South Ozone Park, Queens
Encyclopedia
South Ozone Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City
borough
of Queens
. It was originally developed as low-cost housing in the early 1900s. Adjacently north of JFK Airport, its boundaries extend from the Aqueduct Racetrack
westward to the Van Wyck Expressway.
Its main thoroughfare is Rockaway Boulevard. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 10
.
Despite its name, South Ozone Park is mostly east of the neighborhood of Ozone Park
. Richmond Hill
lies to the north. Jamaica
, South Jamaica
, and Springfield Gardens
are to the east. To the southwest are Howard Beach
and Old Howard Beach
.
Generally seen as less upscale than Ozone Park
, South Ozone Park is home to a more diverse population, with many African American
s, Trinidadians, Bangladeshis, Guyanese
, and Hispanic
s living in the area, in addition to the area's longtime Italian-American population. The African-American and Afro-Caribbean
community of South Ozone Park is largely concentrated in the easternmost districts of the neighborhood, while Hispanics and Indo Caribbeans are scattered throughout the neighborhood. Italian-Americans are most prevalent in the southern and western areas in the neighborhood near the Conduit. The neighborhood is located in the Sixth congressional district
, and is represented by Democrat Gregory Meeks
. There has been a recent surge of development in South Ozone Park that rivals many of the surrounding communities in terms of home value.
Rockaway Boulevard is South Ozone Park's main business strip. There is also a high concentration of small businesses along Liberty Avenue in nearby Richmond Hill, which is also one of South Ozone Park's main source of revenue. The organized crime associate Parnell Edwards was killed here, shortly after the Lufthansa Heist
in 1978.
South Ozone Park is served by the Q7 bus on Rockaway Boulevard, the Q9 bus on Lincoln Street, and the Q10 bus on Lefferts Boulevard.
.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
. It was originally developed as low-cost housing in the early 1900s. Adjacently north of JFK Airport, its boundaries extend from the Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
westward to the Van Wyck Expressway.
Its main thoroughfare is Rockaway Boulevard. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 10
Queens Community Board 10
The Queens Community Board 10 is a local government in the New York City borough of Queens, encompassing the neighborhoods of Howard Beach, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Tudor Village and Lindenwood. It is delimited by the Brooklyn border to the West, Liberty Avenue and 103rd Avenue...
.
Despite its name, South Ozone Park is mostly east of the neighborhood of Ozone Park
Ozone Park, Queens
Ozone Park is a working class neighborhood located in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens bordering Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, Howard Beach, and City Line, Brooklyn....
. Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, Queens
Richmond Hill is a neighborhood in central-southern Queens, New York City, USA. It is bordered by Kew Gardens to the north, Woodhaven and Ozone Park to the west, South Ozone Park to the south and South Jamaica to the east...
lies to the north. Jamaica
Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
, South Jamaica
South Jamaica, Queens
South Jamaica, known colloquially as Southside & Southside Jamaica Queens, is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, located south of downtown Jamaica, the Long Island Rail Road tracks Jamaica Avenue and Liberty Avenue. The western border is the Van Wyck Expressway, and it...
, and Springfield Gardens
Springfield Gardens, Queens
Springfield Gardens is a neighborhood in the southeastern area of the New York City borough of Queens, bounded to the north by St. Albans, to the east by Laurelton & Rosedale, to the south by John F. Kennedy International Airport, and to the west by Farmers Boulevard...
are to the east. To the southwest are Howard Beach
Howard Beach, Queens
Howard Beach is a suburban neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bordered in the north by the Belt Parkway and South Conduit Avenue in Ozone Park, the south by Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel, the east by 102nd-104th streets, and the west by 78th...
and Old Howard Beach
Old Howard Beach, Queens
Old Howard Beach is a section of Howard Beach, in the New York City borough of Queens, that lies between Shellbank Basin and Hawtree Creek, to the west of Cross Bay Boulevard. Colemans Square and Charles Park are located in Old Howard Beach. It's referred to as Old Howard Beach since it's the...
.
Generally seen as less upscale than Ozone Park
Ozone Park, Queens
Ozone Park is a working class neighborhood located in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens bordering Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, Howard Beach, and City Line, Brooklyn....
, South Ozone Park is home to a more diverse population, with many African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s, Trinidadians, Bangladeshis, Guyanese
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, and Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
s living in the area, in addition to the area's longtime Italian-American population. The African-American and Afro-Caribbean
Afro-Caribbean
The term Afro-Caribbean applies to Caribbean people of African descent. It may also refer to:*British African-Caribbean community*Afro-Caribbean music*Caribbean Australian*Caribbean Brazilian*West Indian American...
community of South Ozone Park is largely concentrated in the easternmost districts of the neighborhood, while Hispanics and Indo Caribbeans are scattered throughout the neighborhood. Italian-Americans are most prevalent in the southern and western areas in the neighborhood near the Conduit. The neighborhood is located in the Sixth congressional district
New York's 6th congressional district
New York's Sixth Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes most of Southeastern Queens including the neighborhoods of Cambria Heights, Edgemere, Far Rockaway, Hollis, Jamaica, Laurelton, Queens Village, Rosedale,...
, and is represented by Democrat Gregory Meeks
Gregory Meeks
Gregory Weldon Meeks is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1998. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes most of Southeastern Queens including Jamaica, Laurelton, Rosedale, Saint Albans, Springfield Gardens, and Far Rockaway, as well as John F. Kennedy International...
. There has been a recent surge of development in South Ozone Park that rivals many of the surrounding communities in terms of home value.
Rockaway Boulevard is South Ozone Park's main business strip. There is also a high concentration of small businesses along Liberty Avenue in nearby Richmond Hill, which is also one of South Ozone Park's main source of revenue. The organized crime associate Parnell Edwards was killed here, shortly after the Lufthansa Heist
Lufthansa heist
The Lufthansa heist was a robbery at John F. Kennedy International Airport on December 11, 1978. An estimated $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewels were stolen, at the time making it the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil...
in 1978.
South Ozone Park is served by the Q7 bus on Rockaway Boulevard, the Q9 bus on Lincoln Street, and the Q10 bus on Lefferts Boulevard.
Education
- Our Lady's Catholic Academy Our Lady’s Catholic Academy is a diverse, child-centered Catholic elementary school that serves the South Ozone Park community. The school, located on 126th Street and Rockaway Boulevard, was founded in September 2009, under the direction and guidance of the Board of Directors.
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help School is the parish school for the church of the same name. It is located on 115th Street and is within the Roman Catholic Diocese of BrooklynRoman Catholic Diocese of BrooklynThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes territory that was previously part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, was established as a separate diocese in 1853 when the City of Brooklyn was separate from New York City....
. Established on September 12, 1927, it educates in grades PKPre-KindergartenPre-kindergarten refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. It begins between the ages of 3-5 depending on the length of the program...
-8Eighth gradeEighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
. The principal is Mrs. Frances DeLuca.
- Vincent G. Fowler School is an elementary school that educates pre k-5th grade students. It is located across from the Aqueduct Racetrack, with principal Ms. Biondollilo.
- Virgil I Grissom, J.H.S. 226, Rockaway Blvd and 122nd Street. This middle school is named for the late astronaut, it features Grades 6-8 and specializes in several areas of general education practices. It is a zoned school nestled in an area of a diverse population.
- P.S. 124 Osmond A Church
- P.S. 45 The Clarence E. Witherspoon School, at 126-28 150th Street, serves grades K-6.
.