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Howard Beach-Lindenwood sits near JFK Airport with affordable single-family homes and waterfront access to Jamaica Bay.
Howard Beach-Lindenwood sits near JFK Airport with affordable single-family homes and waterfront access to Jamaica Bay.
Did you know?
Howard Beach's Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge is the only toll bridge in New York City where you can pay to drive to a beach in the Rockaways.
Who’s your neighbor?
Housing cost
$460 / sq ft
Commute
Weekday mornings · leaving 7:30–9:00
- FromHoward Beach-Lindenwood
- ToNear Bryant Park
Family scores
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Trade-offs
Stands out
- Affordability97/100
Lower costs than most
- Air & Child Health88/100
Cleaner air and better child-health measures
- Safety84/100
Fewer reported crimes, traffic injuries and serious housing violations per resident
To weigh
- Family-Friendly Vibe26/100
Fewer families with children than most
- Transit36/100
Longer weekday-morning trips to the city's main job centers
Each score compares it with NYC's other residential neighborhoods.
What these scores don't measure: how a block feels on foot, what's changing on it, and whether a particular school suits your child. Walk it at school drop-off time, and check the zoned school for the exact address before you sign a lease.
Your family’s read
How does Howard Beach-Lindenwood fit your family?
An agentic read of this neighborhood — including safety and cost of living — tailored to your priorities, family size, budget, and commute.
Analyze for My FamilySchools & early education
Schools8 schools
Schools in Howard Beach-Lindenwood run the gamut — you've got your zoned public options like P.S. 146 Howard Beach and P.S. 207 Rockwood Park serving the core, plus a charter option in Our World Neighborhood Charter School 2. Catholic schools fill a niche here too, including Saint Helen Catholic Academy. The mix means families are choosing across public, private, and charter — no single pathway dominates.
Browse all early-ed in this neighborhoodLiving here
Parks & Playgrounds2 places
Howard Beach-Lindenwood keeps it simple when it comes to parks — you've got Harold Schneiderman Playground and Walter Ward Playground, both solid spots with the standard swings and slides that locals rely on. It's not a neighborhood bursting with green space, but these two covers the basics for after-school afternoons. The tree canopy along the residential blocks adds some nice shade for stroller walks, even if you're not spoiled for choice like some other Queens pockets.
1 playground within a 10-min walk
Nearest large park: Spring Creek Park · ~12 min walk (0.4 mi)
Transportation37 stops
Getting around here means buses are your lifeline — there's no subway stop directly in Howard Beach-Lindenwood, so you're hopping routes along Cross Bay Boulevard, 157th Avenue, or Linden Boulevard to catch a train into the city. The Q11 and Q21 along Cross Bay get you to the A line at nearby Rockaway Boulevard or the Ozone Park Lefferts stop, though the ride adds time. It's a car-friendly area, but for a Manhattan commute, plan on an extra 20-30 minutes for the bus connection.
Restaurants70 places
Crossbay Boulevard is the main artery here, lined with a deep bench of local pizzerias and old-school delis that give the strip its character — the kind of place where you've got your go-to slice spot and everyone knows it. There's solid ethnic variety too: Chinese and Szechuan spots, a couple of Japanese and Korean options clustering near the west end, and a solid seafood fish market if you want to cook at home. Fast food and ice cream chains dot the strip for quick fixes, and there's a diner and a wine bar when you want to sit down. It's not fancy, but the density is real — takeout-heavy and very much built for locals.
Groceries4 places
For the weekly shop, Howard Beach-Lindenwood has a solid base. Two Key Foods sit in the neighborhood — one on Crossbay and another on 153rd — and there's a Stop & Shop that covers the big essentials. A few smaller grocers fill in the gaps, though for the full spread most families drive to Crossbay or head toward the main commercial strips. The car definitely helps, but you can manage without it for the basics.
Coffee Shops4 places
Coffee options here are thin but functional — a Starbucks and a Dunkin' anchor the main drags along Crossbay Boulevard, giving you reliable grab-and-go for busy mornings. Beyond the chains, there's a handful of cafes where you can settle in with a laptop if you need the WiFi, though a deep bench of third-wave spots this isn't. For the daily caffeine run, the chains have you covered.
