Munroe31

Woodhaven is a great place to live, for many reasons. My wife and I bought a single family, detached house near forest park with a beautiful little back yard.. The neighborhood is friendly and ethnically diverse. People really take pride in their homes, and there is a very mixed housing stock in general, ranging from beautiful pre-war apartment buildings to, modest one family homes to enormous Victorian mansions dating back to the turn of the century. The general consensus amongst the residents is that the neighborhood is on a rapid upswing. Our property value has appreciated considerably since moving here less than two years ago.

Jamaica Avenue serves as the main commercial strip dividing Woodhaven between north and south. The elevated J/Z subway runs all along the Avenue, and gives the area excellent public transportation accessibility. You can ride the Train into Manhattan in a bout 35 minutes, not to mention being 5 or 6 stops away from Broadway Junction (connection to L, A, C, E lines) in one direction and Jamaica Station (major LIRR hub / Airtrain to JFK). All of your basic needs can be met on Jamaica Ave, from groceries, restaurants, fruit stands, laundromats, etc. it's extremely walkable no matter where in the neighborhood you live. What we like so much about the area is how you can go from the bustling urban feel of Jamaica Ave to a quiet, tree lined suburban feel (which the neighborhood is known for) within a block or two.

Having access to Forest Park has been phenomenal. Unquestionably one of the most beautiful parks in all of NYC. There are places within that you can almost forget you're in the city altogether.

This neighborhood is one of the outer borough's best kept secrets, in my humble opinion. Rents are reasonable and buying a home is still attainable, with one families typically in the low 400K range and two families closer to 600K. Considering the sweeping gentrification movement, which is continuously moving further out, I'd have to imagine it will land here at some point in the next few years, in some shape or form, and housing prices will skyrocket as prospective NYC homeowners scramble to buy something while it's still within reach. For the time being, it remains a unique, affordable gem with lots of natural beauty, diversity and historical character to offer.