Midwood, Brooklyn

Midwood is a neighborhood in the south central part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, New York, USA, roughly halfway between Prospect Park and Coney Island. The neighborhood is within Community District 14. It is served by the 66th and 70th precincts of the NYPD.

Midwood is bounded on the north by the Bay Ridge Branch freight line tracks ("the cut") just north of Avenue I and by the Brooklyn College campus of the City University of New York and on the south by Avenue P and Kings Highway. The eastern border is Nostrand Avenue or Flatbush Avenue (depending on whom you ask), and the western is Coney Island Avenue, McDonald Avenue or Ocean Parkway (again, depending upon whom you ask).

History
The name Midwood is derived from the Dutch word "Midwout" (middle woods), the name the settlers of New Netherland called the area of dense woodland that straddled the towns of Flatbush and Gravesend. Later, it became part of old Flatbush, straddling the towns of Gravesend and Flatlands.

The Dutch began settlement in 1652,. The English conquered the Dutch in 1664, but the area remained rural and undeveloped for the most part until its annexation to the City of Greater New York in 1898. It became more developed in the 1920s, when large middle-class housing tracts and apartment buildings were built.

Many Midwood residents moved to the suburbs in the 1970s, and the neighborhood and its commercial districts declined. Drawn by Midwood's quiet middle-class ambiance, new residents began pouring in during the 1980s; many of them were recent immigrants from all over the world. The largest group were from the Soviet Union, but substantial numbers also arrived from Jamaica, Haiti, Mexico, Guyana and elsewhere in South America; Ireland, Italy, Poland, the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), elsewhere in eastern Europe; Greece, Turkey, Israel, Syria, the Persian Gulf states, Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, China, and Korea. In a short time, Midwood was transformed from a predominantly Jewish neighborhood with a smattering of Irish-Americans and German-Americans to a remarkably polyglot section of the borough of Brooklyn.

Many people erroneously refer to Midwood as "part of Flatbush," an older and more established neighborhood and former town. Many also consider the nearby neighborhood of Fiske Terrace/Midwood Park and similar Victorian Flatbush neighborhoods to be part of Midwood.

Education
Educational Facilities:


 * Brooklyn College,
 * Edward R. Murrow High School,
 * Midwood High School,
 * James Madison High School (New York),
 * Shulamith School For Girls,
 * Touro College
 * Yeshivah of Flatbush

Film
Midwood has long played a part in both film and television production. The film industry established itself in the neighborhood in 1907, when the Vitagraph company occupied a studio at Avenue M and East 14th Street. Scenes from films that include "Hey Pop" and "Buzzin’ Around," starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, were filmed on streets in Midwood. Warner Bros. purchased the studio in the 1920s, using it for short subjects, and moved the studio operation to Hollywood in 1939. The building is now home to the Shulamith Yeshiva School for Girls, but a large smokestack that bears the name Vitagraph is still on the property, visible from the BMT Subway line, as are two brick walls from the original studio. Many Vitagraph stars and other employees resided within the community. After Warner Bros. vacated the land (in the late 1960s-early 1970s), it remained vacant until the Shulamith School purchased the property years later. Today, many members of the community have no clue that the Shulamith School buildings and property were a film studio. The Brooklyn Historical Society and the Museum Of The Moving Image (Astoria, New York) have a collection on The Vitagraph Studios. One private present-day longtime resident possesses a small but "private" collection (and wealth of history) on the Vitagraph Studios. An Old Vintage aerial photograph of The Vitagraph Complex (and its streets) hangs today on a wall in the offices of the Midwood Development Corporation at 1416 Avenue M.

The Vitagraph Studios were featured in a New York Times Article (2007), and in the PBS, WNET-13 TV Special 'A Walk Through Brooklyn,' hosted by David Hartman and historian Barry Lewis. Old historic photographs of the studio show that part of it also existed across the Brighton line subway tracks, where Edward R. Murrow High School now stands.

"The Leading Male" men's attire store, which was once located at the corner of Kings Highway and East 12th Street, was the source for the disco attire that John Travolta and the other male cast members wore in the film Saturday Night Fever. A duplicate of the white suit Travolta wore in the film was at that time displayed in one of the showcase windows.

Television
"Midwood, Brooklyn, A Community From Which Great Television Entertainment Has Eminated [sic]...From Perry Como, to the 60s Hip Hullabaloo, to 'The Cosby Show', To its present Day TV Resident CBS Daytime's 'As The World Turns'!"

