Howard Beach

Howard Beach is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the New York City borough of Queens. It is surrounded by the Belt Parkway and Conduit Avenue to the north, Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel to the south, 102nd–104th Streets in South Ozone Park to the east, and 75th Street in East New York, Brooklyn to the west.

The area mainly has low-rise, single-family homes. It belongs to Queens Community District 10 and uses the ZIP Code 11414. The neighborhood is kept safe by the New York City Police Department's 106th Precinct. For government matters, Howard Beach is part of the New York City Council's 32nd District.

History

Howard Beach began in 1897 when William J. Howard, a glove maker from Brooklyn, turned his goat farm into a neighborhood. He built cottages, a hotel, and laid out streets. Over time, more land was filled in, and the area grew with homes and streets.

After World War II, many new homes were built, changing the look of the area. In later years, older homes were replaced with larger houses. The neighborhood faced difficult times during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which caused major flooding and damage to many homes and buildings.

Geography

Howard Beach is a neighborhood in New York City made up of several smaller areas. The main part of Howard Beach is a small piece of land surrounded by roads, a river, and a bay. Cross Bay Boulevard is the main shopping area, which used to have many local shops but now has more big chain stores.

Hamilton Beach

Hamilton Beach is next to Jamaica Bay and has dirt roads and small homes. It has its own volunteer fire department and a small park with a baseball field and playground. There is only one way to drive into Hamilton Beach by car, but there are two places to walk in.

Lindenwood

Lindenwood has many apartment buildings and some two-family homes. It has schools, shopping areas, and was once mostly home to people from certain backgrounds.

Old Howard Beach

Old Howard Beach has different kinds of houses and is where the neighborhood’s first hotel and homes were built. It has parks and bus service.

Ramblersville

Ramblersville is a small area near Jamaica Bay with old wooden houses on stilts. It used to be a fishing village and is the smallest neighborhood in New York City.

Rockwood Park

Rockwood Park has single-family homes and was built after World War II. It has bus service and was once home to famous people.

Demographics

Howard Beach is a neighborhood in Queens, New York City, with 27,320 people living there according to the 2020 census. This is a bit more than the 26,148 people counted in 2010.

Most people in Howard Beach are White, making up about 63% of the population. Other groups include Black, Asian, and Hispanic or Latino people. Many families live there, and most residents are older adults. The area has a higher income level compared to the rest of the city.

Politics

Howard Beach is part of the 15th State Senate district, represented by Joseph Addabbo Jr., and the 23rd State Assembly district, represented by Stacey Pheffer Amato. It is part of District 32 in the New York City Council, represented by Joann Ariola.

After redistricting in 2012, the neighborhood was split between the 5th and 8th congressional districts. 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. These districts were represented by Gregory Meeks and Hakeem Jeffries respectively, as of 2025.

Police and crime

Howard Beach, along with nearby areas, is watched over by the 106th Precinct of the NYPD, based at 103-53 101st Street. In 2010, this precinct was one of the safer areas in the city for crime compared to others. However, because it is close to a major road, car thefts happen more often here.

By 2018, the number of serious crimes in this area had dropped a lot from past years. Even though some bad things happened, like robberies and thefts, the overall crime rate was lower than in many other parts of the city.

Fire safety

Howard Beach has a fire station run by the New York City Fire Department. This station is called Engine Co. 331/Ladder Co. 173 and is located at 158-99 Cross Bay Boulevard.

Nearby, Hamilton Beach is served by the West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department. They have several vehicles and equipment to help keep the community safe.

Health

In Howard Beach and South Ozone Park, some health details stand out. There were more babies born early compared to the rest of the city, but fewer babies born to teenage mothers. Also, fewer people in this area don’t have health insurance than in the city overall.

The air in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park has less of a harmful type of pollution than the city average. Fewer people smoke here, and the rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure are also different from the city’s numbers. Most people in the area eat fruits and vegetables daily, and they feel their health is good, just like most city residents. The closest big hospitals are Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn and Jamaica Hospital in Jamaica.

Post offices and ZIP Code

Howard Beach uses the ZIP Code 11414. The United States Postal Service runs two post offices nearby. One is Station A at 160-50 Cross Bay Boulevard, and the other is Station B at 102-12 159th Avenue.

Education

Howard Beach and South Ozone Park have fewer college-educated residents than the rest of New York City. In 2018, about 28% of people aged 25 or older had a college education or more, while 49% had a high school diploma or some college education.

Students in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park do well in school. Math scores went from 33% in 2000 to 61% in 2011, and reading scores rose from 37% to 48% in the same years. Fewer elementary students miss school compared to the city overall, and more high school students graduate on time.

Schools

• PS 146 The Howard Beach School
• PS 207 The Rockwood Park School
• PS 232 The Walter Ward School
• St. Helens Catholic Academy K–8 (Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn)

Students could go to John Adams High School nearby, or other high schools like Beach Channel High School, Christ the King, St. Francis Prep, Stella Maris, or Archbishop Molloy.

Library

The Queens Public Library has a branch in Howard Beach.

Transportation

The New York City Subway has a station called Howard Beach–JFK Airport on the IND Rockaway Line (A train). This station used to belong to the Long Island Rail Road but was bought by the city in 1956. It helps people connect to the A train and the Howard Beach JFK AirTrain route. Before the AirTrain started, a free shuttle bus took people to the airport.

The MTA Bus Company runs several buses in Howard Beach, including the Q11, Q41, Q52 SBS, and Q53 SBS local buses, as well as the QM15, QM16, and QM17 express buses. The B15 bus also stops in one place before going to JFK Airport.

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Howard Beach, Queens

Howard Beach has been home to many well-known people over the years. Some of these include:

• Gia Allemand (1983–2013), an actress, model, and television personality
• Victor Amuso (born 1934), a leader in a well-known organized group
• Vito Antuofermo (born 1953), a former boxer and actor
• Marco Battaglia (born 1973), a former football player who played as a tight end in the National Football League
• Gene Borrello (born 1984), an author and speaker who was once part of an organized group
• DJ Skribble (born 1968), a DJ, producer, and TV actor
• Vitas Gerulaitis (1954–1994), a professional tennis player
• Keith Gottfried (born 1966), a lawyer who worked in the government under President George W. Bush and grew up in Howard Beach
• John Gotti (1940–2002), a leader of another well-known organized group, lived on 85th Street
• Victoria Gotti (born 1962), an actress and John Gotti's daughter, known for the show Growing Up Gotti
• Woody Guthrie (1912–1967), a famous folk music singer
• Rick Hearst (born 1965), an actor known for soap operas
• James Maritato (born 1972), a professional wrestler
• George Martin (born 1953), a former football player for the New York Giants
• Joseph Massino (1943–2023), a leader of an organized group
• Joey Ramone (1951–2001) and his brother Mickey Leigh (born 1954) lived in Howard Beach when they were children
• Pia Toscano (born 1988), a singer who was a top contestant on American Idol
• Karina Vetrano (1986–2016), a resident of Howard Beach

In popular culture

A 1989 TV movie was made about a difficult event that happened in 1986. In the 1989 Spike Lee movie Do the Right Thing, during a loud moment near the end, people start shouting, "Howard Beach! Howard Beach! Howard Beach!" This happens right after a scene where a young Black man is hurt badly by police during a fight.

On The Chris Rock Show, comedian Chris Rock suggested naming Cross Bay Boulevard after Tupac Shakur, asking the mostly white people living there to sign a petition.