Woodside

From The Peopling of New York City: Indian Communities

Woodside is still considered a center for Irish-Americans because of its strong Irish foundation, but now about 30% of Woodside’s population is Asian American, with residents from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.The Irish population itself has dwindled as people have moved on to other neighborhoods or back to Ireland to take advantage of its strong economy.

What draws many immigrants to the area is safety. The 108th Precinct, which covers the area, traditionally has some of the lowest crime rates in the city in addition to its proximity to three subway lines, the Long Island Rail Road and several major roads.

The area’s biggest problem is coping with the strains of development. With large new apartment buildings being built, and single-family houses being converted, legally and illegally, into multi-unit buildings, on-street parking is scarce and schools are over-crowded.

• Location and Commercial Profile

The area’s main commercial district is along Roosevelt Avenue, under intersecting elevated tracks, where commuter-oriented businesses like pizza places and newsstands mix with restaurants serving the varied ethnic groups.To the southeast, the section just north of Queens Boulevard between 60th Street and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway has been a hotbed of development. North of the business district, the area straddling Broadway and Northern Boulevard is quieter, marked by blocks of two-story brick houses, many with driveways. That part of the two-square-mile neighborhood also has industrial areas although there is evidence of residential construction, particularly along Broadway. [1]

• Transportation

The 7 train has stations at 52nd, 61st and 69th Streets on Roosevelt Avenue. The E,G,R,and V trains make stops at Northern Boulevard and 65th Street along Broadway. The Long Island Rail Road makes a stop at Woodside station. The Q18, Q39, Q45, Q53, Q60 and Q32 buses connect Woodside to the rest of Queens, while the Q60 and Q32 buses also run to Manhattan. [2]

• Religious Institutions

Most Hindu temples devote worship to a particular manifestation of the divine, such as Kali or Shiva, but at the Divya Dham, all the divinities are worshiped. Murtis, which are sculptures in the visage of the Hindu deities, that serve as points of worship and 1,009 lingam, sculpture representatives of Shiva, fill up the huge space.

Divya Dham is a Hindu temple in the industrial area of Woodside.

The comprehensive collection of murtis lets Divya Dham serve as a gathering spot for all Hindus who live in the greater New York area, no matter which particular entity they devote themselves. The temple especially draws people on special holy days, as a pilgrimage site. Like most temples in India, there’s also a cave for personal meditation, although this one man-made.[3]