Astoria, Queens
Astoria | |
---|---|
![]() Corner of 31st Avenue and 33rd Street in Astoria | |
![]() Location within New York City | |
Coordinates: 40°46′01″N 73°55′16″W / 40.767°N 73.921°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
City | New York |
County and borough | Queens |
Community District | Queens 1[1] |
European settlement | 1659 |
Named for | John Jacob Astor |
Population | |
• Total | 78,793 (154,000 with the subsections) |
Ethnicity | |
• White | 49.2% |
• Hispanic | 26.5% |
• Asian | 16.2% |
• Black | 4.5% |
• Other/Multiracial | 3.4% |
Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
ZIP Codes | 11101–11103, 11105, 11106 |
Area codes | 718, 347, 929, and 917 |
Astoria is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City borough of Queens. Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to four other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City to the southwest, Sunnyside to the southeast, and Woodside and East Elmhurst to the east. As of 2019[update], Astoria has an estimated population of 95,446.[2]
The area was originally called Hallet's (or Hallett's) Cove after its first landowner William Hallet, who settled there in 1652 with his wife, Elizabeth Fones. Hallet's Cove was incorporated on April 12, 1839, and was later renamed for John Jacob Astor, then the wealthiest man in the United States, in order to persuade him to invest in the area. During the second half of the 19th century, economic and commercial growth brought increased immigration. Astoria and several other surrounding villages were incorporated into Long Island City in 1870, which in turn was incorporated into the City of Greater New York in 1898. Commercial activity continued through the 20th century, with the area being a center for filmmaking and industry.
Astoria is located in Queens Community District 1[1] and its ZIP Codes are 11101, 11102, 11103, 11105, and 11106.[4] It is patrolled by the New York City Police Department's 114th Precinct.[5] Fire protection is provided by Battalions 45 and 49 of FDNY. Politically, Astoria is represented by the New York City Council's 22nd and 26th Districts.[6]
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2020) |
Early settlement
The area now known as Astoria was originally called Hallet's Cove (also spelled Hallett's Cove), after its first landowner William Hallet, (or Hallett) who settled there in 1652 with his wife, Elizabeth Fones, though they moved to Flushing after their farm was destroyed by Native Americans.[7] The peninsula was bordered to the north by Hell Gate, to the west by the East River, and the south by Sunswick Creek.[8]: 96 Hallet bought the land in 1664 from two native chiefs named Shawestcont and Erramorhar.[9]: 84
Beginning in the early 19th century, affluent New Yorkers constructed large residences around 12th and 14th Streets, an area that later became known as Astoria Village (now Old Astoria). Hallet's Cove, incorporated on April 12, 1839,[10] and previously founded by fur merchant Stephen A. Halsey, was a noted recreational destination and resort for Manhattan's wealthy.[11][12]
The area was renamed for John Jacob Astor, then the wealthiest man in the United States with a net worth of more than $40 million, in order to persuade him to invest in the neighborhood. He only invested $500, but the name stayed nonetheless, as a bitter battle over naming the village finally was won by Astor's supporters and friends. From Astor's summer home in Yorkville, Manhattan—on what is now East 87th Street near York Avenue—he could see across the East River the new Long Island village named in his honor. Astor, however, never actually set foot in Astoria.[13]
Economic development
During the second half of the 19th century, economic and commercial growth brought increased immigration from German settlers, mostly furniture and cabinet makers. One such settler was Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg, patriarch of the Steinway family who founded the piano company Steinway & Sons in 1853, which today is a worldwide piano company. Later on, the Steinways built a sawmill and foundry, as well as a streetcar line. The family eventually established Steinway Village for their workers, a company town that provided school instruction in German as well as English.[14] Part of the motivation for locating the Steinway factory in Queens was to keep the workers isolated from the ferment of labor organizing and radicalism occurring in other parts of New York, notably the Lower East Side.[15]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/24th_Ave_in_Astoria%2C_Queens.jpg/260px-24th_Ave_in_Astoria%2C_Queens.jpg)
Astoria and several other surrounding villages, including Steinway, were incorporated into Long Island City in 1870.[16] Long Island City remained an independent municipality until it was incorporated into the City of Greater New York in 1898. The area's farms were turned into housing tracts and street grids to accommodate the growing number of residents.[11]
Astoria also figured prominently in early American filmmaking as one of its initial centers.[17] That heritage is preserved today by the Museum of the Moving Image and Kaufman Astoria Studios.
Demographics
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Astoriaqueens33rdand31st.jpg/250px-Astoriaqueens33rdand31st.jpg)
For census purposes, the New York City government classifies Astoria as part of three neighborhood tabulation areas: Steinway (north of Grand Central Parkway), Old Astoria (north of 31st Avenue and approximately west of 31st Street), and Astoria (in the remaining area approximately north of Northern Boulevard / 36th Avenue and approximately west of Hobart Street / 50th Street). Based on data from the 2010 United States Census, the combined population of these areas was 154,141, a decrease of 17,427 (10.2%) from the 171,568 counted in 2000. Covering an area of 2,556.2 acres (1,034.5 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 60.3 inhabitants per acre (38,600/sq mi; 14,900/km2).[2]
The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 52.2% (80,533) Non-Hispanic White, 4.7% (7,204) black, 0.2% (250) Native American, 14.3% (22,100) Asian, 0.0% (70) Pacific Islander, 1.0% (1,532) from other races, and 2.1% (3,238) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.4% (39,214) of the population. The Astoria and Old Astoria tabulation areas had greater Hispanic / Latino and Asian populations, and the Old Astoria area specifically had a greater Black population.[3]
The racial and ethnic composition of Astoria changed significantly from 2000 to 2010. The most significant changes were the decrease in the Other population by 64% (8,919) and the decrease in the Hispanic / Latino population by 13% (5,705). The White majority also decreased by 2% (1,699), while the Asian minority decreased by 5% (1,120), and the change in the small Black population rounded to 0% (11). Taking into account the three census tabulation areas, the White and Asian populations both actually increased in Old Astoria, but decreased enough in Astoria and Steinway to cause an overall decrease; on the other hand, the Black population decreased in Old Astoria and increased equivalently in the other regions. The decreases in the Hispanic / Latino population and in racial groups, however, were relatively even across the three areas.[18]
The entirety of Queens Community District 1, which includes Astoria and parts of Long Island City, is bounded to the east approximately by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and 81st Street, and to the south approximately by Queens Plaza and Northern Boulevard. It had 199,969 residents according to NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 83.4 years.[19]: 2, 20 This is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.[20]: 53 (PDF p. 84) Most inhabitants are middle-aged adults and youth: 16% are between the ages of 0–17, 41% between 25 and 44, and 22% between 45 and 64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 10% and 12% respectively.[19]: 2
As of 2018[update], the median household income in Community District 1 was $67,444.[21] In 2018, an estimated 18% of Astoria residents lived in poverty, compared to 19% in all of Queens and 20% in all of New York City. Around 8% of residents were unemployed, compared to 8% in Queens and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 47% in Astoria, slightly lower than the boroughwide and citywide rates of 53% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018[update], Community District 1 is considered to be gentrifying: according to the Community Health Profile, the district was low-income in 1990 and has seen above-median rent growth up to 2010.[19]: 7
Ethnic groups
Early populations
Astoria was first settled by the Dutch, English, and Germans in the 17th century. Many Irish settled in the area during the waves of Irish immigration into New York City during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Italians were the next significant immigrants in Astoria, and numerous Italian restaurants, delis, bakeries, and pizza shops are found throughout Astoria, particularly in the Ditmars Boulevard area.
