Woodhaven (New York, Floral Park, York: houses, safest neighborhood, to buy)

[cootersgurl]

Hi could anyone tell me more about Woodhaven, I was born there and lived there til I was 3, my parents died in a car accident on Park Lane South, near Forest Park, I want to go "visit" and see where they died and where our old house was but Im not too sure where Woodhaven is, if anyone could help I would appreciate it. Thanks

[NYC2RDU]

Originally Posted by cootersgurl

Hi could anyone tell me more about Woodhaven, I was born there and lived there til I was 3, my parents died in a car accident on Park Lane South, near Forest Park, I want to go "visit" and see where they died and where our old house was but Im not too sure where Woodhaven is, if anyone could help I would appreciate it. Thanks

Woodhaven proper is difficult to define by borders or streets. It most commonly refers to the area right off Woodhaven Boulevard. To find it on a map is fairly simple. It begins in the southern most point as Cross Bay Boulevard but once it passes into Ozone Park becomes Woodhaven Boulevard. Woodhaven Blvd runs all the way to the Long Island Expressway (LIE I-495) at the northern most point. Forest Park is somewhere right in the middle of it all. If you look it up on a map find the intersection of Woodhaven Blvd and Jamaica Avenue. Forest Park is about 3/4 of mile north of Jamaica Avenue.

[lilmar]

Woodhaven does start at N/SWoodhaven Blvd, The North Boundary is Park Lane South.Runs E/W along the bottom of Forest Park about four blocks up a steep hill from Jamaica Ave.,the "middle" street running East West, has the Subway elevated tracks above it.The Stations from the East are Woodhaven Blvd.;Forest Parkway; and Elderts Lane. W/end of Forest Parkway Station is Forest Parkway , 85th Street at the East end. Station is about two blocks long. End of Woodhaven to the West was Franklin K. Lane High School. to the South, Atlantic Avenue, but the functional center was near 85th Street and Jamaica Ave. North South arteries are "Streets", East West" Avenues". If you download,(free) or already have "Google Earth", you can type in 80-80-88th Avenue Woodhaven New York and you will be in the middle of the aerial view of Woodhaven, at 85th Street and 88th Avenue.You can navigate to your old address. In 50s 60's there was a merry go round in the Park, a sledding hill on the golf course, the Library on Forest Parkway, where the "nicest" houses were, most kids remember being sent "up to the Avenue " to the Delis for potato salad on Sunday-only store open. except the news and candy store at 85th St. "Lewises" (of Woodhaven )was there too and a real country store for anything you could want. It only closed in the past ten years. Most kids went to PS 60 , which moved to the "Playground" in early 60s from near St Lukes Lutheran Church, PS 89, up on 85th St, or St Thomas Apostle, on 89th St. and 88th Ave. Browse around to see if there are any places that you may have heard about. Not knowing what "era" you lived there, (mine was 1947-65) , can't be more specific, but I've been back 5 years ago and it has the same "feel". A bit more diverse, and a little more shabby, but houses kept up. The parents milling around the schools to pick up is new- we walked to, from and to from home for lunch too. It was very safe taking the subway and walking around, but your old home may have been farther south of Jamaica Ave, a kind of long, not heavily traveled route among houses, not main streets. Lots of Luck on your" pilgrimage". I had been really reluctant to go back and only did because my son urged me. A lovely woman we got to chatting with on the subway platform in Manhattan told me she knew Woodhaven,and said-"No Honey- It's not that much changed, you're not gonna be disgusted!"

[mikenbacismama]

Originally Posted by lilmar

Woodhaven does start at N/SWoodhaven Blvd, The North Boundary is Park Lane South.Runs E/W along the bottom of Forest Park about four blocks up a steep hill from Jamaica Ave.,the "middle" street running East West, has the Subway elevated tracks above it.The Stations from the East are Woodhaven Blvd.;Forest Parkway; and Elderts Lane. W/end of Forest Parkway Station is Forest Parkway , 85th Street at the East end. Station is about two blocks long. End of Woodhaven to the West was Franklin K. Lane High School. to the South, Atlantic Avenue, but the functional center was near 85th Street and Jamaica Ave. North South arteries are "Streets", East West" Avenues". If you download,(free) or already have "Google Earth", you can type in 80-80-88th Avenue Woodhaven New York and you will be in the middle of the aerial view of Woodhaven, at 85th Street and 88th Avenue.You can navigate to your old address. In 50s 60's there was a merry go round in the Park, a sledding hill on the golf course, the Library on Forest Parkway, where the "nicest" houses were, most kids remember being sent "up to the Avenue " to the Delis for potato salad on Sunday-only store open. except the news and candy store at 85th St. "Lewises" (of Woodhaven )was there too and a real country store for anything you could want. It only closed in the past ten years. Most kids went to PS 60 , which moved to the "Playground" in early 60s from near St Lukes Lutheran Church, PS 89, up on 85th St, or St Thomas Apostle, on 89th St. and 88th Ave. Browse around to see if there are any places that you may have heard about. Not knowing what "era" you lived there, (mine was 1947-65) , can't be more specific, but I've been back 5 years ago and it has the same "feel". A bit more diverse, and a little more shabby, but houses kept up. The parents milling around the schools to pick up is new- we walked to, from and to from home for lunch too. It was very safe taking the subway and walking around, but your old home may have been farther south of Jamaica Ave, a kind of long, not heavily traveled route among houses, not main streets. Lots of Luck on your" pilgrimage". I had been really reluctant to go back and only did because my son urged me. A lovely woman we got to chatting with on the subway platform in Manhattan told me she knew Woodhaven,and said-"No Honey- It's not that much changed, you're not gonna be disgusted!"

