Old Howard Beach

Howard Beach is divided into two main parts by Cross Bay Boulevard: there is Old Howard Beach on the east side and New Howard Beach on the west side. Old Howard Beach is a predominantly Italian community which is fairly isolated and more affordable than New Howard Beach. Located close to JFK Airport, this community has many bungalows and single family private homes that date back to the days when the area was a beach resort community. In this waterfront community, residents tend to stay here their whole lives, so everyone knows each other and there are families with several generations of people who live here. Old Howard Beach has lots of fantastic seafood and Italian restaurants on Cross Bay Boulevard. There are also numerous water activities, such as boating or fishing. One of the problems of living here is the noise from JFK, which has improved over the years, but is still noticeable. The other main problem is public transportation. There is an AirTrain stop and the A train stops here as well, but it still takes over an hour to get to Manhattan, making it pretty inconvenient for daily commuters. However, there is plenty of parking, so most of the residents own cars.

This neighborhood isn’t exactly on a beach, unless you think that inlets (or creeks) are prime spots for sunning and swimming. Instead, it is just north of Hamilton Beach, which actually features a bit of a beach. Howard Beach is over to the west as well, a neighborhood that also actually features a beach. In any case, Old Howard Beach looks much like the surrounding neighborhoods – beach or no – featuring single family homes that have actual yards (which only a New Yorker would find spacious). Compared to most neighborhoods in the city, the streets offer an incredible amount of parking, but this may just be because many of the homes have driveways for such a use.

Old Howard Beach is a section of Howard Beach that lies between Shellbank Basin and Hawtree Creek in Queens.

The houses in Old Howard Beach are a bit more affordable than those lying in Howard Beach. The area offers smaller two-bedroom homes with no driveway and small yards. Many of the homes are converted summer bungalows, hence the size. Many of the neighborhood’s residents do not move, they stay for generations. A large segment of the population is multigenerational. Many of the homes that do sell or sold to the current residents’ children.

The area several yacht and boat clubs near the area, so you do not always need a boat slip of your own. The area is prone to flooding due to most of Howard Beach being built on reclaimed land. Residents have seen partially submerged cars in the streets and water in their basements rising to waist level.

There is virtually no nightlife in Old Howard Beach but in adjacent Howard Beach there is no shortage of eateries. Recreation revolves around the water with plenty of opportunities to sail, fish, and crab.