In the comics and the films, Peter Parker grew up in the neighborhood of Forest Hills in the borough of Queens in New York City. This has been rather meaningful for me, since I was a studious brown-haired kid living in that area, so I liked knowing that there were several similarities between my favorite comic book character and me. It gave a sense that in the comics these characters were walking down the same streets I did, took the same Subway to go to Manhattan, etc.
It took decades for Marvel to reveal the actual location of the House. AMAZING FANTASY #15 didn’t specify where exactly Peter Parker lived, although he did go to Midtown High (later established as being somewhere in Queens rather than Midtown Manhattan) and had to live near a major media market, given his ability to make multiple TV appearances as Spider-Man without arousing the suspicions of his aunt and uncle. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 established that Peter lived in the same city as the Fantastic Four. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #7 was the first reference to Forest Hills, as Spider-Man tries to sneak out of his house without getting the attention of his neighbors.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #316-317 by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane would provide a concrete address. In that story, Venom escapes from prison just as Peter and Mary Jane move back in with Aunt May. Venom gets a hold of their change of address form, which provides a physical location for Aunt May’s house: 20 Ingram Street. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700 by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos would include a two page spread of the street.
There is actually a 20 Ingram Street in Forest Hills, Queens. The stranger thing is that the family that lives there is actually named Parker.
More at the link.
