You are reading

Petition Launched to Co-Name Woodside Street ‘Little Manila Avenue’

Photo Mock-up: Little Manila Queens

July 27, 2020 By Christian Murray

An online petition has been launched calling for a stretch of Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside to be co-named “Little Manila” Avenue.

Advocates want a street sign installed at the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and 70th Street as a way to pay tribute to the contribution Filipinos have made to the community. The petition was launched five days ago and has so far generated 1,450 signatures.

This stretch of Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside is known to many as “Little Manila,” with its Filipino restaurants and stores.

The “Little Manila” street sign would go up across the street from Phil Am, a popular Filipino grocery store that opened in 1976.

Joseph Castillo, whose parents established Phil Am, is among the group behind the push for the street co-naming. He grew up living above that store in the 1980s and says he has watched the Filipino population and business community grow in Woodside over the years.

“I have seen what it has become in the last 10 to 15 years. It’s extraordinary,” Castillo said. “We learned about Chinatown and Little Italy [at school]… but it’s amazing to watch Little Manila come about first hand.”

Filipinos have been coming to Woodside in significant numbers since the 1970s, many as registered nurses. During the last census, about 86,000 Filipinos and Filipino Americans were estimated to be residing in New York City with about 54 percent living in the borough of Queens.

Phil-Am Food Mart, at the corner of 70th Street and Roosevelt Avenue (Photo: Queens Post)

The petition notes that many Filipino nurses and healthcare workers were recruited to work at Elmhurst Hospital and decided to settle in nearby Woodside. The neighborhood soon became a hub for new Filipino arrivals.

The decision to advocate for a sign was prompted after a mural went up in June on the corner of 69th Street and Roosevelt Avenue paying tribute to the Filipino healthcare workers who have risked their lives during the coronavirus pandemic.

The mural reads “Mabuhay,” a Philippine expression that has several meanings, including “cheers”, “welcome” and “may you live.”

Xenia Diente, a Filipino-American whose mom immigrated to the country as a nurse, is also behind the movement. She helped launch the petition.

She said the petition has received universal support from both Filipinos and people of other backgrounds. The petition has received supported from all over the world.

Organizers plan to submit the petition to Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, who has already expressed his full support.

Street co-namings are passed by the city council.

The online petition can be found here.

The unveiling of a mural outside Amazing Grace Restaurant on 69th Street/Roosevelt Avenue in June (Little Manila Queens Bayanihan Arts)

email the author: news@queenspost.com

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
Anonymous

How about a street for the Irish.? They outnumber the Filipinos by far and have been in Sunnyside -Woodside a lot longer and contributed a ton to NYC.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Fall fun in western Queens: Your guide to the best seasonal events

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

With beach days and summer BBQs behind us, the start of September rings in the start of magnificent Fall foliage, Halloween and more fun activities that come with the start of Autumn, including a list of Fall events in the area. From apple picking to seasonal ciders and more, there is tons to explore in the community. From Mystic Markets to scary movie meet-ups and more, here is a list of Fall events you do not want to miss.

A hidden gem in Sunnyside: Bistro Punta Sal blends Peruvian and Italian flavors

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

On a quiet street in Sunnyside, Bistro Punta Sal has its French doors wide open, letting the late August breeze emanate throughout the space, which is ornate with flowers, paintings and an array of tables and chairs for intimate dinners with friends or a romantic date night. The cozy restaurant, located at 45-51 46th St., is a hidden gem in the neighborhood that is just waiting to be discovered, as the sights and aromas of the restaurant invite guests in. 

Off-duty paramedic spots South Richmond Hill two-alarm house fire that injures nine firefighters, two civilians on Friday morning: FDNY

Nine firefighters were injured, two of them seriously, and two civilians sustained minor injuries during a two-alarm house fire in South Richmond Hill on Friday morning, but it could have been worse if not for the actions of an off-duty veteran EMT.

Paramedic Craig Biscuiti was driving to work when he noticed a column of thick black smoke and heavy flames coming from the first floor of a two-story home at 95-36 111th St. just before 7:10 a.m.

Astoria doctor sentenced to more than two decades in prison for rape and sexual abuse: DA

An Astoria doctor was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Thursday in Queens Supreme Court for raping unconscious acquaintances and sexually abusing hospital patients.

Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng, 35, of Broadway, pleaded guilty on June 30 to four counts of rape in the first degree and three counts of sexual abuse in the first degree in satisfaction of the consolidated indictments against him. He additionally entered an Alford plea to one count of sexual abuse. The defendant — a former gastroenterologist at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital — recorded the abuse of his unconscious victims with his cell phone in both his Astoria apartment and at the hospital.