In 1953, NBC Television purchased part of the Vitagraph Studios, which then became known as NBC Brooklyn. Studio 1 is along Locust Avenue. A new larger studio known as Color Studio 2, at 1268 East 14th Street, NW corner of Avenue M. Programs that include The Perry Como Variety Show, TV's adaptation of Broadway's Peter Pan with Mary Martin, The Sammy Davis, Jr. Variety Show, Sing-A-Long With Mitch Miller (And His "Sing-Along Gang") (1961–1964), which featured a then young singer named Leslie Uggams, who years later became best known for her role in the historic TV epic Roots, were all taped there for later broadcast. Old NBC press releases show that two of the earliest shows to emanate from there (both then considered early NBC "Big Specials") were The Esther Williams Aqua Special (10/29/1956) and Satins & Spurs (10/12/1954). The same Brooklyn studios were used in more recent decades to broadcast the soap opera Another World, Another World "spin-off" soap drama Somerset (1971–1976), the situation comedy The Cosby Show, and three 1975 episodes of Saturday Night Live. There was also an NBC News NASA Apollo Space Mission Special taped here, a short-lived mystery detective drama, and a weekly circus after a pvariety show (the later two for another network). After a period of time Bill Cosby and crew relocated the show to their new home at The Kaufman Astoria Studios in Astoria, Queens. The "second" NBC Cosby Show that followed (co-starring the late comedic actress Madeline Kahn, most notably of Mel Brooks hit comedy films Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein) was also taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios.

In 1965-1966, The Studios were also home to Hullabaloo, a popular weekly NBC prime-time musical variety series produced by Gary Smith and Dwight Hemion, (Smith Best Known for producing Barbra Streisand TV specials). Hullabaloo first aired on NBC on the evening of 1/12/1965, and its final episode was aired on 4/11/66. The program featured the top music-charted bands, singers (and other celebrity entertainers of the period), including Sonny & Cher, Tina Sinatra and many performers from the so-called British Invasion, e.g The Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, The Dave Clark Five, Petula Clark, Marianne Faithfull, The Moody Blues and Donovan. Hullabaloo first originated from the NBC Studios in Burbank, CA, and its premiere was hosted by Jack Jones. After a brief period of time the program was moved east to NBC Color Studio 2 here in Midwood, Brooklyn. Who can forget The Hip 'Hullabaloo' "A-GO-GO" Dancers featuring 'Lada Edmund, Jr.'?. During its New York heyday a few episodes were also recorded at the NBC NY Rockefeller Center HQ Studios. We note that Brian Epstein, icon manager of The Beatles, also hosted a 'Hullabaloo' program from London. Neither The Beatles nor Elvis Presley was ever a guest or host of the aforementioned variety shows. The Sammy Davis, Jr. show was taped in the much smaller Studio 1, located along Locust Ave. The audience entrance was on the northernmost part of East 13th Street, opposite the outdoor scenic storage yard. In the early 1970s the NBC TV variety show Kraft Music Hall was taped in Studio 2. Ed McMahon, country music star Eddie Arnold and John Davidson were frequent hosts - - guests included Johnny Cash, Simon & Garfunkel, Woody Allen, Wayne Newton, Bill Dana, Alan King, Bobby Darin, Dionne Warwick and her sister Dee Dee Warwick, Mitzi Gaynor, and Roy Rogers and his wife, Dale Evans). Desi Arnaz hosted one episode (his ex-wife actress / TV icon comedienne Lucille Ball and her kids specifically flew in from Hollywood to cheer him on, on this return of his to TV). One memorable episode of the Kraft Music Hall program was hosted by comedian Don Rickles and featured him walking off a Coney Island–bound Brighton Line subway train at the Ave. M station, then speaking about old Brooklyn memories and childhood street games of the past while walking the Avenue, then playing a game of "Kick-The-Can" and New York-style stickball, all actually filmed on location on E. 15th St. between Ave. M and the old Vitagraph Studios building at Chestnut St.