Things to Do13 places
Howard Beach-Lindenwood leans athletic, with a deep bench of pool options — public pools, a private swim school, and a few informal spots that locals rotate through depending on the weather. Sports facilities and a couple of tutoring centers round out the mix, plus a few kid-centric shops that survive on the residential foot traffic. The beach is there for lazy summer days, though entertainment beyond the water is thin — one movie theater anchors that niche. For a neighborhood this quiet, the active options punch above their weight.
Daycare & informal care1 place
Families in this pocket have a deep bench of pre-K options — eight sites total, most of them district-run pre-K centers and school-based programs that roll into the local elementary schools. The private daycare scene is thinner, with just one standalone option, so families leaning toward traditional daycare may need to look slightly afield or plan ahead for waitlists. Morning drop-off near the schools can get congested during the pre-K rush, but the concentration of options means most kids land somewhere close to home.
Family Resources4 places
Howard Beach-Lindenwood keeps families reasonably covered on the recreation front — Gemini Fields is the big one, sprawling along South Conduit Avenue with room to spread out, while Harold Schneiderman Playground and Walter Ward Playground anchor the neighborhood's other corners. The Howard Beach branch library on 156th Avenue provides a solid civic anchor, though community centers and dedicated family programming remain limited in this area.
Healthcare13 places
Healthcare in Howard Beach holds its own with two solid anchor institutions — MediSys Howard Beach Women & Children Care and Physicians Choice Surgicenter both sit right on Cross Bay Boulevard. For everyday pediatric needs, you've got a decent bench of four options along the main drags, and three urgent care spots means you won't be scrambling on a Saturday evening. The dental scene is equally solid with four practices scattered through the neighborhood. That said, specialist referrals beyond the basics often mean a trek into the city or further into Queens — that's the trade-off for being this close to the water.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Howard Beach-Lindenwood
Schools in Howard Beach-Lindenwood
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Early education in Howard Beach-Lindenwood
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Howard Beach-Lindenwood a good neighborhood for families?
- Howard Beach-Lindenwood scores 61/100 for families on Motley — ahead of most NYC neighborhoods. The Family Fit score blends six parts: how many families live there, schools, affordability, weekday-morning transit time to job centers, safety, and air quality and child health.
- What are the pros and cons of Howard Beach-Lindenwood for families?
- For families, Howard Beach-Lindenwood stands out for lower costs than most; cleaner air and better child-health measures; and fewer reported crimes, traffic injuries and serious housing violations per resident. What to weigh: fewer families with children than most, and longer weekday-morning trips to the city's main job centers. Each score compares it with NYC's other residential neighborhoods. They don't measure how a block feels on foot or whether a particular school suits your child, so walk it before you decide.
- Is Howard Beach-Lindenwood safe?
- Howard Beach-Lindenwood scores 84/100 on safety — ahead of most NYC neighborhoods. We build the score from NYPD crime complaints, pedestrian and cyclist injuries, and serious (Class C) housing violations, each counted per 1,000 residents.
- How are the schools in Howard Beach-Lindenwood?
- Howard Beach-Lindenwood has 8 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 40/100 for schools — near the middle of the pack citywide.
- How do middle and high school admissions work from Howard Beach-Lindenwood?
- Middle school: families in Howard Beach-Lindenwood apply in 5th grade through the citywide middle school application. District 27's 24 middle school programs admit by method: 14 zoned, 5 unscreened, 4 screened and 1 charter lottery. High school: one citywide application in 8th grade lets a family rank programs anywhere in the city, and the eight specialized high schools admit on the SHSAT alone.
- Is Howard Beach-Lindenwood affordable?
- Howard Beach-Lindenwood scores 97/100 for affordability on Motley — more affordable than most NYC neighborhoods.
- Which borough is Howard Beach-Lindenwood in?
- Howard Beach-Lindenwood is a neighborhood in Queens, New York City.
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