Jews were also a significant ethnic and religious group. The Astoria Center of Israel, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1925 after outgrowing the former Congregation Mishkan Israel, which was built in 1904.[22]
Later populations
The 1960s saw a large increase of Greeks, and after 1974, there was an influx of Cypriots. This cultural imprint can be seen in the numerous Greek restaurants, tavernas, bakeries, and cafes, as well as several Greek Orthodox churches. In the late 1960s, a 'Greek Town' neighborhood coalesced in Astoria. From 1960s to 1980s the number of Greeks constantly increased. While the population of Greeks in Astoria was 22,579 in 1980, it dropped to 18,127 by 1990 due to decreased immigration and lower birth rates. During the 2000s, the Greek immigration dropped again. During the 2010s and 2020s economic issues in Greece caused a resurgence of Greek immigration. Greek organizations in the area include the Hellenic American Action Committee (HANAC) and the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York.[23]
Most of the 20,000 Maltese in New York City live in Astoria, and although this population has steadily been emigrating from the area, there are still many Maltese, supported by the Maltese Center of New York.[24]
Beginning in the mid-1970s, the neighborhood's Muslim population grew from earlier immigrants from Lebanon to also include people from Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria. In the 1990s, Steinway Street between 28th Avenue and Astoria Boulevard saw the establishment of many Arabic shops, restaurants, and cafes, which is unofficially called "Little Egypt", due to the number of Arabs residing there and the mostly Egyptian shops and lounges there.
Croatians from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina have been numerous since the 1960s and their numbers continue to grow. New populations of South American and Balkan peoples have seen significant growth since the early 1990s, including a large population of Brazilians, who reside in the 36th Avenue area. Albanians, Bulgarians, Serbs, and Bosnians have also shown a rise in numbers. Many Spanish Americans live in Astoria, with most of them being of Galician heritage from Northwestern Spain; this community is supported by the Casa Galicia (Galicia House) and the Circulo Español (Spanish Circle).
At one time, many Bangladeshi Americans settled in Astoria, but by 2001, many of them had moved to Metro Detroit. A survey of an Astoria-area Bengali language newspaper estimated that, in an 18-month period until March 2001, 8,000 Bangladeshi people moved to the Detroit area. However, as of 2010, the Bangladeshi American community in Astoria has been increasing.[25]
By the early 21st century, Astoria was one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Queens, with people from around 100 countries residing there as of 2015[update].[26] Population losses in Queens were particularly high in immigrant neighborhoods such as Astoria, which suffered the greatest population loss in the city, losing more than 10,000 residents between the years 2000 and 2010.[27]
Geography
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Long_Island_City_map_1896.jpg/220px-Long_Island_City_map_1896.jpg)
There is some debate as to what constitutes the geographic boundaries of Astoria. The neighborhood was part of Long Island City prior to the latter's incorporation into the City of Greater New York in 1898.
The area south of Astoria was called Ravenswood, and traditionally, Broadway was considered the border between the two. Today, however, many residents and businesses south of Broadway identify themselves as Astorians for convenience or status, since Long Island City has historically been considered an industrial area, and Ravenswood is now mostly a low-income neighborhood. Some of the thoroughfares have lent their names to unofficial terms for the areas they serve. For instance, the eastern end of Astoria, with Steinway Street as its main thoroughfare, is sometimes referred to simply as "Steinway", and the northern end around Ditmars Boulevard is sometimes referred to as "Ditmars", with their convergence point bearing the neighborhood name "Ditmars-Steinway".[28] Banners displayed on lamp posts along 30th Avenue refer to it as "the Heart of Astoria".[29]
Ravenswood
Ravenswood is the name for the strip of land bordering the East River and Long Island City, and is part of Astoria.[30] The etymology of Ravenswood may have been for the population of ravens, or a character from The Bride of Lammermoor. It was situated around Sunswick Creek, which drained into the East River at the current location of Socrates Sculpture Park.[31]
The land was acquired in 1814 by Col. George Gibbs, a businessman from New York City who developed it. Gibbs died in 1833, and the land was divided into nine parcels by three developers. From 1848, there were several mansions built on this land, but the high class housing did not survive. The spring of 1853 brought the opening of a post office of its own and country store "run by Messrs. Moore & Luyster, and Mr. Samuel H. Moore of that firm received the appointment of postmaster, handling the mails in a corner of the store."[32]
Ravenswood, unlike Astoria, never became a village; there was no disposition at any time to become independent as there was insufficient population or commercial activity to justify such a move. Ravenswood remained an exclusive hamlet within the Town of Newtown until its absorption with the Village of Astoria and the hamlets of Hunters Point, Blissville, Sunnyside, Dutch Kills, Steinway, Bowery Bay and Middleton in Newtown Township into Long Island City in 1870.[33] In 1870, Ravenswood, along with several other hamlets and the Village of Astoria, merged to form Long Island City.[32]
In 1875, the first commercial buildings were erected, and the mansions were converted into offices and boarding houses. In 1879, the Long Island Terra Cotta Company was established in Ravenswood, by Rudolph Franke. By 1900, Ravenswood was heavily commercial, and remains so to this day. However, the name has retained its residential character through the New York City Housing Authority project that was built in 1949 to 1951 with this name between 34th and 36th Avenues, and 12th and 24th Streets.
The name also identifies the large electric power station established along the shore of the East River, just south of the Roosevelt Island Bridge. The Ravenswood Generating Station which includes Ravenswood No. 3 or "Big Allis", was built by Con Edison in 1963–65 but, due to deregulation, has subsequently been owned by KeySpan, National Grid, and TransCanada. The power plant can generate approximately 2,500 megawatts of power, which is about 20 percent of New York City's electricity demand.[34]
Ditmars
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Ditmars_Residential_Neighborhood_in_Fall_of_2012.jpg/220px-Ditmars_Residential_Neighborhood_in_Fall_of_2012.jpg)
Ditmars is a middle class section of Astoria bounded by Bowery Bay to the north, 31st Street and the Steinway subsection to the east, 23rd Avenue to the south, and the East River to the west. The adjacent Steinway neighborhood was largely developed as a company town by the Steinway & Sons piano company, and included houses and public facilities that were also available to non-employees.[35] However, the Ditmars neighborhood was not included in the Steinway & Sons company housing and related facilities project. The neighborhood takes its name from Ditmars Boulevard which was named in honor of Abram Ditmars, the first mayor of Long Island City, New York, elected in 1870 (the city became a mere neighborhood when Queens became a part of Greater New York). His ancestors were German immigrants who settled in the Dutch Kills area in the 1600s.[36]
Astoria Heights
Astoria Heights, or Upper Ditmars (part of East Elmhurst), is bounded by Hazen Street to the west, La Guardia Airport to the east, Bowery Bay to the north, and Astoria Boulevard and the Grand Central Parkway to the south. It is mostly a quiet middle class neighborhood of one- and two-family private homes.
The Riker-Lent Homestead is near the north end of Astoria Heights at 78-03 19th Road. Built around 1655 by Abraham Riker under a patent from Nieuw Nederland's last governor, Peter Stuyvesant, it is believed to be the oldest remaining dwelling in New York City still used as a residence.[37] There is an adjacent family cemetery. The Smiths, who bought the house in 1975, have been restoring it for many years. The annual public tour was given usually in mid-September by the owners for the benefit of a local historical society, but has since ceased to occur.[38]
Before Prohibition, there were dance halls, picnic areas, and amusement park rides at North Beach.
Ragtime composer Scott Joplin is buried across the Grand Central Parkway at St. Michael's Cemetery, which occasionally holds ragtime concerts.
The Rikers Island Bridge to New York City's main prison, Rikers Island, runs from the north end of Hazen Street. Technically, Rikers Island is in the Bronx since New York City took it over from Long Island City in 1884, after it had annexed the South Bronx but before it consolidated Queens. However, like Astoria Heights, Rikers Island gets its mail from the East Elmhurst (ZIP Code 11370) station of the Flushing Post Office.
