The House That Created Howard Stern
A few weeks ago, I was driving out to Long Island to scout some airports while listening to the Howard Stern Show on Sirius-XM. During a replay of an old interview with Eddie Murphy, Stern and Murphy began commiserating over having grown up in the town of Roosevelt, Long Island – and I suddenly realized his old home address wasn’t far from where I was.
I decided to go have a look.
As I think I’ve mentioned here before, I’m a big Howard Stern fan. Growing up in Massachusetts, my first adolescent impressions of New York City came from the pages of Mad Magazine and in movies like Ghostbusters; in my early teen years, it was from the Howard Stern Show.
Whether running for governor, talking a suicidal caller off the GW Bridge, closing down Fifth Avenue for a book signing, or interviewing every strata of the city’s population, from celebrities and politicians to strippers and the homeless, the Howard Stern Show was as intrinsically New York as The Late Show with David Letterman – even if its host rarely ventured into the city.
For Stern fans, Roosevelt, Long Island, is infamous. Stern’s family moved there shortly after his birth in 1954. Soon after, Roosevelt would be the first of many Long Island towns to go through a period of blockbusting, in which real estate agents convinced white property owners that a growing minority population would ultimately devalue their property, and to sell at a loss.
Stern’s parents, both staunch liberals, refused to move on philosophical grounds, and soon found themselves among the few white families remaining in Roosevelt.
Growing up in what became a primarily African-American community, Stern was frequently subjected to racial hazing and violence, and came to dread leaving his house. An annual summer gig as a camp counselor became a much sought after escape, and Stern often mentions it as his only happy childhood memory.
I’m always curious to see where people grew up, because I believe that one’s home (street, town, school, etc.) plays a role second only to family in one’s development. I turned off the highway at the next exit and headed toward Roosevelt, which, in 2010, marked its 20th straight year of being on the state’s list of lowest achieving schools.
I turned onto the block, and there it was…
The house that created Howard Stern:
Stern visited the house for a 60 Minutes profile in 2006 and was startled to realize he remembered nothing of his old neighborhood. “I grew up here, but I really blocked it out…I call it the house of horrors…This town was a horrible place to live. It was a nightmare.”
According to online real estate records, the house was built in 1955, which means the Sterns purchased it new. I have no idea which window might have been Stern’s, but I’ve scouted enough 50’s split-levels to know both were probably bedrooms.
It doesn’t take a psychologist to realize that Roosevelt played a huge role in creating the Howard Stern persona that first hit the airwaves back in 1977. His sense of humor and self-abasement, disgust for hypocrisy and moral superiority, unyielding attacks on adversaries and critics, and voyeuristic fascinations all make sense when you picture Stern as the lone outcast, struggling to survive the hell that was Roosevelt.
Thinking back, I was actually listening to Howard Stern the very first time I came to New York City in October ’95, when my parents drove me down for a Mad Magazine art auction (I was listening secretly on my Walkman, of course – at 13, my parents would have killed me). Stern was doing some live bit on the street, and I remember being amazed once again that this was the sort of thing you might run into living in New York.
Mad Magazine. Howard Stern. God, by all “expert” accounts, my mind should have been warped beyond recognition years ago. Thing is, I was also listening to Stern the second time I visited New York, for my interview at Columbia University – and things worked out pretty well on that front. Perhaps just a bit more proof that the environment you grow up in matters a helluva lot more than the movies you watch and the stuff you listen to.
Love him or hate him, thanks to Roosevelt, Long Island, the world has Howard Stern.
-SCOUT
PS – If you have any doubts about Stern’s interviewing talents, just listen to his chat with Bill Murray – as always, Stern asks all the questions you want answers to, and I guarantee you’ll listen right up to Part 4.
Great post. I too am a childhood Howard Stern fan and can’t remember you mentioning him before, though I’ve read the blog almost from the start. Glad to see you’re not one of his dismissive critics and can appreciate his real insights beyond his crass humor.
Stern Rules!!! Bababooey!
