Belle Harbor, Queens

{{short description|Neighborhood in New York City}} {{Use American English|date=June 2014}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Belle Harbor | settlement_type = [[Neighborhoods of Queens|Neighborhood of Queens]] | image_skyline = | imagesize = | image_alt = | image_caption = | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 12 | mapframe-point = none | map_alt = | coordinates = {{coord|40.575|-73.85|region:US-NY_type:city|display=inline,title}} | mapsize =  | map_caption = Location within New York City | pushpin_map =  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|United States}} | subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]] | subdivision_name1 = {{flag|New York}} | subdivision_type2 = [[List of cities in New York|City]] | subdivision_name2 = [[New York City]] | subdivision_type3 = [[List of counties in New York|County]]/[[Boroughs of New York City|Borough]] | subdivision_name3 = [[Queens]] | subdivision_type4 = [[Community boards of Queens|Community District]] | subdivision_name4 = [[Queens Community Board 14|Queens 14]]<ref name="NYCPlanning">{{cite web |title=NYC Planning {{!}} Community Profiles|url=https://communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov/queens/14|website=communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov|publisher=New York City Department of City Planning|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> | established_title =  | established_date = | established_title1 =  | established_date1 = | founder = | timezone = [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|EST]] | utc_offset = −5 | timezone_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]] | utc_offset_DST = −4 | postal_code_type = [[ZIP Code]] | postal_code = 11694 | 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]] }}

'''Belle Harbor''' is a small residential neighborhood in the [[New York City]] [[Boroughs of New York City|borough]] of [[Queens]], located on the western half of the [[Rockaway Peninsula]], the southernmost area of the borough. Belle Harbor commonly refers to the area from Beach 126th to Beach 141st Streets.<ref>Lucadamo, Kathleen. [https://www.wsj.com/articles/belle-harbors-resilient-beachfront-community-1437127201 "Belle Harbor, Beautiful and Resilient; The Queens beachfront neighborhood has come back from tragedy more than once"], ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', July 17, 2015. Accessed July 21, 2016. "Belle Harbor stretches along Rockaway Beach from 126th to 141st streets and is four blocks wide."</ref>

The neighborhood is part of [[Queens Community Board 14]].<ref>[https://www.nyc.gov/site/cau/community-boards/queens-boards.page Queens Boards], [[New York City]]. Accessed January 26, 2024.</ref> According to the [[2010 United States census]], the neighborhood, coupled with nearby [[Neponsit, Queens|Neponsit]], had a population just over 5,400.<ref>[http://www.rockawave.com/news/2011-04-01/Front_Page/Census_Nonsense.html "Census Nonsense"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709155250/http://www.rockawave.com/news/2011-04-01/Front_Page/Census_Nonsense.html|date=July 9, 2012}}, ''[[Wave of Long Island|The Wave]]''. Accessed January 27, 2012.</ref> Belle Harbor was the site of the 2001 crash of [[American Airlines Flight 587]], which killed 265 people.

==History== ===Development=== The opening of passenger railroad service in 1880 to [[Rockaway Park, Queens|Rockaway Park]] from [[Long Island City station|Long Island City]] and from Flatbush Terminal (now [[Atlantic Terminal]]) in [[downtown Brooklyn]], via the [[Long Island Rail Road]]'s [[Rockaway Beach Branch]], facilitated population growth on the [[Rockaway, Queens|Rockaways Peninsula]].

