Woodhaven, Queens facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Woodhaven
Neighborhood of Queens
View from the Woodhaven Boulevard subway station
Country	United States
State	New York
City	New York City
County/Borough	Queens
Community District	Queens 9
Population (2010 United States Census)
• Total	56,674
Ethnicity
• Hispanic	53.5%
• Asian	17.4%
• White	17.3%
• Black	6.1%
• Other	5.7%
Economics
• Median income	$51,596
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	11421
Area codes	718, 347, 929, and 917

Woodhaven is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Queens, a borough of New York City. It is known for having many trees and being close to Forest Park, which has great hiking trails. Woodhaven has a mix of city and suburban areas, with both homes and businesses. It feels like a small town and is home to people from many different backgrounds.

Woodhaven is located in Queens Community District 9. Its ZIP Code is 11421. The New York City Police Department's 102nd Precinct patrols the area.

Woodhaven's Early History
Who Lives in Woodhaven?
Homes and Businesses
- Homes in Woodhaven
- Shopping and Dining
Local Culture and Events
Interesting Places to Visit
Parks and Green Spaces
Schools and Learning
- Schools in Woodhaven
- Woodhaven Library
Getting Around Woodhaven
Woodhaven in Movies and TV
Famous People from Woodhaven
Images for kids
See also

Woodhaven's Early History

The main road in Woodhaven, Jamaica Avenue, started as an old Native American trail. This trail was used by the Rockaway and Lenape Native American tribes. They lived in the area until Dutch settlers arrived in 1635. The Native Americans used special arrowwood stems from Forest Park to make arrow shafts.

European settlers began farming in Woodhaven in the mid-1700s. Important families like the Ditmar, Lott, and Wyckoff families lived here. During the American Revolutionary War, British troops marched through the area. They surprised General George Washington's army to win the Battle of Long Island. This was the biggest battle of the war.

Grosjean farm in 1882

Ozone Park racehorse wind vane

Woodhaven later became home to two famous racetracks. The Union Course opened in 1821, and Centerville opened in 1825. The Union Course was special because it was one of the first to use a dirt racing surface. People came from all over to watch races. Sometimes, as many as 70,000 people would attend. Hotels were built nearby for the crowds.

In 1835, a man named John R. Pitkin developed the eastern part of the area. He called it Woodville. In 1853, residents wanted a local post office. To avoid confusion with another Woodville in New York, they changed the name to Woodhaven.

In 1863, two Frenchmen, Charles Lalance and Florian Grosjean, started a tin factory. This helped Woodhaven grow as a manufacturing town. Even in 1900, much of the area was still farmland.

Who Lives in Woodhaven?

In 2010, Woodhaven had a population of 56,674 people. This was a small increase from 2000. The neighborhood is very diverse. About 53.5% of the people are Hispanic or Latino. There are also many Asian (17.4%), White (17.3%), and African American (6.1%) residents. This mix of cultures makes Woodhaven a vibrant place.

The average household income in Woodhaven is about $51,596.

Homes and Businesses

Woodhaven is mostly a residential area, meaning it has many homes. It feels like a semi-suburban neighborhood. The main shopping areas are along Jamaica Avenue and Atlantic Avenue.

Homes in Woodhaven

Forest Park Drive north of Park Lane South, in Woodhaven, Queens.

In the northern part of Woodhaven, many homes are very old, some over 120 years. They are often built in the Victorian and Colonial styles. The southern part also has many Victorian houses. Homes in Woodhaven are often more affordable than in other parts of New York City.

Shopping and Dining

Jamaica Avenue has many small, local stores and restaurants. One of the oldest places is Neir's Tavern, which first opened in 1829. Some people believe it is the oldest bar in New York City. It closed for a short time in 2009 but reopened in 2010.

Other long-standing businesses on Jamaica Avenue include Popp's Restaurant (opened 1907), Manor Delicatessen (opened 1914), and Schmidt's Candy (opened 1925). Schmidt's Candy is still run by the granddaughter of its founder.

Local Culture and Events

Woodhaven has a lively community. Every year, there is a motorcycle parade on Woodhaven Boulevard. It honors war veterans and collects donations for charity. There is also an annual street fair on Jamaica Avenue. It features live music and fun activities for children. These events help people from different backgrounds come together.

Many creative people have lived or worked in Woodhaven. It is known for its music scene, especially for metal music, because of a recording studio here. There is also a tattoo and piercing shop run by women that was featured in a documentary.

