Ozone Park is a middle class neighborhood located in the southwestern section of Queens, bordering Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, Howard Beach, and City Line, Brooklyn.  Planned in 1880 by a New York music publisher, this area was named for the bay and ocean air that traditionally swept into this area of Queens.  Today, these breezes are largely blocked by development in Howard Beach.  Strongly Italian in its early settlement, the area has welcomed a diverse population including Germans, Irish, and Latin Americans over the decades.  Atlantic Avenue and 101st Avenue provide the major commercial and shopping corridors.  Ozone Park was once home to two prominent racetracks, a tradition of thoroughbred racing that "The Big A" or Aqueduct Racetrack proudly continues.