What's Woodhaven like? (Glen: houses, neighborhoods, to buy)

[versicle]

I've been looking at areas in NYC where it's possible to buy a house for less than half a million dollars, with decent quality of life and proximity to public transit. I couldn't care less about whether or not the area will gentrify, just looking to stop being a renter.

[ShirlMastic Beach]

I personally like Woodhaven, although bias as I grew up on the Glendale/Woodhaven border. It is a mix between Hispanics and old school native NYers (white people), with south Asians spilling over from the southeast. Many might say it is dirty and rundown looking (not ghetto), but I say it gives it some old NY character that is becoming extinct across the livable sections of Brooklyn. BTW, rule of thumb, the closer to Brooklyn the worse Woodhaven gets. My preference is the northern part of the neighborhood where you have access to Forest Park. Although if in the southern part you do have access to two subway lines vs. only the one towards the north. Eventually you'll probably have SBS bus service on Woodhaven blvd which will enhance transportation. Also if they do the Queensway on the old Rockaway branch line that could be a nice recreational plus. Last, I think the housing stock is solid with diverse options.

[30to66at55]

Read between G-Dale's lines.....it's becoming a dump.

[ShirlMastic Beach]

Originally Posted by 30to66at55

Read between G-Dale's lines.....it's becoming a dump.

Its one of those neighborhoods people have been saying is becoming a dump for decades now. Somehow it never quite gets there (the way many Long Island neighborhoods actually have made it to dump status). Working class ≠ dump.

[30to66at55]

Ok..not a dump. Its low class though.

[Henna]

How about Middle Village? I always thought that area looked nice. Here's one under $500K 8273 61st Drive, Middle Village NY - Trulia

[versicle]

I kind of like dumpy. I moved to eastern Astoria 15 years ago and liked the mix of people and economic classes, and the weird stores. I liked that each of the bodegas catered to a population from a different South or Central American country, and that the middle class Greeks were proud of their homes and kept an eye on the neighborhood. Not to mention the Romanian butcher and the Bosnian sausage makers and Little Egypt, etc. etc. That ethnic and economic diversity is disappearing.

I want a fully detached house with a yard--many of the houses in the Middle Village, etc. neighborhoods are attached. Access to the park is a plus.

[vision33r]

Woodhaven is one of those areas that had a small surge of gentrification and then fails to gather steam as more immigrants moved into the area and those that brought a lot of properties in the area either lost money or barely broke even as the values have not risen as high or fast as other areas.

[ShirlMastic Beach]

Originally Posted by vision33r

Woodhaven is one of those areas that had a small surge of gentrification and then fails to gather steam as more immigrants moved into the area and those that brought a lot of properties in the area either lost money or barely broke even as the values have not risen as high or fast as other areas.

Woodhaven isn't the type of neighborhood that has ever had the word gentrification used within the same sentence. It is just an old ordinary Queens neighborhood that does not have the volatile ups and downs that you find in Brooklyn. It has the oldest active pub in NYC and an old school homemade candy shop (something that is unheard of these days in Manhattan or Brooklyn).

[ShadowMassa]

Woodhaven is not as bad like some people play it out to be. You rarely hear anything violent coming out of Woodhaven as you would hear from Bed stuy or Bushwick. Also, I would like to add that Woodhaven has some of the best mixed housing stock in that side of Queens (lower half).