Spotting Locations Fly-By: JFK 12/31

[Gerard]

With my wife and daughter coming into JFK aboard Jet Blue this afternoon I figured this would be a good time to visit
old haunts and explore some new ones. My first stops were Hangar Road and the Customs lot. Back when I lived in
Queens (over 9 years ago) I used to bring my kids to these locations to watch the planes. It was lots of fun and was
never hassled. Basically we sat and watched (and I listened) and never had any problems.
Leaving Customs I headed down Rockaway Blvd. Over 9 years and things havent changed. Traffic is still a pain in the
butt there, even after going onto Burnside Avenue.
I didnt have a lot of time so I just got out of my vehicle at Inwood Park to stretch my legs then headed down to Mott
Avenue and Bayswater Park. Just drove up to the entrance but didnt go in. Interesting neighborhood Far Rockaway. Have driven through the beach part many times but not in this area. You have the projects on Beach Channel Drive which isnt the safest place to be found, but you go down Mott Avenue to the end and there are all sorts of nice houses and what looks to be a different community. Wanted to head into Bayswater but will leave that for another time.
Back onto BCD/Burnside and Rockaway to Brookville Blvd. Geez what a mess that section of Brookville is. Found The
Mounds fairly easy but just then my wife called and said the plane had just landed about 15 minutes early. So off I went.
My question is......who the heck discovered The Mounds?????!!!! Talk about off the beaten path. Wow!! LOL!!
I think I'll stick to FRG spotting and leave the big boys of JFK to you guys!! Keep up the good work!!
Happy Neww Year all!!!!

[adam613]

The area around Bayswater Park does have some nice houses, but it still isn't a particularly safe neighborhood. It is mostly inhabited by poor minorities and VERY Orthodox Jews.

The Mounds is actually a pretty easy spot to find if you have a map...I found it by accident long before I discovered NYCA...I knew they were on the 22s, and I knew where the runway was in relation to the roads, so I just took the Q111 bus until I saw planes flying right over my head :) It's a great location though...you can get good shots there with a relatively short lens.

[PhilDernerJr]

Very good descriptions and analogies of the spotting areas. I enjoyed reading that post.

The Mounds were known before me. I don't know who discovered it. Hmmm.

[Gerard]

>The area around Bayswater Park does have some nice houses, but it still isn't a particularly safe neighborhood. It is mostly inhabited by poor minorities and VERY Orthodox Jews.<

:D Thats what I meant by a "different community". And it has been that way for as long as I can remember with the
two different communities co-existing side-by-side. Just like many parts of Brooklyn.