Belle Harbor

While I'm not much of a fan of any of the towns on the Rockaway Peninsula, I have to admit that Neponsit Belle Harbor is lovely. This is a tiny eight by four block area filled with beachfront mansions and lovely private homes. This is an incredibly safe and tight-knit community. During the peak summer season, street parking is prohibited so people let their neighbors use their driveways. People often even leave their keys in their cars so that others can move their cars for access to the driveway or street. One thing to note is that if you're not into participating in neighborly rituals like these, you probably shouldn't live here. While the beach is open to the public, the restrictions on street parking largely serve to keep outsiders from using it. An overwhelming majority of the people here are Caucasian. There are a few Asian and Hispanic residents though. This is an expensive place to live: housing prices are steep and the homeowners' association collects voluntary dues to pay for maintenance of public areas. There isn't much to do here other than enjoy the beach and relax. Another important thing to note is that only the A train runs to the Rockaways, making it difficult and time consuming to commute to the city. There used to be a Long Island Rail Road stop, but that was shut down years ago.

Belle Harbor is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Queens, New York. Bordered by Beach 128th and Beach 142nd Street. This neighborhood, developed by Fredrick Lancaster, has beautiful homes and a sophisticated atmosphere making it one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Queens.

Most of its residents are upper middle class, a large proportion being Jewish, and the real estate in the neighborhood is beautiful, with some home selling for more than $1.5 million. The property with beach access is more expensive, but there are several condos and apartments which sell for more reasonable prices. This family oriented neighborhood is filled with schools, public, private, and religious, and good parks. Sadly, the neighborhood was brought to national attention in 2001, when American Airlines Flight 587 crashed into its streets. A memorial to the victims of the accident has been constructed at Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Park.

This neighborhood is home to a predominantly Irish and Jewish middle and upper middle class population. There are several schools in the neighborhood making it a perfect family enclave.

Transportation (per Wikipedia): Transportation in the neighborhood is convenient with passenger cars via the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge providing access to Brooklyn and the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge which services other parts of Queens. The A subway train also stops in Belle Harbor, available at the Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street station.

Neponsit - Belle Harbor is essentially two communities in one. Located along Rockaway Beach in the southernmost portion of Queens is where you will find many single-family homes with a majority of Irish, Catholic, white, and middle-class population. The neighborhood is home to a large portion of New York City police officers and fire-fighters. In more recent years, the area’s Jewish community has become more and more substantial.

Belle Harbor is a suburban enclave along the Rockaway Peninsula, on what appears to make up the narrow barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Jamaica Bay. The neighborhood’s expansive views of the Manhattan skyline can be seen across the bay, and make the area quite popular. In the summer you can explore the broad sandy beaches, which have also draw many New Yorkers to the community. Summertime beach access is effectively available only to the residents and their guests.

There are some rigorously enforced street parking conditions throughout the neighborhood that is in effect on weekends and all during the summer. There is also limited direct access to the Belle Harbor area via public transportation. Just a few things to think about when coming over for a summer weekend getaway from the city.

Belle Harbor is a nice upper class neighborhood in Queens out on the Rockaway Peninsula. Its pretty must consists of families of Irish and Jewish descent. There is no commercial property in the neighborhood; you have to go to Jamaica Bay for all of your shopping. Most of the homes are pretty large single family homes and could cost in the millions. One of the best things about the area is that it offers beach access inside New York City.