The makings of Belle Harbor began in 1900, when a New York State judge ordered that the land west of Rockaway Park be put up for auction. The area that makes up Belle Harbor and the neighboring community of [[Neponsit, Queens|Neponsit]] was bought by Edward P. Hatch, who, after a couple years, sold it to the West Rockaway Land Company in 1907.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Seyfried|first1=Vincent|first2=William|last2=Asadorian|title=Old Rockaway, New York, in Early Photographs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SZ8QlXHxPR0C&pg=RA2-PA93|access-date=January 27, 2012|year=1999|publisher=Dover Publications|location=Mineola, NY|isbn=0-486-40668-7|page=93}}</ref> Residential lots in Belle Harbor were auctioned off in 1915.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1915-07-11|title=Belle Harbor Sale; Nearly 700 Lots with Big Ocean Frontage Announced for Auction.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1915/07/11/archives/belle-harbor-sale-nearly-700-lots-with-big-ocean-frontage-announced.html |access-date=2020-07-13|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The president of the company, [[Frederick J. Lancaster]], who had earlier developed the [[Edgemere, Queens|Edgemere]] neighborhood, officially gave the community its name.<ref>[http://www.queenstribune.com/guides/2005_PatchworkOfCultures/pages/QueensTimeline.htm "A Queens Timeline"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109203348/http://queenstribune.com/guides/2005_PatchworkOfCultures/pages/QueensTimeline.htm |date=November 9, 2007 }}, ''[[Queens Tribune]]''; accessed December 14, 2006</ref>

Prior to Lancaster's acquisition of the land, however, a group of men wishing to form a yacht club entered into a grant agreement with the West Rockaway Land Company in 1905. The group, which had named itself the Belle Harbor Yacht Club, bought property from the company for four thousand dollars. The agreement included two hundred square feet of land and thirty plots of upland. That same year, the group received corporation status by the [[New York (state)|State of New York]], and by 1908 began participating in its first inter-club ocean races with some of the city's other yacht clubs.<ref>[http://www.thebhyc.com/index/Club_History "Club History"], Belle Harbor Yacht Club. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416032848/http://www.thebhyc.com/index/Club_History |date=April 16, 2012 }}; accessed January 28, 2012.</ref>

The earliest homes in Belle Harbor were built circa 1910. Over the next four decades, hundreds of single- and two-family houses were built from beach to bay, filling most of the land by the early 1950s.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://zola.planning.nyc.gov/#15.31/40.576768/-73.852532|title=NYC Planning ZoLa}}</ref> In the 1960s and 1970s, the neighborhood became a haven for working class and lower-middle-class families looking to escape the congestion of "mainland" Brooklyn and Queens. Many civil servants, including teachers, firefighters and police officers owned homes in the neighborhood. The housing bubbles in the late 1980s and early 2000s brought a different mix of residents but many many third and fourth generation residents remain.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://belleharbor11694.org/about-us/ |title = About Us – Belle Harbor Property Owners Association}}</ref>

===Disasters=== ====September 11, 2001==== The neighborhood suffered heavy losses from the [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks]]. These included several members of the Fire Department of New York—ranging from probationary firefighter to captain—and people who worked at the World Trade Center. The names of the 343 firefighters killed at the World Trade Center are listed on a monument at [[Tribute Park]] on Beach Channel Drive and Beach 116 Street, a {{convert|0.83|acres|adj=on}} park marking the 75 area residents killed in the attacks, which then-mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] cited as "more than any other neighborhood in the city".<ref>[https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/tribute-park Tribute Park], [[New York City Department of Parks and Recreation]]. Accessed March 15, 2023. "It includes a mosaic centerpiece, a cupola, and a granite rock engraved with the names of all 343 firefighters who died on September 11.... Acreage: 0.83"</ref><ref>[https://www.rockawave.com/articles/rockaway-shines-as-tribute-park-opens/ "Rockaway Shines As Tribute Park Opens"], ''The Wave'', November 11, 2005. Accessed March 15, 2023. "Hundreds turned out last Sunday afternoon as Mayor Michael Bloomberg officially led the ceremony welcoming family members of those who died on September 11 and the public at large into Tribute Park for the first time.... Bloomberg, sprinting to the peninsula after New York City Marathon duties, called Rockaway 'a perfect place for Tribute Park as 75 members of this community gave their lives on September 11 – more than any other neighborhood in the city.'"</ref>

