In Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, there is a seemingly ordinary residential house that has caught the attention of Spider-Man fans from around the world for decades due to its address being the same as the fictional Peter Parker and Aunt May’s residence in Marvel Comics.
The current Chinese homeowner, Mr. Jack Shi, purchased the house at 20 Ingram St three years ago without knowing about its connection to Spider-Man. It wasn’t until fans started showing up to take photos that he discovered his property was considered the “Spider-Man House” in the hearts of comic book enthusiasts.
Over the past three years, Mr. Shi has encountered fans who come specifically to take pictures, and he has also received letters from children from all over the United States and even overseas. Many kids truly believe Spider-Man lives here and send letters to this real address in hopes of communicating with their superhero.
According to the New York Post, Mr. Shi recalls being surprised when he first learned about the house’s link to Spider-Man but quickly felt a special responsibility as the resident of the address.
The address has been established as Peter Parker’s home in the Spider-Man comic since 1989. While Spider-Man is a fictional character, the address in the comic is real, drawing continuous attention from fans to this house in Forest Hills. With the release of the new film, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the homeowner anticipates a further increase in fans coming to take photos.
Currently, visitors from Ireland, the UK, Italy, and other countries specifically visit the house to take photos and capture memories in front of it. Even people from other states in America make special trips. Some children not only take photos but also send letters directly to 20 Ingram Street, hoping Spider-Man will personally receive them.
The homeowner mentioned that most of these letters are from children. Although he cannot reply to each one, he diligently reads every letter. In the past three years, this address has received nearly a thousand letters from children, some including drawings of Spider-Man made by the kids and various questions about the superhero.
During Halloween, the front of the house becomes lively. Some children dressed as Spider-Man don’t write letters but knock on the door directly to see if their hero really lives inside.
Interestingly, this house becoming a pilgrimage site for Spider-Man fans didn’t just start in recent years. Previous homeowners also received numerous fan letters, some of which were even exhibited at the City Reliquary Museum in Brooklyn, becoming a part of New York’s popular culture history.
Adding to the intrigue, the previous residents of this house actually had the last name Parker, and there were neighbors with the surname Osborne, coincidentally echoing the names of characters from the Spider-Man comics, further enhancing the street’s “Spider-Man universe” feel.
However, in reality, Ingram Street is not an exact match to the New York City scenes in the Spider-Man movies. The film series starring Tom Holland predominantly places Peter Parker’s activities in Astoria and Long Island City, while the comic book address is located in Forest Hills.
For this homeowner, the house has become not only his home but also a special landmark in the hearts of many Spider-Man enthusiasts. Faced with fans frequently coming to take photos, he has chosen to embrace the unexpected attention graciously.