Woodhaven, Queens

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. [cite web |url=http://www.queensbp.org/content_web/map_boundaries.htm |title=Map of Queens neighborhoods] 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 [cite web |url=http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/vt_forest_park/vt_forest_park.html|title=Extended Information on Forest Park] is part of Queens Community Board 9. [ [http://www.nyc.gov/html/cau/html/cb/cb_queens.shtml Queens Community Boards] , New York City. Accessed September 3, 2007.] Woodhaven's Zip Code is 11421.

Commerce is centered on Jamaica Avenue which effectively bisects Woodhaven. On this avenue, from Brooklyn on the western end to Richmond Hill, Queens, on the eastern end, are a large 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, [cite web |url=http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/forestpark |title=NYC Park information on Forest Park] the third largest park in Queens. [cite web |url=http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_faqs/index.php?action=artikel&cat=1&id=28&artlang=en |title=NYC Parks FAQ] Southern Woodhaven is mostly flat (the lowest elevation is just under convert|30|ft|m ), while northern Woodhaven gradually rises to about convert|105|ft|m 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 [cite web |url=http://www.bklyn-genealogy-info.com/Queens/UnionRaceCourse.html |title=Union Course Racetrack Currier & Ives lithographs - bottom detail shows early Union Course railroad station. Factory is Union Chemical Color Works.] (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 (6 km) race consisting of as many heats as were necessary to determine a winner, gave way to programs consisting of several races. Match races [cite web |url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/i?pp/ils:@filreq(@field(NUMBER+@band(cph+3a04742))+@field(COLLID+pga)):displayType=1:m856sd=cph:m856sf |title=Great race between Peytona & Fashion, for $20,000!!! On the New York Union Course, May 13, 1845. Lithograph by J. Baillie, 1845] between horses from the South against those from the North drew crowds as high as 70,000. Several hotels (including the Snedeker Hotel [cite web |url=http://www.bklyn-genealogy-info.com/People/SnedekerHotel.html |title=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. Service on Atlantic Avenue's surface tracks and stations ended on November 1, 1939 and was subsequently replaced by underground tracks and a single underground station - the Woodhaven station of the LIRR's Atlantic Avenue Branch (at 100th Street). This station provided LIRR service for Woodhaven commuters to Jamaica station and Brooklyn (Atlantic Terminal) from 1942 to 1977. The Woodhaven station was also a popular stop for beachgoers and commuters who would transfer to the above ground LIRR Woodhaven Junction station for trains to Rockaway Beach and Far Rockaway. The Woodhaven Junction station was taken out of service when this section of the Rockaway Beach Branch was abandoned in 1962. [ [http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirrphotos/LIRR%20Station%20History.htm Long Island Rail Road: Alphabetical Station Listing] , accessed March 8, 2007] [ [http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/woodhaven.html Abandoned Stations: Woodhaven] , accessed September 4, 2008] [ [http://www.forgotten-ny.com/SUBWAYS/Rockaway%20Line/rockline.htmlForgotten NY Subways and Trains: Rockaway Branch] , accessed September 4, 2008] With the removal of surface rail tracks, Atlantic Avenue was again a continuous roadway, and Woodhaven's main source of commotion was and still is store-lined Jamaica Avenue, under the shadow of the elevated "J" and "Z" subway lines.

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".

The distinctive St. Anthony's Mansion (which later became St. Anthony's Hospital) stood on a large tract of land on Woodhaven Boulevard between 89th and 91st Avenues. The hospital significantly helped the scientific community in the creation of breakthroughs in Pulmonary and Heart treatments. [cite web |url= http://www.forgotten-ny.com/SLICES/woodhaven.signs/woodhaven.signs.html |title=Historical Markers of Woodhaven] A historical marker is placed there, and that area is now called Woodhaven Estates.