Many of the noted variety shows (with the exception of Mitch Miller) had a live studio audience for both rehearsals and/or actual show recording. Often NBC Guest Relations staff could be found standing on the street outside the studio offering free tickets to the dress rehearsals and/or the actual taping of the 1960s programs, sometimes even 'The Cosby Show.' The only exception was the brief Saturday Night Live stint at the studio (which was pre-filled to capacity) as well as "big name" guest or host show tapings (i.e.; The Rolling Stones, Desi Arnaz, esp. the presence of Lucille Ball just being at the studio to cheer on Arnaz). NBC Guest Relations operated a charter bus to/from their Rockefeller Center HQ to the Brooklyn studio for pre-ticketed 1960s audience members, so that they did not have to travel by car or subway. They also did so for The Cosby Show. Fans in-the-know could always be found outside the studio entrance waiting to greet celebrities, many of whom were happy to stop and chat, sign an autograph and pose for a photo, all without the hassle of present day out-of-control paparazzi. From the 1950s through the original Cosby Show years, the NBC Brooklyn studio presence in Midwood basically transformed the community's Avenue M into Brooklyn's own versions of both Broadway and Hollywood. Fond memories exist of the great many "A-list" celebrities who performed inside the former NBC Studios and walked the local streets. Today many members of the community and visitors do not know that a television production studio exists at the location or that the adjacent Shulamith School property was once an early major silent-film studio. A few lassic episodes of Perry Como, Hullabaloo and Kraft Music Hall that were taped at the studio can be found on VHS and DVD as well as on You Tube. The Museum of Television and Radio (New York, Los Angeles) has a collection on the noted television programs.

NBC sold the studio in 2000. The facility is now known as JC Studios. The CBS soap As the World Turns was taped at the studio until it ceased production in June 2010 after 54 years. The final episode aired on September 17, 2010.

When NBC Brooklyn Color Studio 2 was built, the studio was said to be "the largest color TV production studio in America," large in comparison to the Pinewood Studios just south of London, England; segments of The Beatles film A Hard Days Night (wild running in an open field) were filmed there, as were the recent major films Batman, James Bond and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

According to the NYC Mayor's Office Of Film, Television and Theater, the present JC Studios building consists of Stage 1, which is 11,200 sq ft (163' × 70', w/a 24-foot ceiling height), and Stage 2, which is 9,700 sq ft (13' × 75', with a 38'-10" ceiling height). There are 31 dressing rooms, two control rooms, hair, makeup and dressing areas, and one edit suite. Two very large and visible NBC 'N' logo signs were not placed on the East 13th and 14th Streeet upper parts of the big red brick Studio 2 building on Avenue M until the Cosby Show years. To the dismay of many remaining long-time residents, both signs were sadly taken down when NBC vacated the premises prior to the sale to JC Studios. Nearby Edward R. Murrow High School offers classes in "Television Production" and had its own student-produced local cable-tv program on BCAT called T.E.R.M. Many of its former students are employed in  television production, including television news at NBC WNBC and on Fox 5 WNYW. The school also has a multi-championship-winning chess team.

Among movies and TV shows that have been filmed in Midwood are:


 * América (1972) -- TV series
 * The Godfather (1972)
 * Just Looking (1999)
 * The Squid and the Whale (2005)
 * The Lords of Flatbush (1974); scenes filmed at James Madison High School and along Bedford Avenue, Avenue P, Quentin Road and Kings Highway.
 * The Cosby Show: Avenue L entrance, and school name sign of E.R. Murrow High School, various episodes.
 * Seinfeld Episode 134 - "The Abstinence" (11/21/96) Avenue L entrance of Edward R. Murrow High School; the school name sign was changed to "E.R. Murrow Jr. High School."
 * Scenes from the film The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) starring Woody Allen were filmed inside the Kent Theater on Coney Island Avenue. The profits that the theater owners enjoyed allowed the theater to be closed for years.

Bus and subway
The area is served by the New York City Subway's BMT Brighton Line at Avenue H, Avenue J, Avenue M, and Kings Highway and to the west by the (F) IND Culver Line with stations at Avenue I, Bay Parkway, Avenue N, Avenue P and Kings Highway. There are also the 2 (NYCS)& 5 (NYCS) trains [Brooklyn College - Flatbush Ave.] ("The Junction.")

NYC bus lines that serve the community include the local-stop B2, B6, B7, B9, B11, B31, B41, B44, B49, B68, B82, B100 and Q35, the limited-stop B6, B41, B44, B49 (southbound AM rush only), B103, and for a premium fare the BM1 BM2, BM3 and BM4 express bus lines to and from Manhattan. (There is no express bus service on Sunday.) There is also a private bus line, Monsey Trails, between Brooklyn and Monsey, NY).