Interesting Places to Visit

St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

Queens Public Library, Woodhaven Branch

The former St. Matthew's Episcopal Church is a beautiful old building. It was built in the 1920s. Behind the church is the Wyckoff-Snediker Family Cemetery, a historic burial ground.

St. Anthony's Mansion was once a large building that became St. Anthony's Hospital. It was important for medical research. The hospital was taken down in the late 1990s. Now, homes stand there, but a historical marker shows where it used to be.

The Fire Command Telegraph Station is a unique building in Forest Park. It has an octagon shape with a dome on top. The fire department started using it in 1928.

One of Woodhaven's oldest homes is on 87-20 88th Street. It was moved there in 1920 because of subway construction. The house was built around 1910.

Neir's Tavern in 1898

The Building where A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was written

Neir's Tavern, founded in 1829, is one of the oldest bars in the United States. It is sometimes rumored to be haunted!

The Crystal Manor Hotel building is another old landmark. It was once a fancy hotel for business people. Its brick outside still looks much the same as it did over 100 years ago.

Betty Smith, who wrote the famous book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, wrote most of it while living in Woodhaven. The Woodhaven Post Office has a special mural painted by Ben Shahn in 1941.

Post office mural by Ben Shahn (1941)

Parks and Green Spaces

Forest Park, Queens

Forest Park is the third largest park in Queens. It was formed by a glacier about 20,000 years ago, which left behind the hills you see today. The park has the largest continuous oak forest in Queens. Inside the park, you can find playgrounds, a pond called Strack Pond, a barbecue area, a bandshell for concerts, and hiking trails. The Forest Park Carousel is a historic ride that was built in 1903. You can also find therapeutic horseback riding for people with special needs.

Dexter Park was a baseball field in Woodhaven. It was one of the first fields to have lights for night games, installed in 1930. The park was taken down in 1955, but a plaque marks its spot today.

Schools and Learning

Woodhaven and nearby Kew Gardens have a good number of high school graduates. About 79% of high school students in the area graduate on time.

Schools in Woodhaven

Public schools in Woodhaven include:

PS 60 Woodhaven
PS 97 Forest Park
PS 254 Rosa Parks
New York City Academy for Discovery

A private school in the area is:

St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Academy

Woodhaven Library

The Queens Public Library has a branch in Woodhaven. It is located at 85-41 Forest Parkway.

Getting Around Woodhaven

In 1836, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) used horses to pull train cars along Atlantic Avenue. These cars shared the road with other traffic. Later, the LIRR built permanent tracks. The Union Course station opened in 1905.

Elevated train service started in 1918 with the BMT Jamaica Line above Jamaica Avenue. This line connected Woodhaven to Williamsburg and Lower Manhattan.

Today, Woodhaven is served by several MTA Regional Bus Operations bus routes, including Q11, Q21, Q24, Q52 SBS, Q53 SBS, Q56, QM15, BM5. The New York City Subway's J and Z train trains also serve the Jamaica Line.

Some people want to reopen the old Rockaway Beach Branch of the LIRR. This would include the Brooklyn Manor station in Woodhaven. Another idea is to turn the old tracks into a walking and biking path, like Manhattan's High Line.

Woodhaven in Movies and TV

Woodhaven has been a filming location for many movies and TV shows:

The 1990 film "Goodfellas" had a scene at Neir's Tavern. A historical marker is outside the tavern.
Justin Timberlake and Juno Temple filmed a scene for the 2017 movie "Wonder Wheel" on Jamaica Avenue.
The opening scenes of the 1984 film "The Flamingo Kid" were filmed at 96th Street and Jamaica Avenue.
Tom Holland filmed a school scene for "Spider-Man: Homecoming" at Franklin K. Lane High School in Woodhaven.
TV shows like "The Americans" and "Person of Interest" have filmed in Forest Park.

The famous actress Mae West is said to have performed at Neir's Tavern.

Mae West tribute corner

Famous People from Woodhaven

Many notable people have lived in Woodhaven, including:

Adrien Brody (born 1973), an Oscar-winning actor.
George Gershwin (1898–1937), a famous composer.
Brian Hyland (born 1943), a singer known for "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini".
Eddie Money (1949-2019), a singer/songwriter.
Danny Kaye (1911–1987), a well-known actor and comedian.
Dick Van Patten (1928–2015), a noted actor.
Betty Smith (1896–1972), the author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. A historical marker is outside the house where she wrote the book.
Mae West (1893–1980), a famous actress.