Places of interest
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/MoMI2.jpg/220px-MoMI2.jpg)
- Museum of the Moving Image in the former Kaufman Astoria Studios building
- Isamu Noguchi Museum
- Socrates Sculpture Park
- Astoria Park along the East River, is Astoria's largest park and also contains the largest of New York City's public pools (at 330 feet long)[39] which was also the former site of the 1936 and 1964 U.S. Olympic trials.
- The Hell Gate Bridge and New York Connecting Railroad/Northeast Corridor viaduct rise high above Astoria.
- The oldest beer garden in New York City, Bohemian Hall, was founded in 1910 when Astoria was largely Irish, Italian, Bohemian (Czech), and Slovak.[40]
- The Greater Astoria Historical Society in the historic Quinn Memorial Building on the corner of Broadway and 36th Street serves as a valuable historical resource and provides tourist information.
- St. Michael's Cemetery on Astoria Boulevard is the burial place of composer and pianist Scott Joplin[41] and gangster Frank Costello.
- Steinway & Sons piano factory located at 1 Steinway Place (not to be confused with Steinway Street) has been in operation in Astoria since the late 19th century and represents a legacy of award-winning craftsmanship, arts patronage, and the once vibrant, stand-alone Steinway Village. Limited tours of the factory are available.[42]
- The Modern Art Foundry, a foundry, is located in Astoria.
- In addition to Bohemian Hall, the Astoria Center of Israel, Paramount Studios Complex, Sohmer and Company Piano Factory, Steinway Mansion, and Trinity Lutheran Church are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[43][44]
- The 1938 birthplace of xerography, and thus Xerox, by Chester Carlson at 32-05 37th Street.[45]
- Rainey Park, on an 8-acre (3.2 ha) site located on Vernon Boulevard between 33rd Road and 34th Avenue, is the largest park in Ravenswood, once an exclusive neighborhood with spacious plots of land along Vernon Boulevard.[46]
Police and crime
Astoria is patrolled by the 114th Precinct of the NYPD, located at 34-16 Astoria Boulevard. The precinct also covers parts of Long Island City and Woodside.[5] The 114th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 83.9% between 1990 and 2019. The precinct reported 2 murders, 34 rapes, 184 robberies, 364 felony assaults, 196 burglaries, 782 grand larcenies, and 136 grand larcenies auto in 2019.[47]
As of 2018[update], Queens Community District 1 has a non-fatal assault hospitalization rate of 56 per 100,000 people, compared to the boroughwide rate of 37 per 100,000 and the citywide rate of 59 per 100,000. Its incarceration rate is 277 per 100,000 people, compared to the boroughwide rate of 315 per 100,000 and the citywide rate of 425 per 100,000.[19]: 8
Of the five major violent felonies (murder, rape, felony assault, robbery, and burglary), the 114th Precinct had a rate of 385 crimes per 100,000 residents in 2019, compared to the boroughwide average of 424 crimes per 100,000 and the citywide average of 572 crimes per 100,000.[48][49][50]
Fire safety
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/ResidentialAstoria3.jpg/220px-ResidentialAstoria3.jpg)
Astoria is served by four New York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire stations:[51]
- Engine Company 263/Ladder Company 117 – 42-08 Astoria Boulevard South[52]
- Engine Company 262/Decon 2 – 30-89 21st Street[53]
- Engine Company 260 – 11-15 37th Avenue[54]
- Battalion 49/Engine Company 312 – 22-63 35th Street[55]
Health
As of 2018[update], preterm births and births to teenage mothers are less common in Astoria than in other places citywide. In Astoria, there were 84 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 15.1 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide).[19]: 11 Astoria has a relatively average population of residents who are uninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 12%, which is equal to the citywide rate of 12%.[19]: 14
The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in Astoria is 0.0078 milligrams per cubic metre (7.8×10−9 oz/cu ft), higher than the citywide and boroughwide averages.[19]: 9 Nineteen percent of Astoria residents are smokers, which is higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.[19]: 13 In Astoria, 19% of residents are obese, 11% are diabetic, and 29% have high blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively.[19]: 16 In addition, 22% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.[19]: 12
Eighty-nine percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is higher than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 79% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", about the same as the city's average of 78%.[19]: 13 For every supermarket in Astoria, there are 10 bodegas.[19]: 10
Astoria is served by the Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens.[56]
Post offices and ZIP Codes
Astoria is covered by ZIP Codes 11102 between 37th Avenue and Grand Central Parkway, 11105 north of Grand Central Parkway, 11106 between 31st and 37th Avenues west of 37th Street, 11101 south of 37th Avenue, and 11103 east of 37th Street.[4] The United States Post Office operates five locations nearby:
- Astoria Station – 30-11 21st Street[57]
- Broadway Station – 21-17 Broadway[58]
- Grand Station – 45-08 30th Avenue[59]
- Steinway Station – 43-04 Broadway[60]
- Woolsey Station – 22-68 31st Street[61]
Education
Astoria generally has a higher ratio of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018[update]. Half of residents (50%) have a college education or higher, while 16% have less than a high school education and 33% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 39% of Queens residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher.[19]: 6 The percentage of Astoria students excelling in math rose from 43 percent in 2000 to 65 percent in 2011, and reading achievement rose from 47% to 49% during the same time period.[62]
Astoria's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is about equal to the rest of New York City. In Astoria, 19% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year, less than the citywide average of 20%.[20]: 24 (PDF p. 55) [19]: 6 Additionally, 78% of high school students in Astoria graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%.[19]: 6
Schools
The New York City Department of Education operates Astoria's public schools.[63]
Astoria also has several private schools, many of which offer parochial education:
- Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy (Nursery – 8th Grade) (21-63 29th Street)
- Les Enfants Montessori School (29-21 Newtown Avenue)
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School (23--15 Newtown Avenue)
- Queens Lutheran School (31-20 37th Street)
- St. Catherine and St. George School (22-30 33rd Street)
- St. Demetrios Astoria School (30-03 30th Drive)
- St. Francis of Assisi School (21-18 46th Street)
- St. John's Preparatory School (21-21 Crescent Street)
- St. Joseph's Academy (Pre-K – 8th) (28-46 44th Street)
- Most Precious Blood School (Pre-K – 8th) (32-52 37th Street)
- El-Ber Islamic School (25-42 49th Street)
- The 30th Avenue School (28-37 29th Street)
- P.S. 70 30-44 43rd Street
- Horace Greeley I.S.10 30-44 43rd St
- P.S./M.S. 122Q. Mamie Fay (Pre-K – 8th) (21-21 Ditmars Boulevard)
Libraries
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/QPL_Astoria_Blvd_14th_St_jeh.jpg/220px-QPL_Astoria_Blvd_14th_St_jeh.jpg)
Queens Public Library operates three branches within Astoria:
- The Astoria branch at 14-01 Astoria Boulevard[64]
- The Broadway branch at 40-20 Broadway[65]
- The Steinway branch at 21-45 31st Street[66]
Transportation
Public transportation
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/R46_W_train_at_30th_Avenue.jpg/220px-R46_W_train_at_30th_Avenue.jpg)
The following New York City Subway stations serve Astoria:[67]
- 30th Avenue (N and W trains)
- 36th Avenue (N and W trains)
- 36th Street (M and R trains)
- 46th Street (M and R trains)
- Astoria Boulevard (N and W trains)
- Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard (N and W trains)
- Broadway (N and W trains)
- Steinway Street (M and R trains)
The following MTA Regional Bus Operations bus routes serve Astoria:[68]
- Q18: to Maspeth via 30th Avenue
- Q19: to Flushing–Main Street (7 and <7> trains) via Astoria Boulevard
- Q66: to Queensboro Plaza (7, <7>, N and W trains) or Flushing–Main Street (7 and <7> trains) via 35th Avenue
- Q69: to Queensboro Plaza (7, <7>, N and W trains) or Astoria Heights via 21st Street and Ditmars Boulevard
- Q100: to Queens Plaza (E, M, and R trains) or Rikers Island, Bronx via 21st Street and 20th Avenue
- Q101: to East Midtown, Manhattan or Astoria Heights via Steinway Street and 20th Avenue
- Q102: to Roosevelt Island via 31st Street and 30th Avenue
- Q103: to Vernon Boulevard–Jackson Avenue (7 and <7> trains) via Vernon Boulevard
- Q104: to 46th Street–Bliss Street (7 train) via Broadway
- M60 SBS: to Morningside Heights, Manhattan, or LaGuardia Airport via Astoria Boulevard
Astoria has been served by NYC Ferry's Astoria route[69] since August 2017.[70][71]
There are plans to build the Brooklyn–Queens Connector (BQX), a light rail system that would run along the waterfront from Red Hook in Brooklyn to Astoria. However, the system is projected to cost $2.7 billion, and the projected opening has been delayed until at least 2029.[72][73]
Roads
The primary streets running north–south are Vernon Boulevard along the East River; 21st Street, a major traffic artery with a mix of residential, commercial and industrial areas; 31st Street; and Steinway Street (named for Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later Henry E. Steinway), founder of the piano company Steinway & Sons),[74] a major commercial street with many retail stores.
