Howard Beach is a neighborhood in southwestern Queens, New York. Bordered in the north by the Belt Parkway, the south by Jamaica Bay, the east by John F. Kennedy International Airport and the west by Brooklyn. It also borders the neighborhoods of Ozone Park to the north and Broad Channel to the south. Howard Beach is home to a large Italian-American populations, as well as a minor Jewish population. Mob boss John Gotti also had a home here and the neighborhood gained local attention for being home to many members of the Mafia.

The Cross Bay Bridge connects mainland Queens to the Rockaway Peninsula at Howard Beach.

Howard Beach gained some unwanted attention on December 20, 1986 when three African-American men were assaulted by local teenagers. One of the African-American men was killed by a car. The incident triggered a wave of racial tension in New York City and gained national attention. What "outsiders" refer to as Howard Beach is to those who live(d) there a collection of several diverse neighborhoods - Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach, Rockwood Park, Lindenwood and Howard Park etc. Howard Beach proper is a small peninsula bordered by the Belt Parkway on the north, Jamaica Bay on the south, a canal on the east separating it from Hamilton Bay and a longer canal on the west that separates it from Cross Bay (Woodhaven) Blvd. In the mid 1950's the northernmost section of Howard Beach was comprised of a small wooded area (Cherry Forest) and a dairy farm (Mary's Farm), approximately 25% of the remaining area has houses on it. In 1956 NYC extended the Independent branch of its subway system to Howard Beach, thus making it a viable place for working New Yorkers to live. There hasn't been a lot available in Howard Beach for the past thirty years.