====American Airlines Flight 587==== On November 12, 2001, [[American Airlines Flight 587]], bound for [[Santo Domingo]] in the [[Dominican Republic]], crashed in the center of Belle Harbor, killing all 260 passengers and crew on board, as well as five others on the ground. Many of the passengers on the plane were from the [[Dominican American|Dominican]] community in [[Washington Heights, Manhattan|Washington Heights]].<ref name="AA587">"Plane Crash in Queens." ''[[Seconds From Disaster]]''. [documentary TV series]</ref> After consultation with families in the Belle Harbor and Washington Heights communities, a memorial was erected at Beach 116th Street in [[Rockaway Park, Queens|Rockaway Park]], a major shopping district and transportation hub in the area. Although a temporary memorial was developed at the actual site of the disaster, on Newport Avenue, many still annually gravitate toward the Rockaway Park area for commemoration. In 2001, a resident stated to ''[[The Guardian]]'', "It's impossible to understand unless you live here."<ref name="FlightDeath">Younge, Gary. [https://www.theguardian.com/weekend/story/0,,1945114,00.html "Flight to the death: Just two months after 9/11, a Queens suburb suffered the second-worst plane crash in US history. Five years on, residents tell Gary Younge, the cause remains worryingly unresolved"], ''[[The Guardian]]'', November 11, 2006; accessed January 24, 2008. "On flight 587, myriad immigrant stories of hope foundered. On board was Hilda Yolanda Mayol, 26, a waitress who had escaped from the north tower of the World Trade Center and was heading to the Dominican Republic with her mother and children to take her mind off the trauma."</ref> Father Michael Geraghty, a priest quoted in the same article, said that it was common for people to live in the houses that their parents lived in and that many families lived in the same houses for generations. "<ref name="FlightDeath"/>

====Hurricane Sandy==== Belle Harbor was further devastated by [[Hurricane Sandy]] on October 29, 2012. The storm surge from the Atlantic Ocean completely inundated the peninsula, sending waves through the streets and into Jamaica Bay. In addition, more than a dozen homes and the Harbor Light restaurant were completely destroyed by fire.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-sandy-fire/huge-fire-in-sandys-wake-destroys-new-york-city-beach-community-idUSBRE89U01T20121031|title = Huge fire in Sandy's wake destroys New York City beach community|newspaper = Reuters|date = October 31, 2012}}</ref> The neighborhood has almost completely recovered.<ref>[https://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/10/hurricane-sandy-one-year-later-part-ii/100617 Hurricane Sandy], theatlantic.com. Accessed October 20, 2015.</ref>

== Demographics == Based on data from the [[2010 United States census]], the population of the combined area of [[Breezy Point, Queens|Breezy Point]]/Belle Harbor/[[Rockaway Park, Queens|Rockaway Park]]/[[Broad Channel, Queens|Broad Channel]] was 28,018, an increase of 1,307 (4.9%) from the 26,711 counted in 2000. Covering an area of {{convert|2033.88|acres}}, the four neighborhoods had a population density of {{convert|13.8|PD/acre|PD/sqmi}}.<ref>[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 July 16, 2016.</ref>

The racial makeup of the neighborhoods was 78.3% (21,946) [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 7.5% (2,095) [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% (29) [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.1% (595) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.0% (8) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.2% (66) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.9% (259) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 10.8% (3,020) of the population.<ref>[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 July 16, 2016.</ref>

==Geography== Belle Harbor is a suburban enclave on the [[Rockaway Peninsula]], on a narrow barrier [[peninsula]] sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean to the south and [[Jamaica Bay]] to the north. It is also bordered by the neighborhood of [[Neponsit, Queens|Neponsit]] to the west and [[Rockaway Park, Queens|Rockaway Park]] to the east. Its broad, white sandy beaches draw residents and visitors to the area. As part of the New York City parks system, [[Rockaway Beach (beach)|Rockaway Beach]] is open to the public. The beaches in Belle Harbor draw many down-for-the-day visitors (DFDs) during the week. Street parking is prohibited on weekends and holidays from May 15 to September 30. Visitors must use buses, bicycles or the ferry/shuttle service to access the neighborhood beaches during those times.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Yarrow|first=Andrew L.|date=1986-05-23|title=Out and About on Memorial Day; How to Find That Sand and Surf|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/23/arts/out-and-about-on-memorial-day-how-to-find-that-sand-and-surf.html|access-date=2020-07-13|issn=0362-4331|quote=Inland, on the blocks between beach and bay, are the well-kept neighborhoods of Neponsit and Belle Harbor. If you're coming by car, daytime street parking is prohibited on weekends and holidays from May 15 to September 30 between Beach 117th and Beach 149th Street...|page=C1}}</ref> The bike lanes on Rockaway Beach Blvd. connect to both the Rockaway and Riis Park boardwalks and are part of the Jamaica Bay Greenway Bike Path.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.outdoorfest.com/community/2015/7/22/jamaica-bay-greenway|title = Biking the 19-mile Jamaica Bay Greenway| date=August 24, 2021 }}</ref>

