Astoria, Queens
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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. Template:As of, Astoria has an estimated population of 95,446.<ref name=PLP5/>
Originally the site of a War of 1812 fortification, a village called Hallet's (or Hallett's) Cove after its first landowner William Hallet, who settled there in 1652 with his wife, Elizabeth Fones grew around the fort. 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 one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Queens.
Astoria is colloquially referred to by several nicknames: "Actoria" highlighting the neighborhood's significant population of actors, drawn by its proximity to the Kaufman Astoria Studios, Silvercup Studios, and the Theater District; "The People's Republic of Astoria," referencing the neighborhood's reputation as a progressive political hub - as of 2023, it became the only district in the United States to elect Democratic Socialists of America representatives at municipal, state, and federal levels;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and "The Big Apple’s Fruit Basket" due to the thousands of fruit trees, particularly fig trees, cultivated in local yards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Astoria is located in Queens Community District 1<ref name="NYCPlanning"/> and its ZIP Codes are 11101, 11102, 11103, 11105, and 11106.<ref name="zipmaps"/> It is patrolled by the New York City Police Department's 114th Precinct.<ref name="NYPD 114th Precinct"/> 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.<ref>"Current City Council Districts for Queens County" Template:Webarchive, New York City. Accessed May 5, 2017.</ref>
HistoryEdit
Template:More citations needed
Early settlementEdit
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.<ref>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."</ref> The peninsula was bordered to the north by Hell Gate, to the west by the East River, and the south by Sunswick Creek.<ref name="Kadinsky20162">Template:Cite Hidden Waters NYC</ref>Template:Rp Hallet bought the land in 1664 from two native chiefs named Shawestcont and Erramorhar.<ref name="Skal 1908" />Template:Rp
In 1814 the area of Hallet's point became the site of Fort Stevens, a defensive work to protect Hell Gate from a potential British attack during the War of 1812.<ref name="OLD ASTORIA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The coastal fort also had an inland defensive position, Castle Bogardus, to protect from a land attack.<ref name="Appendix">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Together these structures where the first permanent buildings in what would become Astoria.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> By 1815 the fort would be abandoned, but by 1836 a small village of 20 to 30 dwellings and an Episcopalian church was built, naming itself the aforementioned Hallet's Cove. <ref name="Appendix"/><ref name="OLD ASTORIA"/>
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,<ref>Phase IA Archaeological Documentary Study, Saint Peter's Church Senior Housing Project Property, Block 1942, Lots 12 and 29, Brooklyn, NY. HUD/202-K Template:Webarchive</ref> and previously founded by fur merchant Stephen A. Halsey, was a noted recreational destination and resort for Manhattan's wealthy.<ref name="Astoria history1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Astoria history2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Economic developmentEdit
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.<ref name="Astoria history3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite fednyc</ref>
Astoria and several other surrounding villages, including Steinway, were incorporated into Long Island City in 1870.<ref>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."</ref> 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.<ref name="Astoria history1"/>
Astoria also figured prominently in early American filmmaking as one of its initial centers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> That heritage is preserved today by the Museum of the Moving Image and Kaufman Astoria Studios.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
DemographicsEdit
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 Template:Convert, the neighborhood had a population density of Template:Convert.<ref name="PLP5">Table PL-P5 NTA: Total Population and Persons Per Acre – New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010 Template:Webarchive, Population Division – New York City Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 16, 2016.</ref>
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.<ref name="PLP3A">Table PL-P3A NTA: Total Population by Mutually Exclusive Race and Hispanic Origin – New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010 Template:Webarchive, Population Division – New York City Department of City Planning, March 29, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2016.</ref>
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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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.<ref name="CHP2018">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Rp This is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.<ref name=":21">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Rp 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.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp
Template:Asof, the median household income in Community District 1 was $67,444.<ref name="CB1PUMA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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, Template:As of, 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.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp
Ethnic groupsEdit
Early populationsEdit
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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Later populationsEdit
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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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.<ref>Kershaw, Sarah. "Queens to Detroit: A Bangladeshi Passage Template:Webarchive." The New York Times. March 8, 2001. Retrieved on February 28, 2012.</ref>
By the early 21st century, Astoria was one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Queens, with people from around 100 countries residing there Template:As of.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
GeographyEdit
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".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Banners displayed on lamp posts along 30th Avenue refer to it as "the Heart of Astoria".<ref>O'Donnell, Michelle. "Life Limps On for Powerless in the Heart of Astoria" Template:Webarchive, 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.""</ref>
RavenswoodEdit
Ravenswood is the name for the strip of land bordering the East River and Long Island City, and is part of Astoria.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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."<ref name="Seyfried">Template:Cite book</ref>
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.<ref>*Neighborhoods: Ravenswood Template:Webarchive from the Greater Astoria Historical Society</ref> In 1870, Ravenswood, along with several other hamlets and the Village of Astoria, merged to form Long Island City.<ref name="Seyfried"/>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
DitmarsEdit
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.<ref>Jackson, Kenneth T., The Encyclopedia of New York City, Yale University Press, 1995, p. 335.</ref> 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.<ref>Brownstoner.https://www.brownstoner.com/history/ditmars-boulevard-queens-businesses-architecture/ Template:Webarchive. April 16, 2021.</ref>
Astoria HeightsEdit
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 78Template:Hyphen03 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.<ref>The Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead: History Template:Webarchive, accessed December 25, 2006. "The facts confirm that this dwelling is the oldest dwelling in New York City that is still a dwelling."</ref> 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.<ref>In 2008 the tour benefited the Greater Astoria Historical Society. Template:Webarchive</ref>
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 interestEdit
- Museum of the Moving Image in the former Kaufman Astoria Studios building
- Isamu Noguchi Museum
- Socrates Sculpture Park
- Halletts Point Esplanade,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> a newly constructed riverside public park developed by The Durst Organization as part of their building complex attached to 10 Halletts Point, 20 Halletts Point, and 30 Halletts Point. Visitors can view the East River and Manhattan skyline.