Never a rabid fan, but I most definitely respect and admire his on-air talents. What he does is extremely difficult, and I dislike when people dismiss his work. We are currently driving a rental car because of repairs, and so we temporarily have satellite radio. Been hearing him for the first time since he moved to satellite. I never realized I missed him until now!
The house is a bit worn, note the peeling paint on the door stoop and some missing siding, but all and all it doesn’t look to be in particularly bad condition for its age. Though the bars on the door and the front window are telltale signs that this is a bad neighborhood.
I grew up in Freeport which is situated right next to Roosevelt. our neighborhood was mixed but must not have been subjected to blockbusting as it was a very nice and safe place to be a kid. This was in the the ’70s. We knew to stay away from Roosevelt which had a completely different than our neighborhood.
My cousin grew up in Elizabeth Nj 1960-1975..He absolutely hated the blacks that flooded in from the south/.he was always w his brother who was mentally handicapped & so he had to fight for both of them
I never knew people could be such bastards, I always asked Timmy what started the fight? he said that 4 or 5 guys would jump him & his brothers & then he would fight them all.
Those blacks were affected by what happened before they got to Elizabeth,,BUt they were Bad people.They had no cause to do to Timmy & his brother what they did.They were thieves & his friends that grew up nearby?/They turned out to be cops.LOTS of them…That driving while black?/Those creeps CAUSED it.
the Teachers that looked the other way when Howard & others were beaten in school were just as guilty as those who beat Howard.They should have quit & gotten decent jobs
Never been a ‘huge’ Stern fan, but can appreciate the roots of any well-known, successful icon 🙂 Nice post!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for the article & pictures! I am a 27+ Year Stern Fan, and I appreciate ANY/ALL positive stories about him! From what Howard tells us … it’s amazing that you got in/out of Roosevelt safely! (Kidding) I wonder if the new owners are Stern Fans???
All this time ,like you,,,I’ve listened to Stern Since 1986,I thought roosevelt was a Rowhouse section of NY,,,I’m amazed that it “looks” like a normal suburban town.
BUT what jerkoffs he had to endure.&the teachers did nothing to stop such attacks.Seems like the teachers I knew,,just interested in their own pay & pensions.
I was a big fan of Stern since the first day he hit the airwaves until 2001 when I outgrew him. I would say that some of his best material came from his family and these years in Roosevelt. The neighborhood and the house are just what you would expect.
Great article. I’ve just been getting into listening to Howard Stern on Sirius XM, and I’m already a huge fan.
You are correct the two windows above the garage are bedrooms. I have the exact same house in Long Island. I listened from 1992 till he went to Sirius.
Did you knock on the door?
I’ve been enjoying your blog for a while and I’m excited to see that you’re a Howard fan! I’m a photographer in California and I listen to the Stern show every day. Great post, thanks.
His show just keeps getting better. His house is what I expected, according to his description. Being from Detroit myself, I know of what he speaks as far as harassment and hazing and violence goes…
Thanks for the picture-rich post. Great to have an image along with all the stories. Hey now!
I listen to Howard 100 & Howard 101. I listen to him approximately 7 hours a day, because I am in the car, making sales calls to Doctors offices throughout Fairfield County, CT.
A former journalist, I think Stern is an outstanding interviewer. He is very smart, witty, and hilarious. His entire team is hilarious. Robin Quivers, Jackie Martlin, Gary Delebatte (spelling) Fred Norris, etc.
I think that his nonsexual, but comedy laced interviews are the best, which he is doing more and more of. I think that Howard Stern is brilliant. His commentaries are great too.
I drive around smiling and laughing during the day listening to Howard Stern and his entire cast. You guys are the best!
HE isn’t a former journalist!! Where did you get that info?
Ba-ba-booey, ba-ba-booey, Howard Stern’s Penis! For all the years I’ve been listening to his show I never bothered to look up his childhood home. Thanks for the post.
This is great! I love your personal memories and anecdotes. Thanks for sharing!
This is so cool! I love Howard. Been listening since he came to LA in ’91 till he left for Sirius, then I subscribed in 2011. So glad I did. So sad I missed those 6 years.
How were you able to get the address of his childhood home?
Pretty interesting to see where someone like him comes from, thanks for posting this up!