseph-massino-ex-bonanno-crime-boss-turned-mob-rat-gave-feds-7-million-hid-attic-article-1.109778 |title=Joseph Massino, ex-Bonanno crime boss turned mob rat, gave feds $7 million he hid in his attic |work=[[New York Daily News]] |date=April 14, 2011 |access-date=February 17, 2021 |archive-date=February 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210217223531/https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/the-mob/joseph-massino-ex-bonanno-crime-boss-turned-mob-rat-gave-feds-7-million-hid-attic-article-1.109778 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Joey Ramone]] (1951–2001) and his brother [[Mickey Leigh]] (born 1954) lived in Howard Beach as children<ref>Kellogg, Carolyn. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jan-28-la-et-book28-2010jan28-story.html "''I Slept With Joey Ramone: A Family Memoir'' by Mickey Leigh with Legs McNeil; Leigh, the singer's younger brother, and music journalist McNeil handle their subject gracefully."], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', January 28, 2010. Accessed December 28, 2016. "Jeff was always awkward, but when his parents became the first couple in their community to divorce, his troubles grew more pronounced. Tall and lanky, he was a target at school -- even more so after his mother remarried and moved her sons to Howard Beach."</ref>
* [[Pia Toscano]] (born 1988), top 10 contestant on ''[[American Idol]]'' Season 10<ref>Gustafson, Anna. [http://www.qchron.com/editions/south/howard-beach-goes-ga-ga-for-pia/article_8a4a45a0-abc3-5f53-9a11-07eae55ea1d7.html "Howard Beach goes ga-ga for Pia"], ''[[Queens Chronicle]]'', March 10, 2011. Accessed December 28, 2016. "Toscano, a Howard Beach native who has been singing for nearly as long as she has been alive, was named one of the top 13 contestants on the show last Thursday."</ref>
* [[Murder of Karina Vetrano|Karina Vetrano]] (1986–2016), Howard Beach resident who was murdered in [[Spring Creek Park (New York City)|Spring Creek Park]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Person-Custody-Connection-Death-Jogger-Karina-Vetrano-412797583.html|title=Man in Custody in Connection to Death of Jogger Karina Vetrano: Police Sources|last=Associated Press|date=February 5, 2017|website=NBC New York|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
* A 1989 [[TV movie]] was made based on the 1986 racial incident entitled ''Howard Beach: Making a Case for Murder''.
* In the 1989 [[Spike Lee]] movie ''[[Do the Right Thing]]'', in a riot scene near the end of the film, a chant rises up: "Howard Beach! Howard Beach! Howard Beach!"  This immediately follows a scene wherein a young Black man is killed by police using excessive force to break up a fight.<ref>[[Peter Travers|Travers, Peter]]. [https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/do-the-right-thing-19890630 "''Do The Right Thing''"], ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', June 30, 1989. Accessed December 28, 2016. "The pizzeria and the bat are just two of the references Lee makes to Howard Beach.... Raheem's senseless killing releases all Mookie's pent-up frustration and fury. It is Mookie who hurls the garbage can through Sal's window, inciting the crowd to shout, 'Howard Beach!'"</ref>
* On ''[[The Chris Rock Show]]'', comedian [[Chris Rock]] proposed renaming Cross Bay Boulevard after [[Tupac Shakur]], asking the predominantly white residents of the neighborhood to sign a petition.

== See also ==
* {{portal-inline|New York City}}
* [[The Hole, New York]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons-inline}}

{{Queens}}

[[Category:Howard Beach, Queens| ]]
[[Category:1897 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1897]]
[[Category:Neighborhoods in Queens, New York]]
[[Category:Italian-American culture in New York City]]
[[Category:Little Italys in the United States]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in New York (state)]]