- 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)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- 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<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- 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.<ref name="nris">Template:NRISref</ref><ref name="nps">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- The 1938 birthplace of xerography, and thus Xerox, by Chester Carlson at 32Template:Hyphen05 37th Street.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Rainey Park, on an Template:Convert 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.<ref>Rainey Park, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Accessed September 21, 2023.</ref>
Police and crimeEdit
Astoria is patrolled by the 114th Precinct of the NYPD, located at 34Template:Hyphen16 Astoria Boulevard. The precinct also covers parts of Long Island City and Woodside.<ref name="NYPD 114th Precinct">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Asof, 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.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp
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.<ref name = "crime map">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Fire safetyEdit
Astoria is served by four New York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire stations:<ref>Template:Cite FDNY locations</ref>
- Engine Company 263/Ladder Company 117 – 42Template:Hyphen08 Astoria Boulevard South<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Engine Company 262/Decon 2 – 30Template:Hyphen89 21st Street<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Engine Company 260 – 11Template:Hyphen15 37th Avenue<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Battalion 49/Engine Company 312 – 22Template:Hyphen63 35th Street<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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HealthEdit
Template:As of, 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).<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp 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%.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp
The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in Astoria is Template:Convert, higher than the citywide and boroughwide averages.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp Nineteen percent of Astoria residents are smokers, which is higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp 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.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp In addition, 22% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp
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%.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp For every supermarket in Astoria, there are 10 bodegas.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp
Astoria is served by the Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Post offices and ZIP CodesEdit
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.<ref name="zipmaps">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The United States Post Office operates five locations nearby:
- Astoria Station – 30-11 21st Street<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Broadway Station – 21-17 Broadway<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Grand Station – 45-08 30th Avenue<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Steinway Station – 43-04 Broadway<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Woolsey Station – 22Template:Hyphen68 31st Street<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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EducationEdit
Astoria generally has a higher ratio of college-educated residents than the rest of the city Template:As of. 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.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp 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.<ref name=":17">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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%.<ref name=":21" />Template:Rp<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp Additionally, 78% of high school students in Astoria graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp
SchoolsEdit
The New York City Department of Education operates Astoria's public schools.<ref>A complete listing searchable by ZIP Code can be found on the Department's official website Template:Webarchive.</ref>
Astoria also has several private schools, many of which offer parochial education:
- Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy (Nursery – 8th grade) (21Template:Hyphen63 29th Street)
- Les Enfants Montessori School (29Template:Hyphen21 Newtown Avenue)
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School (23Template:Hyphen15 Newtown Avenue)
- Queens Lutheran School (31Template:Hyphen20 37th Street)
- St. Catherine and St. George School (22Template:Hyphen30 33rd Street)
- St. Demetrios Astoria School (30Template:Hyphen03 30th Drive)
- St. Francis of Assisi School (21Template:Hyphen18 46th Street)
- St. John's Preparatory School (21Template:Hyphen21 Crescent Street)
- St. Joseph's Academy (Pre-K – 8th) (28Template:Hyphen46 44th Street)
- Most Precious Blood School (Pre-K – 8th) (32Template:Hyphen52 37th Street)
- El-Ber Islamic School (25Template:Hyphen42 49th Street)
- The 30th Avenue School (28Template:Hyphen37 29th Street)
- P.S. 70 30Template:Hyphen44 43rd Street
- Horace Greeley I.S.10 30Template:Hyphen44 43rd St
- P.S./M.S. 122Q. Mamie Fay (Pre-K – 8th) (21Template:Hyphen21 Ditmars Boulevard)
LibrariesEdit
Queens Public Library operates three branches within Astoria:
- The Astoria branch at 14Template:Hyphen01 Astoria Boulevard<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- The Broadway branch at 40Template:Hyphen20 Broadway<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- The Steinway branch at 21Template:Hyphen45 31st Street<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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TransportationEdit
