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Woodhaven is part of the borough of Queens in New York City. Its major artery is Jamaica Avenue in its central part and Woodhaven Blvd. running down the long axis. It is also served by numerous bus routes and subway lines.
The center of commerce in Woodhaven, Queens is Jamaica Avenue, which effectively bisects it down the middle. Throughout its entire length, which spans into Brooklyn going west and Richmond Hill, Queens going east are a number of stores, most being small and local-owned businesses. Going north, Woodhaven is bordered by the public park, Forest Park and the street Park Lane, South. To the south, Atlantic Avenue forms its border with the neighborhood of Ozone Park.
Woodhaven began as a small town in the mid-1700s which revolved around farming. The first European settlements here were by members of the Ditmars, Lott, Wyckoff, Suydam and Snediker families. It became the site of two racetracks: the Union Course (1821) and the Centerville (1825). Union Course was a nationally famous racetrack between 78th and 82nd Streets south of Jamaica Avenue and north of 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 Forschback Inn) were built in the area to accomodate 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 village to Woodhaven.
In 1836, the Long Island Rail Road was pulled by horses along Atlantic Ave. The train traveled with other traffic at street level and stopped at all major intersections - much like a bus does today - except people would often hop on and hop off while the train was moving. The 1848 schedule shows an intersection called Union Course (serving that racetrack) and one called Woodville (further east).
Two Frenchmen named Charles Lalance and Florian Grosjean launched the village as a manufacturing community with their opening of a tin factory and improving the process of tin stamping. As late as 1900, the surrounding area was still primarily farmland, and from Atlantic Avenue one could look south to Jamaica Bay.
With electrification, the LIRR constructed permanent tracks, and Atlantic Avenue was mostly closed to other traffic. The tracks split the community and become the border between Woodhaven and Ozone Park. In the late 1940s, the LIRR tracks were removed.
Today, Woodhaven is a densely populated residential area. It is home to a mixed population, consisting mainly of Whites, Hispanics, Latinos, African-Americans, and a small population of Asians. Local residents are quick to point out Woodhaven is home to a great number of shared cultures and demonstrative of the broad range of ethnicities present in the most diverse county in the United States, Queens.
Oscar winning actor Adrien Brody grew up in Woodhaven.
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