Shopping
The main shopping streets in the area are Kings Highway, Avenue J, Avenue M, Flatbush Avenue, Nostrand Avenue and Coney Island Avenue. In the 1960s and the early 1970s, Nostrand Avenue between Avenues M and N was considered one of New York's best streets for shopping by New York magazine. The street was known for fashionable boutiques that included Edna Nelkin's Jewelry, Greenstone's (now located on both Columbus and Madison Avenues in Manhattan), Burton's, Shirtland and The Shoe Box. As retailers retired, the street became known for its automobile showrooms, including Plaza Honda. A U.S. Postal Service facility (ZIP Code 11210) is on Nostrand Ave. between Avenues I and J.

In its heyday, Kings Highway had Dubrow's Cafeteria, a classic cafeteria where holes would be punched in patrons' printed tickets that would total the cost of the meal. It was a popular place to eat and "schmooze." Levine's was the king of the bar mitzvah suit trade, and Jimmy's catered to high-fashion ladies. Kings Highway was home to the now famous or infamous Crazy Eddie electronics empire. The original Crazy Eddie store was located at 1114 Kings Highway and moved to larger quarters just south of Kings Highway on the east side of Coney Island Avenue. The Kings Highway (largest and recently renovated) branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (second in size to the central library on Grand Army Plaza) is on the east side of Ocean Avenue just south of Kings Highway. In its heyday the Kings Highway stretch from Coney Island Avenue to Ocean Avenue had two popular movie theaters, the Kingsway (originally a B.F. Keith theater and later an RKO Century and ultimately a fiveplex) and Century's [Avalon Theater (Brooklyn)|Avalon]] (closed in 1982). Avenue M was home to Cookie's, one of Brooklyn's best known restaurants and "hang-outs" (also popular with the NBC studio crowd). Back in the 1920s through the 1940s, the Dorman Square Restaurant was popular with the Vitagraph studios crowd as well as played a role in a Vitagraph film or two. One of Brooklyn's most legendary Italian restaurants, Restaurant Bonaparte, and Dorman catered to the actors and actresses from the NBC studio. Avenue M has a station of the Brighton subway line, which runs on an enbankment through Midwood. Up until the 1970s, the Century Elm Theater (now the Emigrant Savings Bank) was on Avenue M. Near the end of each June, the Midwood Development Corporation is host to the popular "Midwood Mardi Gras" street fair along the avenue from East 12th Street to Ocean Avenue. There is a municipal muni-meter parking lot on East 17th Street just north of Avenue M. Almost all of the retail businesses are closed Saturdays and Jewish holidays.

Avenue J is a low-key commercial strip, with many kosher restaurants, deli, pizzerias, and butchers. DiFara's Pizza (at E. 15th St.) is cited by Zagat Survey as "The Best Pizza in NYC." With a $5.00 price for a slice, DiFara's Pizza is the only remaining non-kosher pizzeria on Avenue J, thriving because of its high-quality pizza, rated the best by many sources; there is usually a waiting line outside. Other stores specialize more narrowly, including a bakery that concentrates on Russian bread. Ostrovitsky's Bakery sells breads and gourmet cookies and cakes. There are a number of large fruit grocers, including Fruit Palace and Blue Ribbon. A large selection of exotic dried fruits and nuts can be found at "Oh Nuts!" There was a "Cookie's" restaurant on the corner of East 16th Street and Avenue J (and Avenues M and U as well). The Midwood branch of the Brooklyn Public Library is on East 16th Street, just north of the avenue. The Midwood movie theater at East 13th Street closed in the early 1980s. Avenue J can be hectic during weekdays. There is much foot and vehicle traffic, and finding a parking spot is difficult. Almost all the retail businesses are closed Saturdays and Jewish holidays. On Coney Island Avenue in Midwood, primarily between Avenue H and Avenue P, are the U.S. Postal Service Midwood station (Zip Code 11230), the Kent Triplex Movie Theater and assorted retailers. Between Avenue O and Quentin Road are Turkish restaurants and a hookah bar. At Avenue L, Pomegranate opened in August 2008 and is believed to be the largest all-kosher supermarket in the United States with 20000 sqft. With its array of organic meats and chemical-free produce, Pomegranate opened with the hope to even "lure customers who don't keep kosher."

On Avenues J, K, L, M and N, off either side of Nostrand Avenue, are a number of business establishments that offer goods and services to the local Jewish community.

