Broad Channel Park

Broad Channel Park is a 1.55-acre neighborhood park in Broad Channel, the only inhabited island in Jamaica Bay and one of the most unusual communities in New York City. The park serves the approximately 3,000 residents of this small fishing village entirely surrounded by the waters and marshlands of the bay.

Broad Channel has the character of a small coastal town rather than a New York City neighborhood. Its modest homes, narrow streets, and proximity to the water create an atmosphere that feels more like the Jersey Shore or Cape Cod than the city's largest borough. Residents are fiercely proud of their community's independent spirit.

The park features a playground, basketball courts, and open areas serving the island's small residential population. In a community this size, the park serves as the town square, a place where virtually every resident is known by name.

Broad Channel was severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, with storm surge flooding most of the island. The community's recovery demonstrated the resilience and solidarity that characterize this tight-knit neighborhood, with residents helping each other rebuild in the storm's aftermath.

Broad Channel Park serves a community that is unique in New York City: an island village in the middle of Jamaica Bay, where the rhythms of life are shaped by the tides, the seasons, and the bonds of a community small enough for everyone to know their neighbors.