Dexter Park [cite web |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/health-care-social-assistance/social-assistance-individual/707344-1.html|title=Dexter Park |author=Jacobs, Douglas |publisher=The Baseball Research Journal|date=2000-01-01] 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.cite web |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9505E4DD1331F933A1575AC0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |title=If You're Thinking of Living In /Woodhaven, Queens; Diversity in a Cohesive Community |publisher=NY Times |date=1998-09-20]

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. [cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=86000US11421&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_DP1&-ds_name=D&-_lang=en|title=Census Bureau 2000 Data] As in nearby Queens Village, Hollis, Richmond Hill, and Ozone Park, many families include first generation war veterans. Local residents are quick to point out that Woodhaven is home to a great number of shared cultures, exemplifying 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 and Z trains are probably the only trains in Queens to run on limited service as they pass 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 (e.g. Local- Q11, Q53 (Limited), Express- QM15, QM16, QM17, QM18, QM21, QM23, QM24), the J and Z trains, and the LIRR.

Woodhaven's major recreational park is Forest Park, known for its golf course, tennis courts, bandshell, carousel, playgrounds, athletic fields and wooded parkland. Every month at Forest Park, the Queens Borough Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic play 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). [cite web |url=http://maps.nycboe.net/ |title=NYC school district map]

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Woodhaven include:
*Betty Smith, author. A historical marker is outside the house on Forest Parkway (across the street from the Woodhaven Library) in which she wrote “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” in 1943. In this best-selling novel, the widow Nolan marries a policeman with a civil service job and moves to Cypress Hills where it is quiet and there are trees.
*George Gershwin, composer of many famous show-tunes, was born at 242 Snedeker Avenue (now 78th St)
*Adrien Brody, Oscar winning actor, grew up in Woodhaven. [ [http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/03/25/showbuzz/ "Brody's friend's parents proud"] , CNN.com, March 25, 2003. Accessed May 17, 2007. "Brody, who grew up in Woodhaven, and Zarobinski, a native of Rego Park, attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts together, where Brody studied acting and Zarobinski studied drawing."]
*William F. Brunner (1887-1965), United States Representative from New York. [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000981 William F. Brunner] , "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress". Accessed December 10, 2007.]
*Mae West (1893-1980), lived in Woodhaven, and made her debut performance there. [ [http://www.newsday.com/about/ny-ihiny041505story,0,5288754.htmlstory "1855: Union Course Tavern, Oldest Bar in Queens, Opens"] , "Newsday". Accessed May 17, 2007. "There is a painting of Mae West, who lived in Woodhaven and performed at the tavern, on the door."] A historical marker is outside the venue.
*Barry Sullivan, film and TV star
*Brian Hyland, famous for his recording of the song “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”.

References

External links

* [http://bklyn-genealogy-info.com/Map/Woodhaven.1.html 1870 map of Woodhaven (west)]
* [http://bklyn-genealogy-info.com/Map/Woodhaven.2.html 1870 map of Woodhaven (east)]
* [http://www.forgotten-ny.com/SLICES/woodhaven.signs/woodhaven.signs.html Historical Markers of Woodhaven]
* [http://sports.webshots.com/album/14550714dChtvhcZwJ Woodhaven Forest Park Golf Course]
* [http://queenslibrary.org/index.aspx?page_id=148&section_id=12&branch_id=WN Queens Library, Woodhaven opened in early-to-mid 1800s]
* [http://www.wrbaonline.com Woodhaven Residents' Block Association] -- The "Guardian of Woodhaven" and the Borough's oldest Civic Organization
* [http://www.house.gov/weiner/neighborhoods/hoods_woodhaven.htm Woodhaven] entry in "Encyclopedia of New York City" by Vincent Seyfried, Edited by Kenneth T. Jackson. New Haven, Yale University Press. 1995 as presented on site of Congressman Anthony D. Weiner
* [http://books.google.ca/books?id=5myFv069DGMC&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq=Vincent+Seyfried+woodhaven&source=web&ots=cFBUdZM-7t&sig=J_2wq7H5lJ85lFGtp2YVDAfYqsE&hl=en Woodhaven and Union Course] entries in "Old Queens, N.Y. in Early Photographs" By Vincent F. Seyfried, William Asadorian
* [http://www.forgotten-ny.com/NEIGHBORHOODS/woodhaven/woodhaven.html Woodhaven] on the "Forgotten NY Neighborhoods" site
* [http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/forestpark Forest Park's History and 20,000 year-old Glacier]
* [http://www.bestplaces.net/city/Woodhaven-New_York.aspx Statistical Data on Woodhaven at Sperling's Best Places]