aprique

Just far enough away from the busy streets to feel safe for kids, yet not so far away that shopping is inaccessible. It's a great street for families and older folks who want to get to know their neighbors. Steinway, just two blocks away, offers anything you might need in the way of retail therapy, and there are some great grocery stores and coffee shops around, too.

This street is pretty residential, with not much going on. Even at major cross streets, it's really just a stop on the way somewhere else. Nice and quiet for living on. No clubs, no restaurants, no distractions of any kind. There is a big church below broadway whose bells ring alot, so that's nice to hear on a sunday morning...

It's a nice street to live on... mostly connected apartments so that walking down the sidewalk starts to feel like you're walking past one really long building, but the people are all nice, and it's far enough away from the subway that you don't really hear it. Lots of trees for shade in the summer. Close to shopping.

Cheap rents, but that's because you're at the very end of the subway line, and then some. There's a great park near the water that's super fun in the summer for family outings or impromptu soccer, plus there's a public pool for the kids to cool down. But you're way far away from anything remotely manhattan-y.

34th street, between 31st Street and Steinway has a movie theatre, Unos, Applebees, the Museum of the Moving Image, a strip joint ;) Starbucks, two gyms, and a really great diner called Cup, as well as a couple of places to get a few drinks. It's the perfect spot for any date-type-scenario. You've got the traditional dinner-and-movie, simple diner for booths and chatting, risque stripper date, intellectual museum, or work-out date!

I go here every weekend with my dog to the Socratese Sculpture Park. Just down from there is Costco, and beyond that, another great park to go with families and young kids. There's a playground, and people have picnics there on Saturdays and Sundays. There's a lovely walkway along the river. Beyond that, there are alot of old buildings that are being renovated for new condos, or new buildings going up. It's a little far from a subway station, but there are busses going down broadway that'll take you right to one in 10 minutes.

This is a traffic artery for trucks and cars coming into new york or going out to the airports, so it's fairly noisy all the time. It's starting to have a few nice places, bakeries and such, but it's mostly lined with closing/dead looking factory stores and laundromats. There's a subway station, so it's easy to get around, but not a super fun street to hang out on.

A great street to live on. A respite from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, but still super close to everything. It's a block away from Steinway and Broadway, the center of Astoria, so there's shopping galore. There are 4 gyms within a few blocks, 3 great grocery stores, butcher, fishmonger, green-grocers, pubs, clubs, and only 25 minute walk from some great parks on the river!

31st Street runs right under the above-ground subway in Astoria, so it's convenient for transit, but it can get a little loud and always feels a little dim. That being said, there are some great blocks. Around 36th Ave, there are some killer restaurants, and a couple of fun clubs that feature anything from Karaoke to dance, to olde-tymie pub feel.

This is an up-and-coming street, sandwiched between the higher-traffic broadway, and the hipper 30th Ave. But it's a great street to live on if you like to have shopping and night life accessible but not right on top of you. Some of the old shops are starting to give way to newer, more interesting establishments.