| South Ozone Park | |
|---|---|
| — Neighborhoods of New York City — | |
| Rockaway Boulevard | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Queens |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 45,498 |
| Ethnicity | |
| • White | 20.8% |
| • Black | 35.7% |
| • Hispanic | 22.7% |
| • Asian | 12.8% |
| • Other | 15.6% |
| Economics | |
| • Median income | $47,584 |
| ZIP code | 11420 |
| Area code(s) | 718, 347, 917 |
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.[1] Its main thoroughfare is Rockaway Boulevard. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 10.[2]
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.[1]
Generally seen as less upscale than Ozone Park, South Ozone Park is home to a more diverse population, with many African Americans, Trinidadians, Bangladeshis, Guyanese, and Hispanics 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.
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