Fourteen percent of roads in Astoria have bike lanes, higher than the rate in the city overall.[19]: 10 Bicycle lanes, built as part of the city's bike lane system, include marked space along Vernon Boulevard, 20th Avenue, 21st Street, 34th and 36th Avenues, and access to protected paths crossing the Triborough Bridge onto Randalls and Wards Islands. Riders may also engage in more scenic biking along short sections of Shore Blvd. bordering both Astoria Park and Ralph DeMarco Park, a span that is occasionally closed to motor vehicle traffic during events.[75]
Notable people
Born in Astoria
- Ted Alexandro (born 1969), comedian[76]
- Iris Apfel (1921–2024), businesswoman and style icon[77]
- Joe Bastianich (born 1968), chef and restaurant owner[78]
- Bob Beckwith (1932–2024), firefighter who stood next to George W. Bush during his speech at the World Trade Center ruins[79]
- Tony Bennett (1926–2023), Grammy-winning singer[80][81][82]
- Jay Black (1938–2021), lead singer of the band Jay and the Americans[83]
- Frank Bonsangue, actor and television personality[84]
- Eddie Bracken (1915–2002), actor[85]
- Hillary Brooke (born Beatrice Peterson, 1914–1999), actress and Lou Costello's love interest on The Abbott and Costello Show[86]
- The Cadillac Man, author, Land of the Lost Souls: My Life on the Streets[87][88]
- Maria Callas (1923–1977), opera singer (early childhood)[89]
- Robert Davi (born 1953), actor, who has appeared in The Goonies, Die Hard, and Licence to Kill[90]
- John Frusciante (born 1970), guitarist for Red Hot Chili Peppers.[91]
- Ed Gardner (1901–1963), actor, best known for his work on Duffy's Tavern[92]
- Anthony Giacchino (born 1969), filmmaker and producer[93]
- George Gibbs (1815–1873), geologist who contributed to the study of the languages of the indigenous peoples of Washington Territory[94]
- Jack Kelly (1927–1992), actor, mayor of Huntington Beach, California[95]
- Cyndi Lauper (born 1953), singer, songwriter, actress, LGBT activist[96]
- Billy Loes (1929–2010), right-handed pitcher who spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants.[97]
- Melanie Martinez (born 1995), singer-songwriter, appeared on The Voice (2012)[98]
- Patrick McGoohan (1928–2009), actor[99]
- Chris Megaloudis (born 1984), soccer player for the Puerto Rico national football team[100]
- Ethel Merman (1908–1984), Broadway actress and singer[80]
- Eric Metaxas (born 1963), author, founder of "Socrates in the City"[101]
- Marilyn Milian (born 1961), judge on television series The People's Court[102]
- Dito Montiel (born 1965), author, screenwriter, director and musician[103]
- Nicole and Natalie Albino, of the musical duo Nina Sky
- Al Oerter (1936–2007), Olympic discus throw four-time gold medalist[104]
- Melanie Safka (1947-2024), singer-songwriter[105]
- Joe Santagato (born 1992), Youtuber and entertainer[106]
- Franz Schurmann (1926–2010), Cold War-era expert on the People's Republic of China[107]
- Dee Snider (born 1955), singer of heavy metal rock band Twisted Sister[108]
- Christopher Walken (born 1943), Academy Award-winning actor[109]
- Gordon Willis (1931–2014), Academy Award-winning-cinematographer[110]
Raised in or moved to Astoria
- Alvey A. Adee (1842–1924), acting U.S. Secretary of State[111]
- Lidia Bastianich, (born 1947) celebrity chef, TV host, cookbook author and restaurateur[112]
- Panayiota Bertzikis (born 1981), author, public speaker, and women's rights activist.[113]
- Chester Carlson (1906–1968), inventor of xerography and co-founder of Xerox[114]
- Alex Corbisiero (born 1988), professional rugby union player[115]
- Kambri Crews, author and storyteller[116][117][118]
- Jesse Eisenberg (born 1983), actor.[119]
- Christian Finnegan, comedian and actor[117][120][121]
- Whitey Ford (1928–2020), New York Yankees pitcher[122]
- George Gemünder (1816–1899), German-born American violin maker who pioneered the construction of quality violins in the United States.[123]
- Shane Gillis (born 1987), comedian and podcast host.[124]
- Chamique Holdsclaw (born 1977), basketball player[125]
- Anik Khan (born 1989), Bangladeshi-American hip-hop artist[126]
- Nomiki Konst (born 1984), journalist[127]
- George Maharis (1928–2023), actor and singer, best known for his work on Route 66[128]
- John H. Meier (born 1933), financier and former business associate of Howard Hughes, also involved with Watergate[129]
- Nicole Petallides (born 1971), Fox Business reporter[130]
- Henrietta Rodman (1877–1923), feminist and educator[131]
- Larry Sharpe (born 1968), businessman and politician[132]
Grave sites
Additionally, Astoria is the final resting place of New York City mobster Frank Costello as well as ragtime composer and musician Scott Joplin. Both Costello and Joplin are interred at St. Michael's Cemetery. The cemetery hosts annual public events and concerts to celebrate Joplin's musical legacy, including a Joplin retrospective.[133]
Community
Astoria has a lively local community and hosts a number of neighborhood events. Since 2020, the 31st Ave Open Street, a branch of NYC Open Streets, runs programming on 31st avenue with local businesses and artists.[1] Shop Small Astoria, a collective of independent retail stores, host neighborhood shopping and drink crawls.[2]
In popular culture
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Hellsgate_Bridge.jpg/200px-Hellsgate_Bridge.jpg)
The neighborhood has often been featured in various media; in film and television, the area is either featured as Astoria or as a setting for another location in New York City.
Film
- In the film Joe (1970), Peter Boyle's character is a "hippie-hating hardhat" who lives in Astoria.[134]
- The 1973 film adaptation of the John-Michael Tebelak stage musical Godspell includes multiple images of characters beneath the supports for The Hell Gate Bridge, or East River Arch Bridge, as seen from Randall's Island, both while the plot unfolds as well as during visual montages that take place in such numbers as Day by Day and We Beseech Thee. The view of the bridge is similar to those found in Astoria Park and Astoria can occasionally be viewed in the background of shots facing east.
- Serpico (1973), with Al Pacino, had several scenes filmed in Astoria. For example, the elevated train stop at Ditmars Boulevard was the location for a chase scene, and Serpico has a clandestine meeting in Astoria Park under the Hell Gate Bridge.
