Woodside
Woodside is a middle-class neighborhood located in west Queens. It is surrounded by the neighboring towns of Astoria, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Sunnyside, and Maspeth. Real Estate mostly consists of attached single and multi-family homes and a variety of small to large apartment buildings. Woodside was first settled in the 1700s where the terrain was filled with swamps, meadows, ponds, and forests. The Native Americans who first inhabited the area called the vicinity a place of “bad waters.” By the 18th century, European settlers learned how to cultivate the land, built farms, and drain the swamps. It was by the mid 1800s when Woodside began to flourish. A prominent real estate developer named Benjamin W. Hitchcock, who also helped develop the nearby towns of Corona and Ozone Park, constructed various residential households on a large scale. It is said that it was Hitchcock’s partner James A. Kelly who came up with the official name Woodside. James A. Kelly partly owned the Independent Press of Williamsburg and began writing a series of articles entitled, “Articles from Woodside.” He chose this name due to the land’s geographic make up and the name eventually stuck. By the late 1800s and throughout the 1900s, Woodside was predominately occupied by Irish Americans, so much so that Woodside garnered the nickname “Irish Town.” It was in 1898 when Woodside became officially a part of New York City. It wasn’t by the 1990s that a large influx of Asian Americans began to populate the area. Today, Woodside demographically is a large culturally diverse community.
An enclave of Filipino restaurants, shops, convenient stores, travel agencies, and freight services, on Roosevelt Avenue between 63rd and 71st Street along the 7 train route, is known as “Little Manila.” Woodside’s population is roughly 15% of Filipino descent. Little Manila attracts many Filipino locals and tourists alike from New Jersey to Manhattan. Even with the surge of Asian American families moving to the vicinity, Woodside has not lost its Irish touch. The streets where Roosevelt Avenue, 61st Street, and Woodside Avenue meet are known as “Irish Stretch.” Numerous Irish Pubs are nestled along this area as well as some Irish cafes, restaurants, and gift shops. Every St. Patrick’s Day, Woodside is the host of the annual St. Pat’s For All Parade which invites members of the LGBT Irish community to participate and march in the parade. Do not worry though, the St. Pat’s For All Parade is held weeks before the famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Manhattan so it is very possible to watch both.
Woodside is close to the Queens Center Mall located in Elmhurst and the Rego Park Center Mall located in Rego Park. Furthermore, Woodside is also closely located to Astoria which offers many fun attractions and parks to enjoy such as the Museum of the Moving Image located on 35th Avenue, the Astoria Skate Park, the Queensbridge Park, Astoria Park, Socrates Sculpture Park, and its famous Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden. Woodside is also ideally closely located to the Astoria, Sunnyside, and Elmhurst greenmarkets where locals can go to purchase fresh farm-grown produce.
Woodside is serviced by the 7 train that has stations on Roosevelt Avenue at 52nd Avenue, 61st Street, and 69th Street. A commute to midtown Manhattan can roughly take about 25 minutes. The 61st Street station also has a link to the Long Island Railroad. Local trains E, M, and R also make stops at Northern Boulevard and 65th Street along Broadway. Buses Q18 , Q39, Q47, and Q53 connect to the rest of the borough while buses Q32 and Q60 run to Manhattan. The Brooklyn Queens Expressway and the Long Island Expressway are nearby as well.
Woodside is part of the NYC Geographic District #30. District #30 has 52 schools within the area. Actor Edwards Burns known for roles in Saving Private Ryan and 27 Dresses was born in Woodside and later with his family to Valley Stream. Notable award winning film director, producer, and screen writer Francis Ford Coppola also grew up in Woodside. He is known for his works The Godfather trilogy, The Outsiders, and The Conversation.
