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.
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
former U.S. Representative from the district, carries Cross Bay Boulevard over Jamaica Bay, linking mainland Queens to
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.
Hamilton Beach Hamilton Beach is bordered by the 102nd Street Creek to the north, the
IND Rockaway Line tracks and
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, 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. At the heart of Lindenwood is P.S. 232, now known as the
Walter Ward School, named after a longtime local City Councilman. 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
Jewish,
Italian, and
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,
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 Ramblersville is a small neighborhood of about a dozen blocks between Hawtree Creek and
JFK Airport. 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 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
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.
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. 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 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.
Rockwood Park Rockwood Park primarily consists of
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
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 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
McMansions. Folk singer Woody Guthrie also lived in the neighborhood, at 159-13 85th Street, after moving from Coney Island. ==Demographics==