==Community== [[File:Francis de Sales RCC B129 Rock Beach Blvd jeh.jpg|thumb|St Francis de Sales Catholic Church]] Belle Harbor is primarily made up of single-family homes with many third and fourth generation [[Irish American|Irish]] [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] residents. The community also has [[Italian-American]] and [[Jewish American]] populations, and is home to a large number of New York City [[New York City Police Department|police officers]] and [[New York City Fire Department|firefighters]], both active and retired.<ref name="AA587"/>

A commercial center is located on Beach 129th Street. A larger shopping area used by some residents of Belle Harbor is located on Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Park.<ref name="zola-planning-map">{{cite web|url=https://zola.planning.nyc.gov/|title=NYC's Zoning & Land Use Map|publisher=[[Government of New York City|nyc.gov]]|access-date=November 17, 2018}}</ref>

Since 1953, the neighborhood has been represented by the civic association Belle Harbor Property Owners Association.<ref>https://belleharbor11694.org/about-us/</ref>

==Transportation== Vehicular access to the area is available via the [[Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge]], which provides access to [[Brooklyn]], and the [[Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge]], which connects to [[Broad Channel]] and mainland Queens.

The {{NYCS trains|Rockaway Park}} of the [[New York City Subway]] are available at the [[Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street station]].<ref>{{NYCS const|map}}</ref> The {{NYC bus link|Q35|QM16|prose=y}} also serve the area.<ref>{{Cite NYC bus map|Q}}</ref><ref>{{Cite NYC bus map|QX}}</ref>

A shuttle service from NYC Ferry connects Belle Harbor to the landing at Beach 108 Street on Jamaica Bay.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules/route/rockaway/|title = Rockaway Ferry Route & Schedule | NYC Ferry Service}}</ref>

==Education== Belle Harbor residents are zoned for schools in the [[New York City Department of Education]]. Residents are zoned to PS/MS 114 Belle Harbor School for grades K-8.<ref>[http://www.psms114.org Home]. PS/MS 114 Belle Harbor School. Retrieved on September 16, 2017. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212181942/https://www.psms114.org/ |date=February 12, 2019 }}</ref>

Additionally there are private schools within the area including St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy, a [[Catholic school]] of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn]]<ref>[https://stfrancisacademybh.org/welcome-and-mission Welcome], St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy. Accessed March 15, 2023.</ref> and three Jewish schools: West End Temple Early Childhood Center (for pre-school),<ref>[https://www.westendtemple.org/community-programs/early-childhood-center/west-end-temple-early-childhood-center/ Early Childhood Center], West End Temple. Accessed March 15, 2023. "West End Temple Early Childhood Center... has a Pre-K, 3K and Two-Year-Old Program."</ref> Tal Academy<ref>https://www.talacademy.org/</ref> and [[Mercaz HaTorah of Belle Harbor]]<ref>[https://ymhbh.com/history/ History], Mercaz HaTorah of Belle Harbor. Accessed March 15, 2023.</ref>

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Portal|New York City}} {{Commonscat}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120309152028/http://www.nyc.gov/html/fund/html/projects/flight_587_memorial.shtml Flight 587 Memorial Project]

[[Category:Neighborhoods in Queens, New York]] [[Category:Neighborhoods in Rockaway, Queens]] [[Category:Populated coastal places in New York (state)]] [[Category:Irish-American culture in New York City]] [[Category:Irish-American neighborhoods]]