In the 1980s and 1990s, a wave of Orthodox Jews moved into the area from Borough Park, attracted by Midwood's large homes and tree-lined streets. Today, the area is home to a burgeoning Sephardic population in addition to European Orthodox Jews. Along Kings Highway from Coney Island to McDonald Avenues are Middle Eastern restaurants and food shops.

East of Ocean Avenue the community is also known as "East Midwood" and/or "Nottingham." A number of residential blocks within the community are patrolled by volunteer groups, including the Nottingham Association Patrol, the Flatbush Shomrim (Hebrew for "Watchers") Safety Patrol and 24/7/365 private armed security response personnel. Alternate-side-of-the-street parking rules (for street cleaning) exist within the community on days designated by signs. Two volunteer ambulance services serve Midwood: Flatbush Hatzoloh and the East Midwood Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Beth Israel Kings Highway and the New York Presbyterian Community Hospital are on Kings Highway. Both are certified "9-1-1 FDNY-EMS," featuring emergency facilities. Many homes within the community are valued at more than a million dollars. One of Brooklyn's last remaining intact farms was located on the site of a present-day apartment complex at 1279 East 17th Street (just north of Avenue M) until it was torn down in the mid-1960s.

A local street is named Elm Avenue; the elm is Brooklyn's official tree. Elm Avenue and nearby streets that defy the master grid were streets in the old town of South Greenfield.

In his run for the White House, Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy held a massive campaign rally just outside Dubrow's Cafeteria. A massive crowd of people turned out to hear this popular political icon speak. The crowd he drew stretched for blocks in all directions. Years later his brother Senator Robert F. Kennedy ("Bobby") held a similar campaign rally there for his run for President, with a similarly large audience. The community has long been a Democratic stronghold.

Cablevision (subscription) Cable TV/Optimum Online Internet is available within the community. (High-speed Fiber-optic service has yet to be offered)

Parks
Parks include Kolbert Park and the Rachel Haber Cohen Playground and adjacent handball and basketball courts, near Edward R. Murrow High School, and the track and playing fields of Brooklyn College and Midwood High School. Local Yeshiva boys often play basketball during lunch breaks at Kolbert Park. Kolbert is also very popular with many Russian male seniors, who can be seen heavily engaged daily in Chess and other table games. Long-time and past residents alike refer to Kolbert Park as simply "Avenue L Park." Another interesting park is Friends Field at East 2nd Street and Avenue L. The park is popular with baseball-playing Yeshiva boys on Friday afternoons. Friends Field features baseball diamonds and tennis courts. Just opposite Friends Field along its McDonald Avenue side is the Erasmus Hall High School Football Field (closed to the public when not in use). Midwood High School Field sprawls a square block (E. 16th - East 17th Streets, Avenues K and L) and features handball courts, tennis courts, a runners track and a field used for football, rugby and soccer. It is quite visible to passengers on the adjacent BMT Brighton subway line. NYPD-FDNY charity sporting games as well as NY-based daytime TV soap-opera-cast baseball games are often held here. (The studio used for CBS TV's "As The World Turns" is nearby). Annual NYC Public School JV Varsity Football Championships and Playoff Games are held here as well. Students from adjacent Edward R. Murrow High School use the field during school hours. For historical purposes, in 1977 current Borough President Marty Markowitz ("Mr. Brooklyn") (then state senator) and other pols began the annual "Midwood Field Concerts" series at the Midwood High School Field. The concert series was later moved to its present home at Asser Levy Park (along Sea Breeze Avenue) in Brighton Beach (opposite the NY Aquarium) and is known as the Seaside Summer Concert Series (held Thursday evenings in July and August of each year).

There are two popular public pedestrian "rest" spots within the community: 'Corporal Wiltshire Square', named in Honor of Corporal Clifford T. Wiltshire, located at the intersection of Ocean Avenue, Avenue P and Kings Highway, and Sgt. Joyce Kilmer Triangle, located at the intersection of Kings Highway and Quentin Road (from E. 12th-13th Streets), named in honor of American journalist and poet Sgt. Joyce Kilmer (1866–1918). Kilmer is a second cousin of American Actor Val Kilmer.

