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Belle Harbor, Queens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Belle Harbor is a neighborhood in southern portion of the New York City borough of Queens located along Rockaway Beach. Although there are no formal boundaries for the area, Belle Harbor is often used to refer to the area between Beach 125th and Beach 142nd Streets. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 14.[1]
Belle Harbor was developed in 1907 by Frederick J. Lancaster, who had earlier developed the Edgemere neighborhood.[2]
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 the plane as well as five people on the ground. Many of the passengers on the plane were from the Dominican community in Washington Heights. After consultation with the families in the Belle Harbor and Washington Heights communities, a memorial has been erected at Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Park, a major shopping district and transportation hub in the area.
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Belle Harbor is a suburban enclave on the Rockaway Peninsula, on what amounts to a narrow barrier island sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean to the south and Jamaica Bay to the north. Expansive views of the Manhattan skyline can be seen across the bay. Broad sandy beaches on the ocean have drawn residents to the area. Summertime beach access is effectively available only to residents and their guests. Rigorously enforced street parking restrictions in effect on weekends and holidays from May 15 to September 30, combined with limited direct access to the Belle Harbor area via public transportation limit access for most of those heading to the beach from outside the area.[3]
The area is mostly single-family homes with a majority of an Irish, Catholic, working class population. The community also has a substantial Jewish population. The neighborhood is home to a large number of New York City police officers and firefighters and therefore suffered heavy losses from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. A small commercial center is on Beach 129th Street. A larger shopping area used by residents of Belle Harbor is located on Beach 116th Street, which includes a few banks, shops, and restaurants.
Passenger car access to the area is available via the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge providing access to Brooklyn and the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge heading to Broad Channel and mainland Queens.
The A service of the New York City Subway is available at the Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street.
Belle Harbor residents are zoned for schools in the New York City Department of Education.
Residents are zoned to P.S. 114 The Belle Harbor School for grades Kindergarten through 8.
A middle school called Scholars' Academy opened on Beach 104th Street. In September 2007, Scholars' will add a high school division. Priority will go to continuing 8th graders, but there will be a limited number of seats for students from other schools.
Private schools in Belle Harbor:
- St. Francis De Sales (Roman Catholic)
- West End Temple
- Yeshiva of Belle Harbor (YBH)
- ^ Queens Community Boards, New York City. Accessed September 3, 2007.
- ^ A Queens Timeline, Queens Tribune, accessed December 14, 2006
- ^ Yarrow, Andrew L. "OUT AND ABOUT ON MEMORIAL DAY; HOW TO FIND THAT SAND AND SURF", The New York Times, May 23, 1986. Accessed October 12, 2007. "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 Sept. 30 between Beach 117th and Beach 149th Street..."