- King Kong (1976) has a scene in Astoria, at Astoria Boulevard and 31st Street, where the two main characters board the RR train at the Astoria Boulevard station on the BMT Astoria Line.
- The 1982 film version of Tempest, starring John Cassavetes, had scenes shot at the cafes on 23rd Ave off 31st St.
- Five Corners (1987), starring Jodie Foster, was shot in Astoria.[135]
- The movie Queens Logic (1991) was filmed all around Astoria and features an Astoria landmark—the Hell Gate Bridge. One of the screenwriters, Tony Spiridakis, has roots in Astoria.[136]
- The Robert De Niro film A Bronx Tale (1993) was set in the Bronx, but most of the exterior scenes were filmed in Astoria as well as the nearby neighborhood of Woodside. The high school featured in the film is William Cullen Bryant High School on 31st Avenue, the church used in the film is St. Joseph's on 30th Avenue, and the funeral parlor scenes were shot from a funeral home on 30th Ave, across the street from St. Joseph's Church.
- The independent film Girls Town (1996) shows scenes shot in Astoria Park.
- Woody Allen's film Hollywood Ending (2002) had scenes shot in the neighborhood surrounding the Kaufman Astoria stages.
- A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006), starring Robert Downey Jr. and Shia LaBeouf, and adapted from Dito Montiel's 2001 memoir about the filmmaker's experiences growing up in the neighborhood during the 1980s, was filmed at various locations around Astoria.[137]
- The Accidental Husband (2008), directed by Griffin Dunne, with Uma Thurman, Colin Firth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan was filmed in Astoria on 33rd Street and 23rd Avenue.[138]
- The remake of the comedy film Arthur (2011) depicts at least one scene showing Astoria, Queens, using a Batmobile visual shown from 34th Street and 34th Avenue in the neighborhood.
- People Places Things (2015) by James C. Strouse was filmed at several locations in Astoria, including Astoria Park; the protagonist, played by Jemaine Clement, is described as living in Astoria.[139]
Gaming
- The video game Grand Theft Auto IV—which takes place in a mock New York City named Liberty City—has a neighborhood named Steinway in the borough of Dukes, the counterpart of Queens in the game. The game features a Bohemian Hall-inspired "Steinway Beer Garden", but as an Irish-and-German themed bar instead of Czech. (A mock TV commercial for the Steinway Beer Garden, viewable at the Rockstar website, includes the voice-over remarking that the Garden is "ethnically confused".)[140] Steinway Park is modeled after Astoria Park, with its famous outdoor pool (including the diving platforms) and scenic water's-edge pathway. Numerous signs and awnings of real local Astoria businesses appear in the game, although the names have been altered (e.g. "ASTORIA Medical Dental" becomes "ROSARIA Medical Dental").
- The video game The Godfather II depicts Astoria in its version of New York City.
- The video game Spider-Man 2 has Astoria as an explorable area and is where Peter Parker's house is.
Literature
- In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby (1925), Jay Gatsby is pulled over by a policeman on a "motor cycle" in Astoria while driving with the narrator into the city.
- Astoria is the setting for Dito Montiel's memoir, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2001), later made into a 2006 film.
- Astoria is the setting for the novel Autobiography/Masquerade (2006), written to honor the memory of Antonio "Nino" Pellegrino, an Astoria native who appeared briefly in A Bronx Tale.
- In Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead (1943), lead character Howard Roark destroys the Cortlandt Homes housing project which is located on the East River in Astoria.[141]
Music
- Sufjan Stevens recorded a majority of Illinoise at The Buddy Project Recording Studio in Astoria.
- Rapper Action Bronson filmed his music video "Strictly 4 My Jeeps" in Astoria. The video was released on May 20, 2013, as the single for his album Saaab Stories.
- Queens Metal band Emmure released a track on their 3rd studio album Felony titled "Bars in Astoria". It was featured on the Ibanez website in their interview with members of the band in promotion of their product.
- The music video for the song "Your Love" (1985) by the British band The Outfield was set in a sound stage/painting studio in the rear of what is currently Strand Pharmacy at 25-01 Broadway. At the end of the video, the female "painter" walks out of the sound stage onto Crescent St. and then makes a left onto Broadway.
Television
- The 1970s situation comedy All in the Family was set in Astoria, although the address given for Archie Bunker's home (704 Hauser Street) is fictional, and the exterior of the house shown in the opening credits was shot elsewhere in Queens.
- The television series Cosby, starring Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad and Madeleine Kahn (not to be confused with the earlier series The Cosby Show) was set in Astoria and was filmed there, at the Kaufman Astoria Studios on 35th Avenue.[142]
- The Showtime original series Nurse Jackie is shot at Kaufman Astoria Studios as well as on location in Astoria.
- The Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black is shot at Kaufman Astoria Studios as well as on location in Astoria.
- The block of 37th Street between Ditmars Boulevard and 23rd Avenue is sometimes referred to as "the Seinfeld Street". In the Seinfeld television show, this street is occasionally seen in external establishing shots as the block where George Costanza's parents live.[143]
- Kaufman Astoria Studios has further been longtime host to the PBS series Sesame Street and has been credited with local shoots on films like The Stepford Wives, the 2009 remake of The Taking of Pelham 123, and the Golden Globe-winning Angels in America.
- The character Abbi Abrams from Broad City lives in Astoria.[144]
References
- ^ a b "NYC Planning | Community Profiles". communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov. New York City Department of City Planning. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
- ^ a b c Table PL-P5 NTA: Total Population and Persons Per Acre – New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010 Archived June 10, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Population Division – New York City Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 16, 2016.
- ^ a b Table PL-P3A NTA: Total Population by Mutually Exclusive Race and Hispanic Origin – New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010 Archived June 10, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Population Division – New York City Department of City Planning, March 29, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2016.
- ^ a b "Astoria-Long Island City, New York City-Queens, New York Zip Code Boundary Map (NY)". United States Zip Code Boundary Map (USA). Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ a b "NYPD – 114th Precinct". www.nyc.gov. New York City Police Department. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ^ "Current City Council Districts for Queens County" Archived December 22, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, New York City. Accessed May 5, 2017.
- ^ CIANA Explains: The Indigenous History of Astoria, CIANA, November 23, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2024. "Five years later, in 1652, the first inhabitant of now-Astoria, British-born William Hallett, relocated to New Netherland from Greenwich, Connecticut and on December 1 was sold Benfyn’s land on Hellgate Neck by Stuyvesant, supposedly in coordination with the Native Americans. Hallett’s stay did not last long; in 1655, his farm was burnt down by Natives, likely the Canarsee, so he moved further inland to Flushing."
- ^ Kadinsky, Sergey (2016). Hidden Waters of New York City: A History and Guide to 101 Forgotten Lakes, Ponds, Creeks, and Streams in the Five Boroughs. New York, NY: Countryman Press. pp. 96–98. ISBN 978-1-58157-566-8.
- ^ Skal, George von (1908). Illustrated History of the Borough of Queens, New York City. New York: F. T. Smiley. p. 84. LCCN 10008903. OCLC 5883592. Also available at Internet Archive
- ^ Phase IA Archaeological Documentary Study, Saint Peter's Church Senior Housing Project Property, Block 1942, Lots 12 and 29, Brooklyn, NY. HUD/202-K Archived February 1, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "History Topics". Greater Astoria Historical Society. Archived from the original on December 8, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
- ^ "The Neighborhoods of Long Island City". Greater Astoria Historical Society. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
- ^ Saxena, Jaya (July 18, 2014). "What Do Beavers Have to Do With Manhattan Real Estate?". New York Historical Society. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- ^ "Neighborhoods: Steinway". Greater Astoria Historical Society. Archived from the original on March 10, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
- ^ Federal Writers' Project (1939). New York City Guide. New York: Random House. p. 566. ISBN 978-1-60354-055-1. (Reprinted by Scholarly Press, 1976; often referred to as WPA Guide to New York City.)