Religious groups
Midwood is a heavily Jewish neighborhood. It is home to several large Orthodox synagogues, including the Young Israel of Flatbush at Avenue I and Coney Island Avenue, Young Israel of Midwood on Avenue J, Agudas Yisroel Bais Binyomin of Avenue L, the 'minyan factory' at Avenue L and East 9th Street known as Rabbi Landau's Shul, which on an average day offers minyanim (prayer quoeums) every 15 minutes, and several Syrian Orthodox synagogues. Synagogues based in homes, called shtiebelach, are also common. The East Midwood Jewish Center on Ocean Avenue near Avenue K, a Conservative congregation, is a Renaissance revival building on the National Register of Historic Places. The area between Avenue I and Newkirk Avenue is heavily populated by Muslims. Most of the Muslims are from Azad Kashmir and Pakistan. Located at 1089 Coney Island Avenue, near Newkirk Avenue, is the largest mosque in Brooklyn, the Muslim Community Center of Brooklyn Inc., also known as Makki Masjid.

St. Brendan's Parish at 1525 East 12th Street and Our Lady Help of Christians at 1315 East 28th Street are two Roman Catholic Church congregations in Midwood. At 1724 Avenue P, the Church of The Three Hierachs Greek Orthodox serves the Greek residents of the community. The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany at 2910 Avenue M also serves the community.

Notable residents
Famous people who grew up, formerly lived, attended or graduated from a school in Midwood include: *Chris Stein, the Pop Band Blondie (band) attended P.S. 199 in the 1960s.
 * Woody Allen (1935-), writer and director, graduated from Midwood High School and resided at Avenue H and Ocean Avenue.
 * Darren Aronofsky, director, attended Edward R. Murrow High School (though he grew up in Manhattan Beach).
 * Rev. Jade "JD" Benson, Unitarian Universalist Minister, Counselor, early AIDS activist and service provider, author.
 * Norm Coleman, senator (Republican of Minnesota, graduated from James Madison High School.
 * Didi Conn, actress, graduated Midwood High School.
 * Leora Conway, Hebrew linguist and poet.
 * Patrick Fitzgerald, special prosecutor.
 * Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court justice, attended East Midwood Jewish Center and James Madison High School.
 * Yosef Goldman, author.
 * Morty Gunty, comedian, host of 'The Funny Co.'/'Morty Gunty Show' WWOR-TV Kids Show (1963–1965), graduated from Midwood High School
 * Rabbi Hillel David, prominent Haredi posek.
 * Gil Hodges, baseball player and manager. He was an active parishioner of Our Lady Help of Christians Church located at East 28th Street and Avenue M. In 1978, the Marine Parkway Bridge was renamed the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge. Public School 193 in Midwood and a bowling alley in Mill Basin are named after Hodges, and on April 4, 2001 a portion of Bedford Avenue from Avenue L to Avenue N (near his home) was renamed Gil Hodges Way.
 * Lainie Kazan, singer, actress ('My Big Fat Greek Wedding'), (1940-)
 * Arthur Miller (1915–2005), playwright, Death of a Salesman.
 * Bernard Sanders, senator, (Independent of Vermont), graduated from James Madison High School.
 * Chuck Schumer, senator, (Democrat of New York), graduated from James Madison High School.
 * Erich Segal, novelist, graduated from Midwood High School.
 * Marisa Tomei, actress, graduated from Edward R. Murrow High School.
 * Adam Yauch, singer, member of the Beastie Boys, attended Edward R. Murrow High School.
 * Tony Sirico (1942- ) actor, "Paulie Walnuts" of HBO's "The Sopranos," was born in Midwood.
 * Israel "Izzy" Waldbaum (1893–1948); Julia Waldbaum (1906–1996); their son Ira Waldbaum (1933–2007), founders of the Waldbaum's Supermarket; Ira graduated from Midwood High School.
 * Phillip J. Fry: fictional, but in the television series Futurama, elaborations confirm his origin (i.e. the stop on the Q he used in order to go home).
 * Michael Darden, child actor, supporting cast member in the role of "Percy at age 10" in the 1962 film "The Miracle Worker," grew up in Midwood and attended Midwood High School.
 * Lou Ferrigno (1951- ) actor, American bodybuilder, grew up in West Midwood.
 * Elliot Goldenthal (1954- ), contemporary classical music composer, attended I.S. 240/Andries Hudde Junior High School.
 * Billy Don Swan, punk rock DJ.
 * Alyssa Katz, Author.
 * Sy Syms (born Seymour Meninski) (1926–2009), philanthropist, founder and chairman of the discount men's clothing retailer Syms, who coined the advertising slogan "An educated consumer is our best customer!" graduated from Midwood High School.
 * Annie Golden (1951- ), actress, lead singer of the late 1970s band The Shirts, grew up in Midwood.