Woodlawn, Bronx
Encyclopedia
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Unlike some neighborhoods in New York City, its boundaries are fairly well-defined, as it is bounded by McLean Avenue to the north, which is approximately the New York City / Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
line, the Bronx River
Bronx River
The Bronx River, approximately long, flows through southeast New York in the United States. It is named after colonial settler Jonas Bronck. The Bronx River is the only fresh water river in New York City....
to the east, Woodlawn Cemetery
Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx
Woodlawn Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City and is a designated National Historic Landmark.A rural cemetery located in the Bronx, it opened in 1863, in what was then southern Westchester County, in an area that was annexed to New York City in 1874.The cemetery covers more...
to the south and Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park is a park located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the fourth largest park in New York City, behind Pelham Bay Park, Flushing Meadows Park and Staten Island Greenbelt....
to the west.
In addition to being home to a large Irish-American community, it is also the site of the famous Woodlawn Cemetery. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 12
Bronx Community Board 12
Bronx Community Board 12 is a local government unit of the New York City borough of the Bronx, encompassing the neighborhoods of Edenwald, Wakefield, Williamsbridge, Woodlawn, Fish Bay, Eastchester, Olinville and Baychester....
.
Overview
Katonah Avenue, which runs north-south through the heart of Woodlawn, is a popular destination for its many Irish pubs and restaurants, 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 YorkYonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
. McLean Ave. 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. E. 233rd St. runs east-west on the southern border of the neighborhood. E. 233rd St. is a major thoroughfare and is largely known for its gas stations, Irish pubs as well as its bus stops and Metro North train station that service the Woodlawn community.
Notable features of the neighborhood include Oneida Triangle, a memorial to residents of Woodlawn who served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, 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
Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
section of the Bronx directly across from Van Cortlandt Park. Rivalries with Bainbridge
Norwood, Bronx
Norwood is a working class residential neighborhood in the northwest Bronx, New York City. As of the census of 2000, the seven census tracts that make up the neighborhood have a population of 40,748...
(now known as Norwood) in the 1980s and Yonkers have existed as well. The neighborhood is served by Judith K. Weiss School P.S. 19.
The Woodlawn Heights Library Branch has an extensive collection of Irish books.
Demographics
Woodlawn has a population of less than 8,000 people and is nearly 90% White, according to the 2010 Census http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/explorer?ref=censusbureau. This formerly German neighborhood is now a mostly Irish AmericanIrish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
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 http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/16/realestate/if-you-re-thinking-of-living-in-woodlawn-a-bronx-enclave-with-a-suburban-feel.html?scp=2&sq=woodlawn&st=cse. The Emerald Isle Immigration Center on Katonah Ave. and the Aisling Irish Community Center on McLean Ave. are two sources for the newly arrived as well as established Irish immigrants to Woodlawn and the United States http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/17/nyregion/neighborhood-report-woodlawn-there-s-irish-bar-then-there-s-irish-bar.html?scp=2&sq=woodlawn%20+%20Irish&st=cse. The neighborhood is sometimes informally referred to as "Little Ireland"
Places of Worship
The neighborhood has four old and picturesque churches.The Roman Catholic church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
of St. Barnabas, is the largest and it is richly decorated and painted in its interior. St. Barnabas Parish was founded in 1910 and serves as a major community center for the neighborhood, which is nearly entirely Catholic. St. Barnabas parish has a church, chapel, high school, elementary school, adjoining convent (currently occupied by the large and growing community of the Sisters of Life). The parish has weekly masses in English and Italian.
It is run by Pastor Msgr.Edward Barry and Parish Facility Manager Jonathan Buhs. The principle of both the high school and elementary school is Sr. Joan Farone. St.Barnabas serves as a center of Irish culture, offering Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
classes and also having an Irish Outreach program to assist Irish immigrants in finding jobs and residence in the neighborhood.
Aside from the church, St.Barnabas has an elementary school which opened in 1914 and an all girl High School which opened in 1952.
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
is on 238th Street.
St Mark's Lutheran Church is on Saint Marks Place near the Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park is a park located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the fourth largest park in New York City, behind Pelham Bay Park, Flushing Meadows Park and Staten Island Greenbelt....
entrance.
Trinity Community Full Gospel Church is on 241st Street.
Emmanuel Presbyterian Reformed Church is on Martha Ave.
Transportation
- Bx16: to EastchesterEastchester, BronxEastchester is a working class neighborhood in the northeast Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 12...
or Norwood – 205th St station ( train) (via Nereid Av-Mundy Lane) - Bx31: to Westchester Square-East Tremont AvenueWestchester Square-East Tremont Avenue (IRT Pelham Line)Westchester Square – East Tremont Avenue is a local station on the IRT Pelham Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of East Tremont and Westchester Avenues in the Bronx, it is served by the 6 train at all times except weekdays in the peak direction...
(via East 233rd St and Eastchester Rd) - Bx34: to FordhamFordham, BronxFordham is a neighborhood of New York City, United States, located in the West Bronx. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 5. It is bordered by Fordham Road to the north, Webster Avenue to the east, East 183rd Street to the south, and Jerome Avenue to the west...
This Bus no longer runs on weekends. (via Bainbridge Av) - Woodlawn Station (Harlem Line)Woodlawn (Metro-North station)The Woodlawn Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Woodlawn section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line. It is 11.8 miles from Grand Central Terminal and is located on East 233rd Street, three blocks from the 233rd Street station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York...
- Subway: Woodlawn (IRT Jerome Avenue Line)Woodlawn (IRT Jerome Avenue Line)Woodlawn is the northern terminal of the New York City Subway's IRT Jerome Avenue Line. Located at the intersection of Bainbridge and Jerome Avenue in the Bronx neighborhood of Woodlawn, it is served by the 4 train at all times, providing service to the South Bronx, the East Side of Manhattan and...
( train)