Rockaway Neighborhoods: Broad Channel

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Dylan Watton in Out and About 

This is the ninth in a series of articles about the neighborhoods of Rockaway. In an effort to profile these areas we’ve talked to residents and business owners about their little slice of the peninsula. This week is Broad Channel.

Peter Mahon closes his “Between the Bridges” column every week with the words “Broad Channel—why would anyone want to live anywhere else?” For generations, many families in the mile-long residential enclave have asked themselves the same question and stayed put.

The southern half of Broad Channel contains around 3,000 residents in an area 20 blocks long and four blocks wide at its peak. Many of the homes are tightly packed together à la Long Beach. The northern portion of the island is occupied by part of the Gateway National Recreation Area and its Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, the only such refuge in the National Parks System. Established in 1972 and open from sunrise to sunset, the sanctuary is the site for the some of the best birdwatching in New York City and the country in general with ospreys being one of the primary attractions (their large nests are frequently visible from Cross Bay Boulevard, perched high atop a specially constructed pole off the bike trails). Unsurprisingly marine life, including diamondback turtles and horseshoe crabs, is abundant, and the refuge’s marshes provide mating grounds for hundreds of species.

For most of its history, Broad Channel’s physical land was owned by New York City which then leased home and business properties to residents. The majority of homes constructed in the early 20th century were one-story bungalows. “In the 1920s Broad Channel people came down here to have fun,” Dan Mundy Sr., 77, said. His parents met in Broad Channel and settled in the area after choosing to leave Manhattan. “They would take the Long Island Railroad and go to the big dancehalls. This was not unusual.”

Mundy Sr. has spent his entire life in the area. “There were no libraries, there were no city parks,” he said of his youth. “We went to play stickball and football in empty lots. Being on the water was really unique. When a child was 6 or 7 he was allowed to go out into his rowboat and the parents would show him how to go up and down the canal. We used to have fun rowing our boats. When you were a little older you could put a motor on it but couldn’t leave the canals until you were ready. You’re mastering some of the arts of boatmanship at a very young age.”

Another longtime resident is Margaret Wagner. “My great-grandfather built the house here in 1910,” she said. “My son Robert’s children are the sixth generation in Broad Channel. I love having family roots and history here. My dad can tell me stories about his dad and grandfather and I can tell my kids about them. Today people are getting further and further away from that, I think.”

“I have lived here my whole life, and so has my mom and grandmother,” Moira Horan, 20, said. “Everybody knows each other [and] everybody looks out for each other. Your dog gets out of your yard, someone usually recognizes it and brings it back to you before you realize it’s gone. Whether people have children of their own or not, everyone is always looking out for the kids.”

Broad Channel was drastically changed following the sale of the land to residents in September 1982. On numerous occasions the city tried to convince residents to leave their homes for a variety of projects, most notably an expansion of JFK Airport, but ultimately failed. Mundy Sr. was among the first 13 people to purchase the property beneath his home. “Now you owned the land and home,” he explained. “Before you couldn’t get a mortgage on a home. Now you could sell a home and get the money outright. From the 1980s and 1990s you saw two-story houses and a lot of money being invested in those homes.”

Freddy Ciappetta has run local watering hole The Ruffle Bar for 10 years. “[The bar] allows me to connect with people, keeps me up to date on what’s going on. People come in here that I’ve known my whole life and new people come too.” He said that the change in homes is the single defining change over his lifetime. “The houses have improved. Years ago it was a summer place with lots of bungalows. Now the homes are built better and they’re beautiful.”

Stores like the All American Channel Market, Rocco’s Pizza, and Rock N Roll Bagel are bustling places serving locals and people passing through.  Grassy Point Bar & Grill is a long time favorite of many and is decorated with a wide assortment of collectibles and antiques.  The Bay View restaurant at the foot of the Cross Bay Bridge will reopen in 2016.

The neighborhood was hard hit by Hurricane Sandy. Several homes remain uninhabited and construction crews are ever present. One house on Cross Bay Boulevard had become a billboard advocating for Build it Back reform. “Initially, Sandy was tremendous blow. People are still feeling the adverse effects,” Leo Chavanne, a 37-year resident and firefighter (one of many in Broad Channel), said. Chavanne helped found the BCPD, which despite its name did not police the area but instead helped gut over 300 homes following the storm. “We’ve lost some great people who have moved on,” he said. “There’s still that lingering effect but I think overall the community has been on a tremendous uptick thanks to the Broad Channel Civic Association and people trying to make the community better than it ever was.”

Most residents seem to view the Cross Bay Bridge as a symbol of the community’s connection to the Rockaways. “Rockaway gave Broad Channel the support that was needed to fight for the right to buy our land,” Mundy Sr. said. “You could easily walk over to Rockaway, go over to Playland, and go to the beach to go swimming.” Wagner agreed, stating “I’m personally very connected to Rockaway, more so than Howard Beach. We have a lot of family and friends that live in Rockaway that joined sports programs here.”

For Sean Tubridy, whose family has been a staple of Broad Channel since at least 1904, Broad Channel represents one word. “Freedom,” he said. “You could go anywhere, exploring the ballfields or to the park. If there was ever a problem, your parents knew about it before you got home. The guys I grew up with are all still my closest friends. That’s unique. There’s no other place I’d rather grow up.”

We will continue to feature different Rockaway neighborhoods in the coming weeks. If you’d like to talk about your neighborhood and what makes it special to you, contact the author atdylan@rockawaytimes.com.