- ^ Nevius, James. Long Island City's forgotten history", Curbed NY, November 16, 2018. Accessed January 1, 2024. "Today’s Long Island City neighborhood is a sliver of the old city. When that municipality was incorporated in 1870, it comprised nearly everything west of 49th Street, from the Newtown Creek on the south (still the border with Brooklyn) to the East River on the north. Steinway, Astoria, and Hunter’s Point were part of the city, along with mostly forgotten areas such as Newtown, Ravenswood, Blissville, and Dutch Kills."
- ^ "The Film Industry in Astoria – The Story of Astoria". macaulay.cuny.edu. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- ^ "Race / Ethnic Change by Neighborhood" (Excel file). Center for Urban Research, The Graduate Center, CUNY. May 23, 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Long Island City and Astoria (Including Astoria, Astoria Heights, Queensbridge, Dutch Kills, Long Island City, Ravenswood and Steinway)" (PDF). nyc.gov. NYC Health. 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- ^ a b "2016–2018 Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan: Take Care New York 2020" (PDF). nyc.gov. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
- ^ "NYC-Queens Community District 1—Astoria & Long Island City PUMA, NY". Census Reporter. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ "Greater Astoria Historical Society – Events". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
- ^ "New wave of Greeks flocking to Astoria". NY Daily News. April 28, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ "Every Culture Page". Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ^ Kershaw, Sarah. "Queens to Detroit: A Bangladeshi Passage Archived March 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine." The New York Times. March 8, 2001. Retrieved on February 28, 2012.
- ^ "In New York's Multinational Astoria, Diversity Is Key To Harmony". NPR.org. March 30, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ "NYC2010" (PDF). Results from the 2010 census. City of New York. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
- ^ Jones, Delmos J.; Joan Turner; Joan Montbach (December 1992). "Declining Social Services and the Threat to Social Reproduction: An Urban Dilemma". City & Society. 6 (2): 99–114. doi:10.1525/city.1992.6.2.99.
- ^ O'Donnell, Michelle. "Life Limps On for Powerless in the Heart of Astoria" Archived December 10, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, July 23, 2006. Accessed January 30, 2008. "Gary Lyons shook his head. He pointed to welcome banners that had been affixed to lampposts. "See the flag?" he asked. "The heart of Astoria," it reads, "Welcome to 30th Avenue.""
- ^ "Forgotten New York: Ravenswood". April 9, 2005. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
- ^ maggiemel (April 9, 2005). "RAVENSWOOD, Queens". Forgotten New York. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Seyfried, Vincent F. (1984). 300 Years of Long Island City: 1630–1930. USA: Greater Astoria Historical Society. Archived from the original on December 19, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
- ^ *Neighborhoods: Ravenswood Archived May 23, 2015, at the Wayback Machine from the Greater Astoria Historical Society
- ^ Massey, Daniel (June 23, 2009). "Labor fight could unplug Queens power plant". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
- ^ Jackson, Kenneth T., The Encyclopedia of New York City, Yale University Press, 1995, p. 335.
- ^ Brownstoner.https://www.brownstoner.com/history/ditmars-boulevard-queens-businesses-architecture/ Archived April 17, 2021, at the Wayback Machine. April 16, 2021.
- ^ The Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead: History Archived September 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, accessed December 25, 2006. "The facts confirm that this dwelling is the oldest dwelling in New York City that is still a dwelling."
- ^ In 2008 the tour benefited the Greater Astoria Historical Society. Archived December 10, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Astoria Pool – – FindNetOne America Directory". Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
- ^ "Bohemian Hall History". Archived from the original on October 25, 2006. Retrieved July 20, 2006.
- ^ "St. Michael's Cemetery". Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
- ^ "Steinway & Sons official site".
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 2/10/14 through 2/14/14. National Park Service. February 21, 2014.
- ^ Pollak, Michael (December 5, 2004). "From Kitchen to Copier". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ Rainey Park, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Accessed September 21, 2023.
- ^ "114th Precinct CompStat Report" (PDF). www.nyc.gov. New York City Police Department. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- ^ "NYC Crime Map". www.nyc.gov. New York City Police Department. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
- ^ "Citywide Seven Major Felony Offenses 2000–2019" (PDF). www.nyc.gov. New York Police Department. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
- ^ "Citywide Seven Major Felony Offenses by Precinct 2000–2019" (PDF). www.nyc.gov. New York Police Department. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
- ^ "FDNY Firehouse Listing – Location of Firehouses and companies". NYC Open Data; Socrata. New York City Fire Department. September 10, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ "Engine Company 263/Ladder Company 117". FDNYtrucks.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "Engine Company 262". FDNYtrucks.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "Engine Company 260". FDNYtrucks.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "Engine Company 312/Battalion 49". FDNYtrucks.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ Finkel, Beth (February 27, 2014). "Guide To Queens Hospitals". Queens Tribune. Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "Location Details: Astoria". USPS.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "Location Details: Broadway". USPS.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "Location Details: Grand". USPS.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "Location Details: Broadway". USPS.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "Location Details: Broadway". USPS.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "Long Island City/Astoria – QN 01" (PDF). Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy. 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
- ^ A complete listing searchable by ZIP Code can be found on the Department's official website Archived February 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Branch Detailed Info: Astoria". Queens Public Library. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "Branch Detailed Info: Broadway". Queens Public Library. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "Branch Detailed Info: Steinway". Queens Public Library. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "Subway Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ "Queens Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. August 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
- ^ "Routes and Schedules: Astoria". NYC Ferry.
- ^ Barone, Vin (August 28, 2017). "Astoria's NYC Ferry route launches Tuesday". am New York. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- ^ Evelly, Jeanmarie (August 29, 2017). "SEE IT: NYC Ferry Service Launches New Astoria Route". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
- ^ "New Plan for City Streetcar: Shorter, Pricier and Not Coming Soon". The New York Times. August 30, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ George, Michael (August 30, 2018). "Brooklyn-Queens Connector Streetcar Would Cost $2.7 Billion". NBC New York. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ Street Necrology of Astoria Archived May 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, accessed December 31, 2006
- ^ "NYC Cycling Map 2001" (PDF).
- ^ "Funny Pages" Archived October 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Queens Tribune. Accessed October 23, 2007. "A part of Astoria funnyman Ted Alexandro could be seen in the July issue of Maxim magazine."
- ^ Sommer, Jack. "Meet the 93-year-old 'rare bird' who models for Kate Spade and makes Kanye West blush" Archived September 27, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Business Insider, August 24, 2015. Accessed September 25, 2016. "Apfel was born in Astoria, Queens, on August 29, 1921. Her mother was a lawyer and her father was a fashion boutique owner. As a child, she delighted in styling store windows and going on design studio visits with her father."
- ^ Resnick, Leah. "Joe Bastianich's Transformation Is Seriously Turning Heads" Archived May 19, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Mashed, December 16, 2021. Accessed May 19, 2022. "Growing up, Joe Bastianich showed little interest in the culinary world. Born in Astoria, Queens to parents who both worked in the restaurant business, he knew firsthand how financially insecure it could be."
- ^ Roberts, Sam (February 5, 2024). "Bob Beckwith, Firefighter Who Stood With Bush After 9/11, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Jackson, Nancy Beth. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Astoria; Accessible, Affordable and Highly Diverse" Archived June 15, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, October 19, 2003. Accessed October 17, 2007. "Local celebrities in addition to Mr. Bennett include Christopher Walken and the late Ethel Merman."
- ^ Photos: Tony Bennett in Astoria, Newsday, September 13, 2006.
- ^ Staff. "Hollywood Star Walk: Tony Bennett" Archived September 27, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Los Angeles Times. Accessed September 25, 2016. "Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on Aug. 3, 1926 in Astoria, N.Y."
