Woodlawn, also known as Woodlawn Heights, is a predominantly Irish-American working class neighborhood at the very north end of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Unlike some neighborhoods in New York, its boundaries are well-defined: It is bounded by McLean Avenue to the north (which is slightly north of the New York City / Westchester County line), the Bronx River to the east, Woodlawn Cemetery to the south, and Van Cortlandt Park to the west. The neighborhood's zip codes include 10467 and 10470. Woodlawn is part of Bronx Community Board 12.
Video Woodlawn, Bronx
Overview
Katonah Avenue, which runs north-south through the heart of Woodlawn, is a popular destination for its many Irish pubs and restaurants, such as Behan's Pub and Mary's Celtic Kitchen. All offer traditional Irish breakfast or brunch at reasonable prices. In addition there is The Emerald Isle Immigration Center, an Italian bakery, an Irish Butcher Shop, an Irish Barber Shop, and many other types of specialty shops.
McLean Avenue, which runs east-west, is the main shopping strip for the neighborhood. Its pubs and shops are considered to be some of the neighborhood's most notable fixtures, although technically it is not part of Woodlawn at all but within the City of Yonkers, New York. McLean Avenue has many Irish pubs, a large variety of Irish and non-Irish restaurants and diners, two Irish gift shops, The Aisling Irish Community Center, an Irish Butcher Shop, an Italian pastry shop, and much more.
East 233rd Street is a major thoroughfare that runs east-west on the southern border of the neighborhood. It is largely known for its gas stations and Irish pubs, as well as for its bus stops and Metro North train station that services the Woodlawn community.
Notable features of the neighborhood include Oneida Triangle, a memorial to residents of Woodlawn who served in World War I, and Muskrat Cove, a paved path along the Bronx River. In 2004, the City of New York announced plans to construct a new pedestrian bridge connecting Muskrat Cove and Shoelace Park as part of the Bronx Greenway.
Woodlawn's youth have been known for their rivalry with the nearby Riverdale section of the Bronx, directly across from Van Cortlandt Park, as well as with Bainbridge (now known as Norwood) in the 1980s, and Yonkers.
Maps Woodlawn, Bronx
Demographics
Based on data from the 2010 United States Census, the population of Woodlawn-Wakefield was 42,483, a decrease of 1,100 (2.5%) from the 43,583 counted in 2000. Covering an area of 901.76 acres (364.93 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 47.1 inhabitants per acre (30,100/sq mi; 11,600/km2).
The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 17.6% (7,473) White, 58.3% (24,774) African American, 0.4% (169) Native American, 3.4% (1,465) Asian, 0.0% (20) Pacific Islander, 2.0% (855) from other races, and 2.0% (866) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.1% (6,861) of the population.
This formerly German neighborhood is now a mostly Irish American neighborhood, which also has a small but recognizable Italian-American community. This neighborhood remains one of the few communities to which young and newly arrived Irish immigrants regularly arrive en masse. The Emerald Isle Immigration Center on Katonah Avenue and the Aisling Irish Community Center on McLean Avenue are two sources for the newly arrived as well as established Irish immigrants to Woodlawn and the United States. The neighborhood is sometimes informally referred to as "Little Ireland". As of May 2016, Woodlawn was rezoned to prevent the destruction of single-family homes that currently give this neighborhood its intrinsic character. The rezoning will provide a framework for orderly growth while protecting the neighborhood's established residential character.
Schools
The St. Barnabas parish runs St. Barnabas Elementary School, which opened in 1914 (whose principal is currently Miranda Marques). St. Barnabas High School, an all-girls school which opened in 1928 is run by principal Theresa Napoli. The high school has since been independent from the parish as of September 2015. In addition to the aforementioned St. Barnabas parish schools, the neighborhood is served by Judith K. Weiss School P.S. 19.
Library
The Woodlawn Heights Library Branch has an extensive collection of Irish books. This branch hosts multiple book clubs as well as other programs for children and adults.
Civic groups
Woodlawn has numerous community and civic organizations. Many of these groups have regular meetings that are open for neighborhood residents to attend.
- Woodlawn Taxpayers and Community Association, Inc. typically meets the second Monday of each month at 7:30pm at St. Barnabas Elementary School, 413 East 241st Street, Bronx, NY 10470. The association charges a $15 annual membership fee and spends the year advocating for the community and keeping them informed through meetings and a monthly newsletter. This newsletter usually includes announcements of most of the upcoming meetings of the other groups and organizations mentioned below.
- Bronx Community Board 12 typically meets the fourth Thursday of the month at 7:30pm at the Town Hall, 4101 White Plains Road, Bronx, New York 10466.
- 47th Precinct Community Council typically meets on the second Wednesday of each month (other than July and August) at various locations throughout the precinct.
- Women of Woodlawn typically meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:30pm at the Rambling House at 4292 Katonah Ave, Bronx, NY 10470.
- The Woodlawn Library Support Group typically meets on the third Saturday of each month at the Woodlawn Heights branch of the New York Public Library located at 4355 Katonah Ave, Bronx, NY 10470.
Community organizations
- The Emerald Isle Immigration Center assists residents with topics related to "immigrant life and law."
- The Aisling Irish Community Center exists to "assist Irish immigrants in transition to life in the USA." The center hosts many programs for Woodlawn and McClean Heights citizens including exercise classes, activities for children, and volunteer outreach for the community.
Places of worship
The neighborhood has several old and picturesque churches.
Emmanuel Presbyterian Reformed Church is on Martha Avenue.
The Roman Catholic church of St. Barnabas is the largest church in Woodlawn and part of St. Barnabas parish. The parish is managed by Reverend Brendan A. Fitzgerald. The parish has weekly masses in English and Italian.
St. Barnabas parish, founded in 1910, serves as a major community center for the neighborhood, which is nearly entirely Catholic, and a center of Irish culture, offering Irish language classes and an Irish Outreach program to assist Irish immigrants in finding jobs and residence in the neighborhood. In addition to the church, the parish runs an adjoining convent (currently occupied by the large and growing community of the Sisters of Life) and St. Barnabas Elementary School.
St. Mark's Lutheran Church is on Saint Marks Place near the Van Cortlandt Park entrance.
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is on 238th Street.
Trinity Community Full Gospel Church is on 241st Street.
Transportation
Woodlawn is served by the Bx16, Bx31, Bx34, BxM4 buses by MTA Regional Bus Operations, and the Woodlawn station on the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line.
See also
- Irish Americans in New York City
References
Further reading
- "The Bronx: Woodlawn". NewYorkPhotography in WayBack Machine. Photographs of Woodlawn.
External links
- Official website created by the City of New York
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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