MEMORIES! Was born in Woodhaven 1967, lived in the general area (Ozone Park & Howard Beach) until we moved out of state in 1998. I went to PS 60 for Kindergarten, but we moved to Ozone Park so I went to PS 64 for the remainder of elementary school.

Your mention of the delis reminded me of the German deli right near Columbia Savings bank on just east of Woodhaven Blvd. on Jamaica Ave. The last time I was there was probably in 1974 or so, but I still remember it. The yummy aroma in the store was unforgettable!

I also have fond memories of Wilkin's for burgers, the carousel in Forest Park, and, especially, Lewises. They had two stores, didn't they? If I remember correctly, the second (smaller) store, was further west on Jamaica Ave., right near Scaturro's grocery store. I always got my Halloween costumes there.

Thanks for the memories!

[edrican]

Scaturro's is a supermarket now.thats where I buy my meats at.

[DoomDan515]

Not the biggest fan of Woodhaven, although it's more nicer north of Jamaica Avenue then south of it. Jamaica Avenue feels kinda ghettoish, the neighborhood has a dark and gloomy atmosphere due to all the trees and houses. Some houses in the area look like houses used in horror movies, actually. The J train is bad, but the neighborhood has good public transportaion options bus-wise. The neighborhood today is mostly hispanic, although I'm starting to notice a lot of Polish people moving into the neighborhood around Park Lane South. It's an Ok area, better then Ozone Park, but not the safest neighborhood in Queens and doesn't have a lot to offer aswell.

[NYC2RDU]

Originally Posted by DoomDan515

Not the biggest fan of Woodhaven, although it's more nicer north of Jamaica Avenue then south of it. Jamaica Avenue feels kinda ghettoish, the neighborhood has a dark and gloomy atmosphere due to all the trees and houses. Some houses in the area look like houses used in horror movies, actually. The J train is bad, but the neighborhood has good public transportaion options bus-wise. The neighborhood today is mostly hispanic, although I'm starting to notice a lot of Polish people moving into the neighborhood around Park Lane South. It's an Ok area, better then Ozone Park, but not the safest neighborhood in Queens and doesn't have a lot to offer aswell.

The neighborhood around Woodhaven and Jamaica has been heavily influenced by Polish immigrants since the early 70's. And Woodhaven south of Jamaica Avenue is only about one mile in length and has never been a "great" neighborhood.

As for Ozone Park, the section closest to Cross Bay has always been OK; South Ozone Park has always been at issue. However people commonly lump those two together which is misleading.

[manny2303]

I want to buy a house in woodhaven and i would like to know if woodhaven is good or bad neighboorhood to raise you kids. Can anyone tell me how is woodhaven for living??
Thank you.

[LegalDiva]

My parents live in Woodhaven, between Jamaica and Atlantic Ave. The area has really changed over the past 10-15 years. Our next door neighbors used to be an old Irish couple and an Indian family. Now, we have a Puerto Rican family on both sides with like 6 kids, who all run around like they own the town..- the Irish couple retired and moved to Florida and the Indian family bought a larger house in Floral Park. They were really nice neighbors.

My parents cant wait to move - they hear constant "boom boom boom" loud music from neighbors' backyards every summer, and its not uncommon to hear spanish spoken in most of the stores along Jamaica Ave. Its not a problem for them (my parents are immigrants too) but the fact is, the area isn't as quiet or 'upscale' as when they first moved in back in 1995. Oh and finding a parking spot is just an utter nightmare - every house seems to have 2-4 family cars now that block the streets..

[DoomDan515]

Originally Posted by LegalDiva

My parents live in Woodhaven, between Jamaica and Atlantic Ave. The area has really changed over the past 10-15 years. Our next door neighbors used to be an old Irish couple and an Indian family. Now, we have a Puerto Rican family on both sides with like 6 kids, who all run around like they own the town..- the Irish couple retired and moved to Florida and the Indian family bought a larger house in Floral Park. They were really nice neighbors.

My parents cant wait to move - they hear constant "boom boom boom" loud music from neighbors' backyards every summer, and its not uncommon to hear spanish spoken in most of the stores along Jamaica Ave. Its not a problem for them (my parents are immigrants too) but the fact is, the area isn't as quiet or 'upscale' as when they first moved in back in 1995. Oh and finding a parking spot is just an utter nightmare - every house seems to have 2-4 family cars now that block the streets..

Yeah that area sucks, it really has became basically an extension of Cypress Hills now.