- ^ Sandomir, Richard. "Jay Black, Soaring Lead Singer of the Americans, Dies at 82" Archived October 25, 2021, at archive.today, The New York Times, October 24, 2021. Accessed October 24, 2021. "David Blatt was born on Nov. 2, 1938, in Astoria, Queens, and grew up in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn."
- ^ Biography Archived August 3, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, Frankie "The Butcher" Bonsangue. Accessed May 19, 2022. "I was born and raised in Astoria, Queens. I come from a long line of butchers."
- ^ McLellan, Dennis. "Hollywood Star Walk: Eddie Bracken"[dead link], Los Angeles Times, November 16, 2002. Accessed September 25, 2016. "Born Edward Vincent Bracken on Feb. 7, 1915 in Astoria, N.Y."
- ^ Staff. "Hollywood Star Walk: Hillary Brooke" Archived September 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Los Angeles Times. Accessed September 25, 2016. "Born Beatrice Peterson on Sept. 8, 1914 in Astoria, N.Y."
- ^ Cadillac Man. "The Story of Cadillac Man and the land of the Lost Souls" Archived March 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Esquire, May 1, 2005. Accessed February 8, 2009.
- ^ Cowan, Coleman. "Sweeping Him Off His Street" Archived March 13, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, March 18, 2007. Accessed February 8, 2009.
- ^ Petsalis-Diomidis, Nicholas (2001). The Unknown Callas: The Greek Years. Amadeus Press. ISBN 1-57467-059-X.
- ^ Loudon, Christopher. "Robert Davi Sings Sinatra; A singer turned actor turns singer again" Archived December 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Jazz Times, October 24, 2011. Accessed September 25, 2016. "Born in the Astoria district of Queens, where Tony Bennett also hails from, Davi says, 'Singing was my first love.'"
- ^ "Astoria's Own Top Five" Archived October 25, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, Queens Scene, June 1, 2014. Accessed October 24, 2021. "You may have heard that Christopher Walken and Tony Bennett are from Astoria, but did you know we can also boast giving rise to Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, Twisted Sister lead singer Dee Snider and Friends' David Schwimmer?"
- ^ Staff. "Hollywood Star Walk: Ed Gardner" Archived September 27, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Los Angeles Times. Accessed September 25, 2016. "Born June 29, 1901 in Astoria, N.Y."
- ^ Coppock, Kristen. "Filmmaker brings 'The Camden 28' to the nation's attention on PBS" Archived December 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Burlington County Times, September 11, 2007. Accessed May 19, 2008. "A graduate of Holy Cross High School in Delran, the self-professed history buff, who lives in Astoria, N.Y., said he was especially curious why such an important event had happened so close to his hometown, and no one he had grown up with knew about it. He wanted to change that."
- ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume,1607–1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
- ^ "Jack Kelly". Matinee Classics. Archived from the original on September 28, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2019. Accessed February 2014.
- ^ Marzlock, Ron. "Ozone Park girl Lauper didn't always just have fun" Archived March 1, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Queens Chronicle, November 21, 2019. Accessed February 29, 2019. "Frederick married Domenica Gallo, 10 years his junior, in Queens in April 1951. She preferred to be called by her middle name, Katrine. Their first child, Ellen, was born in November 1951 followed by Cynthia Ann in June 1953 – she was born in Astoria – and a son, Frederick Jr., in 1958."
- ^ Wolf, Gregory H. Billy Loes Archived November 17, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed November 17, 2021. "William Loes was born on December 13, 1929, in Long Island City, New York, and was raised in Astoria, about a half-hour from Ebbets Field."
- ^ Connolly, Chris. "'Voicing' her thoughts" Archived August 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Long Island Herald, September 27, 2012. Accessed September 25, 2016. "The Astoria-born Martinez, whose family moved to Baldwin when she was 4, is energetic and slightly unpolished, but she's also earnest and has an obvious love of music."
- ^ Bennetts, Leslie. "McGoohan To Star In 'Pack of Lies'" Archived July 20, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, December 26, 1984. Accessed February 29, 2020.
- ^ Butler, Dylan. "The Butler Did It: Soccer star pays tribute to Megaloudis sister" Archived March 1, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, QNS.com, April 7, 2004. Accessed February 29, 2020. "Nick Megaloudis, who grew up in Astoria and played at Long Island City High School and Long Island University, was on a soccer field in Florida when his cell phone rang at about 4:45 p.m."
- ^ Metaxas, Eric. "About Eric" Archived December 31, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, 2012. Accessed January 17, 2012.
- ^ Rapacciuolo, Anthon. "Living the Dream at The People's Court" Archived January 25, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, New York Lifestyles Magazine, April 2016. Accessed February 29, 2020. "Born in Astoria, Queens Judge Milian moved with her family at the age of 8 to Miami, Florida where she later graduated the University of Miami summa cum laude."
- ^ Carr, David. "A Film Pays Tough-Eyed Homage to Astoria, Queens" Archived March 1, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, July 11, 2006. Accessed February 29, 2020. "Dito Montiel, a guy from Astoria, Queens, pulled off the trifecta, with a bit of help from Robert Downey Jr. A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, a movie based on a memoir of the same name, will be out this fall."
- ^ Litsky, Frank. "Al Oerter, Olympic Discus Champion, Is Dead at 71" Archived August 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, October 2, 2007. Accessed November 19, 2007. "Alfred Oerter Jr. was born Sept. 19, 1936, in Astoria, Queens, and grew up on Long Island, in New Hyde Park. At Sewanhaka High School, he was a sprinter and then a miler."
- ^ Spelling, Ian. "Melanie's new songs lend their vigor to her old hits" Archived March 8, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, The Record (Bergen County), October 12, 2007. Accessed December 20, 2007. "Born Melanie Safka in Astoria, N.Y., Melanie won over tens of thousands of fans at the legendary Woodstock concert..."
- ^ Stahl, Michael (March 11, 2013). "The Kardashians of Queens". narrative.ly. Narratively. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
- ^ Weber, Bruce. "Franz Schurmann, Cold War Expert on China, Dies at 84" Archived March 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, August 26, 2010. Accessed August 27, 2010.
- ^ Brinn, David. "Getting twisted with Dee Snider" Archived March 1, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, The Jerusalem Post, June 14, 2018. Accessed February 29, 2020. "A guy from Astoria, Queens, named Daniel Snider who's got endless charisma and natural stage presence – he's gotta be Jewish, right?"
- ^ Matua, Angela. "Artist honors Astoria-born Christopher Walken with concrete busts at Socrates Sculpture Park" Archived March 1, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, QNS.com, September 30, 2016. Accessed February 29, 2020. "Christopher Walken is arguably one of the most famous actors to hail from Astoria and a Queens-based artist decided to honor the actor with a series of concrete cast busts."
- ^ Anderson, John. "Gordon Willis, Godfather Cinematographer, Dies at 82" Archived August 8, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, May 19, 2014. Accessed February 29, 2020. "Gordon Hugh Willis was born in Astoria, Queens, on May 28, 1931, the child of former Broadway dancers."
- ^ Bridges, Peter. "An Appreciation of Alvey Adee".
- ^ "AT HOME WITH/Lidia Bastianich; A Recipe Kept Warm For 55 Years". The New York Times. November 15, 2001. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
- ^ Levy, Kayla. "Astoria Greek Orthodox Ritual Reported As 'Dangerous Incident'" Archived May 19, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Astoria-Long Island City, NY Patch, May 4, 2021. Accessed May 19, 2022. "The conversation continued on Twitter, where Panayiota Bertzikis, a veteran and women's rights activist from Astoria, Tweeted about the Citizen app incident — and others like it, where she said people targeted Orthodox Easter festivities in Astoria."
