Neponsitis a small affluent neighborhood located on the western half of theRockaway Peninsula,the southernmost area of theNew York CityboroughofQueens.The area starts at Beach 142nd Street and ends at Beach 149th Street.[2]It borders the neighborhood ofBelle Harborto the east andJacob Riis Parkon the west.Jamaica Bayand theAtlantic Oceanare the northern and southern borders. The neighborhood is part ofQueens Community Board 14.As of January 1, 2007, the neighborhood's population reached just over 2,000, making it one of the smallest communities on the peninsula and in the entire borough of Queens.[3]
Neponsit | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Neponsit nearJacob Riis Park | |
 Location within New York City | |
| Coordinates:40°34′19″N73°51′36″W/ 40.572°N 73.86°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| City |  New York City |
| County/Borough |  Queens |
| Community District | Queens 14[1] |
| Named for | "the place between waters" |
| Population | |
• Estimate (2007) | 2,000 |
| Time zone | UTC−5(EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4(EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 11694 |
| Area codes | 718, 347, 929,and917 |
History
editNeponsit is a Native American[specify]name meaning "the place between waters", the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and of Jamaica Bay or Rockaway Inlet.[4]
The present community's character has persisted since it was established. In January 1910, the Neponsit Realty Company purchased the land for the development of an exclusive community. It forbade the construction of any homes that were inexpensive, and the homes were built in order to withstand the beach weather and geography of the narrow peninsula. The entrance to the area was originally marked by a massive ornamental gateway. More recently, a stretch of tree-dotted islands, called "the malls", situated alongRockaway Beach Boulevard,was a distinguishing feature. It extended throughBelle Harbor.By the 1930s, high quality homes were dominant in Neponsit.[citation needed]
The first transatlantic flight departed from Neponsit on May 8, 1919, when four United States Navy-Curtis model seaplanes took off from what is nowBeach Channel Drivein Neponsit toNewfoundland, Canada,theAzores Islands,andLisboninPortugal.On May 31, 1919, a single plane piloted by Lt. Commander Albert C. Read arrived inPlymouth, England.[5]
Land use and zoning
editNeponsit iszonedfor residential, one-or-two-story single-family homes.[6]Due to this, and its secluded beach location, some homes are mansion-like, and the average market price for properties has approached $1 million, according toZillow.
NearbyJacob Riis Parkhas an area of 262 acres (106 ha).
In popular culture
editThe television show,Rescue Me(FX Network) has regularly filmed in Neponsit using residences to portray the fictional homes of some of the characters, although the article points out that the "story never tells you how a firefighter can afford... [a] Neponsit home".[7]
Notable people
editNotable current and former residents of Neponsit include:
- Frederic E. Hammer(1909–1980), lawyer and politician who served in theNew York State Senate[8]
- Jason Miller(1939–2001), playwright and actor, who won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play for his playThat Championship Season[9]
- James H. Scheuer(1920–2005), politician who represented New York in theUnited States House of Representativesfrom 1975 to 1993[10]
See also
editReferences
edit
- ^"NYC Planning | Community Profiles".communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov.New York City Department of City Planning.RetrievedApril 7,2018.
- ^Neponsit Home PageArchived2007-06-10 at theWayback Machine,The Wave,Rockaway's Local Newspaper, accessed June 10, 2007
- ^Briano, Nicholas (March 21, 2008)."Rockaway Population Popping At Record Pace".The Wave.Archived fromthe originalon June 15, 2011.RetrievedOctober 18,2008.
- ^Seyfried, Vincent; Asadorian, William (1999).Old Rockaway, New York, in Early Photographs.Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. p. 93.ISBN0-486-40668-7.RetrievedAugust 7,2010.
- ^"Neponsit Malls".New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.RetrievedAugust 7,2010.
- ^"NYC Planning ZoLa".ZoLa.RetrievedJuly 26,2019.
- ^Schwach, Howard (July 30, 2004)."'Rescue Me' Highlights Rockaway In Premier Episode ".The Wave.Archived fromthe originalon June 15, 2011.RetrievedOctober 17,2008.
- ^"Justice Frederic E. Hammer, 71, Of State Supreme Court Is Dead",The New York Times,September 6, 1980. Accessed January 6, 2024. "Justice Frederic E. Hammer of the New York State Supreme Court died Wednesday at his home in Neponsit, Queens. He was 71 years old."
- ^Funke, Phyllis."Jason Miller Found Success in Failure",The New York Times,February 10, 1974. Accessed January 6, 2024. "Yet, in his next breath, this long‐time resident of Queens (Flushing and Neponsit) who moved to Upper Saddle River, N.J. last June, concedes, 'I would. In fact, I must. As much as I love to wander, I could never leave the New York area forever."
- ^Lichtenstein, Grace."Scheuer Makes Esposito Election Issue",The New York Times,September 5, 1974. Accessed January 6, 2024. "Instead, he has attacked Mr. Scheuer as a carpetbagger who moved to Neponsit, in Queens, only a year and a half ago and who is now trying to 'buy' the district with a huge campaign treasury."
