Breezy Point Queens

The community of Breezy Point began as summer beach bungalows in the early 1900s, according to the New York Times. However, this is impossible because the shoreline was further east at the time until landfill extended the Rockaways. In 1960, Breezy Point was sold to the Atlantic Improvement State Corporation for $17 million. The residents purchased half of the land for approximately $11 million and formed the Breezy Point Cooperative. Today, it consists of about 3,500 homes. The construction of apartment buildings began in the late 1960s but was halted by city ordinance.

Breezy Point is patrolled by its own private security force, which restricts access to owners, renters, and their guests. It also features three of New York City’s nine remaining volunteer fire departments.

On September 8, 2012, the community was struck by a tornado shortly before 11 a.m. that started as a waterspout over the Atlantic Ocean and came ashore at the Breezy Point Surf Club.

On October 29, 2012, Breezy Point was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic Ocean flooded the land between these bodies of water, damaging or destroying most homes. Basements and vehicles were ruined. That night, a six-alarm fire broke out at 173 Ocean Avenue. Local volunteer firefighters were trapped for several hours due to flooding. Once the waters receded, the Rockaway Point Fire Department rescued more than 41 civilians, while the New York City, Point Breeze, and Roxbury Fire Departments found 130 homes burned to the ground. Another 50 homes nearby were damaged by the fire. According to an official report in December, rising seawater caused the fire by contacting a house’s electrical wires.