Thirty feet below grade. That’s how deep The Hole sinks into the earth. It’s a place seemingly swallowed by time. A forgotten corner of Queens bordering Brooklyn. This is The Hole. A neighborhood named not for its charm but for its literal existence as a depression in the land.
The Hole. It’s a five-block triangular area. Its borders are Conduit Boulevard Linden Boulevard and Ruby Street. It’s a place where the streets are perpetually flooded. Muddy and eerily quiet. Overflowing refuse from septic tanks and cesspools adds to the grim landscape. There’s no connection to New York City’s sewer system. The Hole is a dumping ground. Abandoned vehicles trash and sadly even the detritus of mob violence.
The Hole is a stark contrast to its surroundings. It feels like a movie set for a schlock horror film. Yet on a sunny afternoon it has a strange peace. For those who live here this is its appeal. Isolation perhaps a sense of being untouched by the city’s relentless pace.
The history of The Hole is as peculiar as its present state. Originally a marshy depression it attracted European immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They built homes and farms. The Hole became an agricultural community. Poultry farms and dairy production were common.
The construction of the Belt Parkway and JFK Airport drastically changed The Hole. Land was acquired for infrastructure. Original residents were displaced. The creation of Gateway National Recreation Area further altered the area’s landscape.
The lack of infrastructure continues to plague The Hole. No sewer system limits development. The marshy soil and low-lying topography contribute to the persistent flooding. This in turn contributes to the contaminated soil and water. Homeowners rely on cesspools and septic tanks many of which have ruptured over the years. The contaminated water and soil are a major impediment to development.
Despite attempts at redevelopment including a proposed gated community called Cobblestone Estates The Hole remains largely untouched. Real estate developers struggle with the environmental challenges. The contaminated land makes investment risky.
The Hole is also infamous as an old mafia graveyard. In the early 1980s bodies of mobsters were found here. The infamous John Gotti’s family used The Hole to dispose of victims. Children playing in a vacant lot once stumbled upon a gruesome discovery the hand of Bonanno capo Alphonse “Sonny Red” Indelicato. The bodies of other mobsters have been found in the same location.
The Hole is a unique and disturbing place. It’s a testament to urban neglect and the lingering shadows of the past. It’s a neighborhood that sits at the edge of the city both literally and metaphorically. A place where the city seems to have forgotten something. Or perhaps something the city wanted to forget. The future of The Hole remains uncertain. But its story is one that lingers in the mind. A cautionary tale perhaps. A reminder of what can be lost and what is often overlooked in the shadow of a great city.