Everything about Woodhaven Queens totally explained
Woodhaven is a mostly residential upper middle-class neighborhood in the
New York City borough of
Queens.
Woodhaven is bordered on the north by a public park,
Forest Park, and Park Lane South. Woodhaven also borders
Richmond Hill to the east, and
Ozone Park to the south at
Atlantic Avenue. Its western border is the borough of
Brooklyn.
Woodhaven, once known as Woodville, has one of the greatest tree populations in the borough, and thus it has retained its suburban look. Schools, transportation, and park recreation are convenient.
The ethnically diverse neighborhood
is part of
Queens Community Board 9. Woodhaven's Zip Code is 11421.
Commerce is centered on
Jamaica Avenue which effectively bisects Woodhaven. On this avenue, from Forest Parkway on the west to
Richmond Hill, Queens, on the east, are a number of stores, most being small and locally owned.
Geology
The Wisconsin Glacier retreated from Long Island some 20,000 years ago, leaving behind the hills to the north of Woodhaven that now are part of
Forest Park, the third largest park in Queens. Southern Woodhaven is mostly flat (the lowest elevation is just under 30 feet ), while northern Woodhaven gradually rises to about 105 feet as it approaches Forest Park.
History
European settlement in Woodhaven began in the mid-1700s as a small town that revolved around farming, with the Ditmar, Lott, Wyckoff, Suydam and Snediker families.
British troops successfully
flanked General
George Washington's
Continental Army by a silent night-march from
Gravesend, Brooklyn through the lightly defended "
Jamaica Pass" to win the
Battle of Long Island, Queens — the largest battle of the
American Revolutionary War, and the first battle after the
Declaration of Independence.
Later, Woodhaven became the site of two racetracks: the Union Course (1821) and the Centerville (1825). Union Course was a nationally famous racetrack situated in the area now bounded by 78th Street, 82nd Street, Jamaica Avenue and Atlantic Avenue. The Union Course was the site of the first
skinned — or dirt — racing surface, a curious novelty at the time. These courses were originally without grandstands. The custom of conducting a single, four-mile race consisting of as many heats as were necessary to determine a winner, gave way to programs consisting of several races. Match races between horses from the South against those from the North drew crowds as high as 70,000. Several hotels (including the Snedeker Hotel and the Forschback Inn) were built in the area to accommodate the racing crowds.
A
Connecticut Yankee, John R. Pitkin, developed the eastern area as a workers' village and named it Woodville (1835). In 1853, he launched a newspaper, and the few inhabitants voted to change the name of the area to Woodhaven.
In 1836,
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) cars were pulled by horses along
Atlantic Avenue. The cars traveled with other traffic at street level and stopped at all major intersections — much as a bus does — except that people would often hop on and hop off while the car was moving. The 1848 LIRR schedule shows an intersection called Union Course (serving that racetrack) and another called Woodville (farther east).
With electrification, the LIRR constructed permanent tracks. The Union Course station was opened
April 28,
1905. In 1911, the platform was widened to four tracks, and Atlantic Avenue was mostly closed to other traffic. The four tracks split the community and become the border between Woodhaven and Ozone Park. In order to put the tracks under Atlantic Avenue, the branch was put out of service
November 1,
1939. Service to all stations between
Jamaica and Brooklyn was discontinued when the project was completed.
Once the tracks were gone, Atlantic Avenue was again a continuous roadway, but Woodhaven's only source of commotion was mostly limited to Jamaica Avenue. The
Rockaway Beach Branch also served Woodhaven at
Woodhaven Junction until the line was discontinued.
Two Frenchmen named Charles Lalance and Florian Grosjean launched the village as a manufacturing community in 1863, by opening a tin factory and improving the process of tin stamping.
As late as 1900, the surrounding area, however, was still primarily farmland, and from Atlantic Avenue one could see as far south as
Jamaica Bay, site of present-day
John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Since 1894, Woodhaven's local newspaper has been the
Leader-Observer.
On Woodhaven Boulevard used to stand St. Anthony's Mansion which later became St. Anthony's Hospital. The hospital significantly helped the scientific community in the creation of breakthroughs in Pulmonary and Heart treatments. A historical marker is placed there, and that area is now called Woodhaven Estates.
Dexter Park baseball field, which once occupied 10 acres in Woodhaven just east of
Franklin K. Lane High School is where baseball history was made in 1930 with the installation of the first engineered lighting system for night games.
Culture
Today, Woodhaven is a mostly residential neighborhood with a low-density population, consisting mostly of European and Latin Americans, a small number of African Americans, and a growing number of Asian Americans. Similar to Queens Village, Hollis, Richmond Hill, and Ozone Park, many residents belong to those families that carry first generation war veterans. Local residents are quick to point out that Woodhaven is home to a great number of shared cultures and this demonstrates the broad range of ethnicities present in the most
diverse county in the United States -- Queens County, NY. Homes are mainly Victorian and Colonial and many are over 120 years old, thus, many home owners have been convinced by the city to restore their homes through beautification and remodeling. Consisting mainly one-to-two family homes, prices on average are above $500,000 dollars.
One of the oldest homes in Woodhaven is located on 87-20 88th street. It was first located on Jamaica Avenue. Later, in 1920 the entire house was forced to move to its current location on 88th street due to the construction of the
"J" elevated train system. The house was built about or prior to 1910. The J Train is probably the only train in Queens to run on limited service as it passes through the residential areas of Woodhaven every day. Woodhaven is also considered one the most convenient places for residents of New York City, given its proximity to major bus routes (for example Local- Q11, Q53 (Limited), Express- QM15, QM16, QM17, QM18, QM21, QM23, QM24), the J train, and LIRR.
Woodhaven's major recreational park is Forest Park. Every month at Forest Park, you'd be able to see the Queens Borough Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic playing Symphony, Jazz and other music, Metropolitan Opera, Big Apple Circus, as well as other recreational activities in the famous Bandshell within the park. Woodhaven remains as one of the preserved areas of Queens with traces of its history still in sight.
Every year a Motocycle Parade on Woodhaven Boulevard commemorates the bravery of War Veterans and collects donations for the
Salvation Army for the Winter Holidays. The Salvation Army forwards all of its proceeds to international organizations that can help those people that live in devastated areas such as Darfur, Ethiopia, Chad, and Bangladesh. The parade also collects toys for needy children.
Every year a street fair takes place on Jamaica Avenue with live music, and other festivities for children. The purpose of this street fair is to appreciate diversity from the many different backgrounds the residents of Woodhaven originate.
Woodhaven is served by New York City Department of Education School District #27 (From Woodhaven to 271 Street).
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Woodhaven include:
Further Information
Get more info on 'Woodhaven Queens'.
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