Astoria

The quality of life in Astoria / Long Island City really varies by the specific part of the town. The areas that are closer to the water are stunning, well maintained, and safe. However, those areas are plagued with problems such as extravagant prices. On the other hand, the other parts are poorly maintained, decrepit, and less safe, but are infinitely more reasonably priced.

Throughout Astoria and Long Island City, you will find everything from ethnic restaurants to four or five star luxury restaurants and trendy bars. While it may be far from downtown Manhattan, it is about as close to midtown as you can get in Queens. It is about 10 minutes from Grand Central. Unfortunately, most parts of Astoria and Long Island City have horrible parking accessibility, so many residents choose to sell their cars and stick to public transportation. Those who do own cars are primarily the ones who can afford to pay for private parking spaces.

All in all, this is a wonderful place for young, single professionals who want a shorter commute to the city without paying Manhattan prices. If you can afford to live in one of the nicer areas, you'll love it. On the other hand, I'm not a huge fan of the shoddier areas.

Astoria is a multicultural enclave of New York City which was once essentially Greek but today is populated by several different ethnicities including Irish, Middle Eastern, Latin American, Pakistani and Bangladeshi peoples. The main boundaries of Astoria are thought to be the East River, Sunnyside, Woodside and Long Island City. The area is believed to have been founded and developed by the famous piano manufacturing company, Steinway and sons in the late 19th century as the company provided accommodation for its German craftsman in the neighborhood of Astoria. In fact the Steinway mansion is still located in the heart of Astoria on 42nd street and 19th Avenue.

The real estate landscape of Astoria is largely dominated by one and two family frame and brick houses and this essentially working-class neighborhood is also known for its many good schools, several of which are attached to churches like the St Frances Assisi church school on 45 the Street which is considered to be an premier parochial school of the neighborhoods. The Immaculate Conception school on 29th Street and the Grace Lutheran School are the other prominent private schools that are located in Astoria while the neighborhood also has excellent public schools like the P.S. 84 Steinway School which is known for its visual arts and music program, the P.S. 122 which has a program for gifted students and the Baccalaureate School of Global Education which is a public school that offers the International Baccalaureate program to students residing in Astoria. To cater to the needs of its multiethnic populations the area also hosts several Islamic schools like the Ideal Islamic School and the El-Ber Islamic school.

The principal shopping areas in Astoria are along Ditmars Boulevard, Steinway Street, Broadway and along 30th avenue though the neighborhood is especially well known for its many diverse restaurants which offer a smorgasbord of word cuisines. Some of my personal favorites include restaurants like Agnanti Mezze which overlooks the verdant Astoria Park and serves excellent Mediterranean fare and the delightful Kabab Café which is owned and operated by the El Sayed brothers in the Little Egypt section of Astoria along Steinway Street.

Astoria is well connected to Manhattan by the N& W subway lines. The G line comes into the Steinway street station and connects the area to Brooklyn. The R and V also stop at the Steinway Street Station and provide an alternate connection to Manhattan and the rest of Queens.

I have lived here in Astoria (30th Ave/44th St) for 25 years. The thing I like the best about Astoria is that everything you could possible need is within a short couple of blocks. Need milk at 2 am? There's a bodega open 24 hours around the corner....Need a fun, affordable bar to party in with your friends---there are hundreds to choose from! The restaurant scene in Astoria has grown unbelievably since I've lived here. Plenty for everyone--from Manhattanites, to artsy/hipster types, to family fun, singles fun, etc. Every ethic type of food is available within blocks of each other. Being close to the subway is one great benefit of living here in Astoria. Yes, the rents are now sky high but not nearly as high as Manhattan.

It's hard to come up with a better neighborhood in Queens than Astoria. Easily accessible, exciting and affordable (for now), it has a little bit for everyone to enjoy. In the past decade and a half, Astoria has grown from an ethnic enclave of Greek, Italians, Croatians, etc. to a popular choice for everyone, especially those wanting a hip alternative to Williamsburg.

You can find places to hang out, from cafes to clubs; places to work out like a multitude of gyms of the best free gym of all, Astoria Park. Residential units range from studios to 3 bedroom apartments and houses. Take a walk around the neighborhood and you'll see that a lot of development is going on, so the future is pretty secure in terms of available rentals.

Some of my own favorite places in Astoria are:
1) Bohemian Hall and and Beer Garden
2) Astoria Park track (it overlooks the Manhattan skyline!)
3) Silver Age Comics
4) Grand Cafe
4) McCann's Pub
5) Astoria Soundworks practice studio

The only negatives to the area I can think of is that in certain parts it can be noisy because of traffic. Astoria Boulevard cuts through the neighborhood and brings in a lot of cars from the Grand Central, and the elevated N train line on 31st Street can be rattling (and to some, an eyesore). But that does not take away from the rest of Astoria, which can be almost suburbanly quiet.

I lived in Astoria in 2006-2007 for a little over a year and loved it. Though the commute to downtown Manhattan was a haul and the train was always crowded in the mornings, I liked having my own little neighborhood that I could come home to. And Astoria is quite homey. It is not the most happening place for hipster singles - if you're looking for that go to Manhattan or Williamsburg. But if you are a down to earth person who enjoys a dirty pub full of locals or an inexpensive Greek or Mexican food stand, this is your place. There are many different cultures living here, and they all seem to get along. Astoria seems to be full of families who have been here for generations - the neighborhood does not feel gentrified at all. Hardly any chains exist here, and there are plenty of mom and pop stores. The rent is cheaper than Brooklyn's, and the neighborhood is much cheaper. I would love to live here with a car if I ever come back, since it's hell to get to Williamsburg from here on the train, but it is a 10 minute drive!

I have lived in Astoria for seven years and have seen it go through a number of changes. When I moved in, it was primarily Greeks and Eastern Europeans, but the neighborhood has steadily grown younger and hipper. Astoria is the most ethnically diverse neighborhood in the world, and that's reflected in the amazing array of food to be found - spectacular Thai, Egyptian and even some of NYC's best Mexican joints. Unfortunately, there's no decent bars unless you enjoy thumping Euro techno. Astoria has several great parks, including the massive Astoria Pool and the charmingly funky Socrates Sculpture Park. Transportation is a mixed bag - allegedly, the G train runs to Brooklyn, but good luck ever catching it on a day when it's running. The R is often broken, but the N and W are fairly dependable. Even though rents are skyrocketing, it's still a reasonably affordable hood, and there's plenty of available real estate, much of which is decently sized.

Astoria is mostly a residential area with many small businesses. People and children are always on the streets. It is a very lively place. Queens in general is very diverse. Astoria is no different it is a multicultural neighborhood with a large Ecuadorian community. Everything is easily accessible. You can walk to most places or take public transportation. It is also extremely easy to get into Manhattan with public transportation. The neighborhood is also home to Astoria Park. I love this park, it is really great to take a jog or bike ride. Kids love the park too. The Triborough Bridge goes right through the park. It also offers a lot facilities like the very popular pool and tennis court. I’ve had tons of fun at this park.

This is the area just north of the Queens Midtown Tunnel, with a long long history, though it is mostly a residential spot. This is an area where there are larger real estate options (i.e., if you are looking for a two bedroom or a studio you should look elsewhere), and is a great spot for families. There is a lot of development in the area as far as apartment buildings and two-car garage homes are concerned as well. This neighborhood is actually a good spot for tourists to stumble around – and everyone should definitely check out Arepas Café, a Venezuelan restaurant that is recommended by just about everyone who makes recommendations.