- ^ Dimsdale, A. (1963). "Chester F. Carlson, Inventor of Xerography—A biography". Photographic Science and Engineering. 7: 1–4. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^ "Alexander Richard Corbisiero".
- ^ Rosenberg, Eli (October 19, 2014). "New Astoria comedy club will offer laughs and more as a new community space". New York Daily News.
- ^ a b Shilling, Andrew (November 4, 2014). "Queens Ledger – Q E D in Astoria is A Place to Show & Tell". Queens Ledger. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
- ^ "Shows Start At New Astoria Artspace". Queens Tribune. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on September 5, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
- ^ Guillaume, Kristine. "Astoria Takes The Stage, Page, And Screen" Archived January 13, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Queens Gazette, July 29, 2015. Accessed January 13, 2022. "Best known for his 2010 lead role as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, Jesse Eisenberg was born in Astoria in 1983."
- ^ "The Star of TBS's "Are We There Yet", Astoria's Own Christian Finnegan". Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
- ^ "7 Questions with Christian Finnegan | First Order Historians". Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016. "But the thing I'm most excited about is being the primary investor in my wife's new venue, Q.E.D: A Place to Show and Tell. It's a space for writers, storytellers, actors, comedians, poets and creative types in our longtime neighborhood of Astoria, Queens."
- ^ Berkow, Ira. "On Baseball; Ford Highlight Film Started Early" Archived July 27, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, August 17, 2000. Accessed November 3, 2007. "Vivid in my memory is Stengel's shrug, palms up at his sides, gesturing in response to the mixture of cheers for Ford and boos for his removal. It was a display of sympathy for the kid from Astoria, Queens, who just a few years earlier was playing in street stickball games, and now under a national spotlight and World Series pressure had pitched so beautifully."
- ^ "George Gemunder Dead.; The Celebrated Violin Maker Passes Away at His Home in Astoria – He Won Many Prizes." Archived January 13, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, January 17, 1899. Accessed January 13, 2022.
- ^ Butler, Bethonie via The Washington Post. "New SNL member chided for racial slurs" Archived December 10, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Telegram & Gazette, September 15, 2019. Accessed May 19, 2022. "After Gillis' DC Drafthouse gig, he appeared on Counter Currents, a podcast that features interviews with the venue's headliners but is produced independently. In the episode, Gillis talks about moving to New York's Astoria neighborhood earlier this year, and asserts he was the 'biggest comic in Philly' before moving to New York."
- ^ Lawrence, Andrew. "Where are they now: Catching up with Chamique Holdsclaw" Archived March 1, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Sports Illustrated, July 10, 2014. Accessed February 29, 2020. "Back in the late-90s, when women's pro basketball was still in its infancy, respect for a certain 6-foot-3 Tennessee forward's game ran so high that Slam magazine featured her on its cover in a Knicks jersey with the headline, 'Is the NBA ready for Chamique Holdsclaw?' The Astoria, Queens native had just led the Lady Vols to their third straight national title and Holdsclaw seemed ready to assume the greatest-women's-player-of-all-time mantle."
- ^ Dustin, Desoto (June 25, 2017). "Rapper Anik Khan On His Father's 'Unconditional Love'". NPR.org. NPR. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
- ^ Parry, Bill. "Public Advocate race down to seventeen candidates including three from Queens" Archived March 1, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, QNS.com, January 31, 2019. Accessed February 29, 2020. "The city's Board of Election announced that state Assemblyman Ron Kim, City Councilman Eric Ulrich and Astoria resident Nomiki Konst had made the ballot along with front runners such as Assemblyman Michael Blake of the Bronx, City Councilman Jumaane Williams of Brooklyn and former Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito."
- ^ "Stars of TV's 'Route 66' working on opposite coasts." Archived January 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Albuquerque Journal, November 16, 2003. Accessed November 30, 2007. "George Maharis was born Sept. 1, 1928, in Astoria, N.Y."
- ^ Van Fossen, Anthony (2006). Ivan Molloy; Ron Reavall (eds.). "A New Howard Hughes: John Meier, Entrepreneurship, and the International Political Economy of the Bank of the South Pacific" (PDF). The Eye of the Cyclone Book 2: Governance and Stability in the Pacific. 2. Noosa Heads, Queensland: The University of the Sunshine Coast and Rock Mountain Publishing: 129–162. Retrieved March 6, 2008.
- ^ "Astoria native anchoring Greek parade". 2010.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Tanya; Smyth, Elizabeth M. (July 23, 2014). Women Educators, Leaders and Activists: Educational Lives and Networks 1900–1960. Springer. ISBN 9781137303523.
- ^ "Garden City resident meets with candidate for governor" Archived March 1, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, The Garden City News, September 13, 2018. Accessed February 29, 2020. "Former Libertarian State Chair Richard Cooper (right) of Garden City recently spoke with Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Larry Sharpe of Astoria at a Manhattan fundraiser."
- ^ "St. Michael's Cemetery:Events Archive". Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
- ^ Lewis, Dan. "Joe Fights His Identity" Archived May 19, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, The Record, December 13, 1970. Accessed May 19, 2022. "Peter Boyle played the title role of Joe, the hippie-hating hardhat from Astoria, Queens. Many passersby recognize him on the streets of New York and assume he shares Joe's attitudes. He doesn't."
- ^ Champlin, Charles. "Five Corners Knows Its Place and Has Its Says About It" Archived May 19, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Los Angeles Times, March 5, 1988. Accessed May 19, 2022. "Much of the neighborhood, in fact, simply no longer exists. Bill shot in Astoria Park, Queens, which still looks as Five Corners did a quarter-century ago."
- ^ "Film Celebrates Queens Logic" Archived October 9, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Queens Scene, April 1, 2015. Accessed October 9, 2022. "Queens Logic. The very essence of our community – a certain kind of logic that comes with living in the most diverse area in the world.... Almost the entire move was filmed in Astoria, save for a Manhattan scene here and there."
- ^ A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints Archived November 3, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Film Education. Accessed May 19, 2022. "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is based on director Dito Montiel's youth during the mid-eighties in the tough neighbourhood of Astoria, Queens."
- ^ Gioino, Catherina. "On Location In Astoria – The Accidental Husband" Archived December 10, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Queens Scene, March 1, 2015. Accessed May 19, 2022. "This month's On Location in Astoria selection is 2008's The Accidental Husband, starring Uma Thurman, Colin Firth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.... But back to the main reason why we're here – Astoria. Patrick lives on the second floor above the Samosa Palace Restaurant, on 33rd Street and 23rd Avenue. Though the restaurant is now a laundromat, the rest remains the same."
- ^ Holden, Stephen. "Review: In People Places Things, Jemaine Clement Navigates Life as a Newly Single Dad" Archived May 19, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, August 13, 2015. Accessed May 19, 2022. "A whiny, high-strung control freak and compulsive scold, she is such a pill that you wonder what the brokenhearted Will, who moves to Astoria, Queens, could possibly have seen in her."
- ^ "Rockstar Games: Grand Theft Auto IV: Steinway Beer Garden". Retrieved February 8, 2008.
- ^ Cookinham, Frederick. Man in the Place of the Gids: What Cities Mean Archived December 10, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, p. 22. iUniverse, 2016. ISBN 9781491794067. Accessed March 15, 2018. "That is where Roark's trial would have been held, since his crime of blowing up Cortlandt Homes took place in Astoria, County of Queens."
- ^ "Cosby". Internet Movie Database.
- ^ McCormack, Simon (August 23, 2010). "Seinfeld's Jerry Stiller Visits 'Costanza House' in Astoria". Huffington Post.
- ^ "See a Map of Broad City Drawn by Star Abbi Jacobson". December 2, 2014.
External links
Queens/Long Island City and Astoria travel guide from Wikivoyage
Media related to Astoria, Queens at Wikimedia Commons