Public transportationEdit
The following New York City Subway stations serve Astoria:<ref>Template:NYCS const</ref>
- Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains)
- Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains)
- Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains)
- Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains)
- Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains)
- Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains)
- Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains)
- Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains)
The following MTA Regional Bus Operations bus routes serve Astoria:<ref name=busqns>Template:Cite NYC bus map</ref>
- Q18: to Maspeth via 30th Avenue
- Q19: to Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains) via Astoria Boulevard
- Q66: to Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains) or Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains) via 35th Avenue
- Q69: to Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains) or Astoria Heights via 21st Street and Ditmars Boulevard
- Q100: to Template:Stn (Template:NYCS 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 Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains) via Vernon Boulevard
- Q104: to Template:Stn (Template:NYCS trains) via Broadway
- M60 SBS: to Morningside Heights, Manhattan, or LaGuardia Airport via Astoria Boulevard
Astoria has been served by NYC Ferry's Astoria route<ref name="astoria">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> since August 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
RoadsEdit
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),<ref>Street Necrology of Astoria Template:Webarchive, accessed December 31, 2006</ref> 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.<ref name="CHP2018" />Template:Rp 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Notable peopleEdit
Born in AstoriaEdit
- Ted Alexandro (born 1969), comedian<ref>"Funny Pages" Template:Webarchive, Queens Tribune. Accessed October 23, 2007. "A part of Astoria funnyman Ted Alexandro could be seen in the July issue of Maxim magazine."</ref>
- Iris Apfel (1921–2024), businesswoman and style icon<ref>Sommer, Jack. "Meet the 93-year-old 'rare bird' who models for Kate Spade and makes Kanye West blush" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Joe Bastianich (born 1968), chef and restaurant owner<ref>Resnick, Leah. "Joe Bastianich's Transformation Is Seriously Turning Heads" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Bob Beckwith (1932–2024), firefighter who stood next to George W. Bush during his speech at the World Trade Center ruins<ref name="nyt">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Tony Bennett (1926–2023), Grammy-winning singer<ref name="Thinking">Jackson, Nancy Beth. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Astoria; Accessible, Affordable and Highly Diverse" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref><ref>Photos: Tony Bennett in Astoria, Newsday, September 13, 2006.</ref><ref>Staff. "Hollywood Star Walk: Tony Bennett" Template:Webarchive, Los Angeles Times. Accessed September 25, 2016. "Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on Aug. 3, 1926 in Astoria, N.Y."</ref>
- Jay Black (1938–2021), lead singer of the band Jay and the Americans<ref>Sandomir, Richard. "Jay Black, Soaring Lead Singer of the Americans, Dies at 82" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Frank Bonsangue, actor and television personality<ref>Biography Template:Webarchive, Frankie "The Butcher" Bonsangue. Accessed May 19, 2022. "I was born and raised in Astoria, Queens. I come from a long line of butchers."</ref>
- Eddie Bracken (1915–2002), actor<ref>McLellan, Dennis. "Hollywood Star Walk: Eddie Bracken"Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore, Los Angeles Times, November 16, 2002. Accessed September 25, 2016. "Born Edward Vincent Bracken on Feb. 7, 1915 in Astoria, N.Y."</ref>
- Hillary Brooke (born Beatrice Peterson, 1914–1999), actress and Lou Costello's love interest on The Abbott and Costello Show<ref>Staff. "Hollywood Star Walk: Hillary Brooke" Template:Webarchive, Los Angeles Times. Accessed September 25, 2016. "Born Beatrice Peterson on Sept. 8, 1914 in Astoria, N.Y."</ref>
- The Cadillac Man, author, Land of the Lost Souls: My Life on the Streets<ref>Cadillac Man. "The Story of Cadillac Man and the land of the Lost Souls" Template:Webarchive, Esquire, May 1, 2005. Accessed February 8, 2009.</ref><ref>Cowan, Coleman. "Sweeping Him Off His Street" Template:Webarchive, The New York Times, March 18, 2007. Accessed February 8, 2009.</ref>
- Maria Callas (1923–1977), opera singer (early childhood)<ref name="unknowncallas">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Robert Davi (born 1953), actor, who has appeared in The Goonies, Die Hard, and Licence to Kill<ref>Loudon, Christopher. "Robert Davi Sings Sinatra; A singer turned actor turns singer again" Template:Webarchive, 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.'"</ref>
- John Frusciante (born 1970), guitarist for Red Hot Chili Peppers<ref>"Astoria's Own Top Five" Template:Webarchive, 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?"</ref>
- Ed Gardner (1901–1963), actor, best known for his work on Duffy's Tavern<ref>Staff. "Hollywood Star Walk: Ed Gardner" Template:Webarchive, Los Angeles Times. Accessed September 25, 2016. "Born June 29, 1901 in Astoria, N.Y."</ref>
- Anthony Giacchino (born 1969), filmmaker and producer<ref>Coppock, Kristen. "Filmmaker brings 'The Camden 28' to the nation's attention on PBS" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- George Gibbs (1815–1873), geologist who contributed to the study of the languages of the indigenous peoples of Washington Territory<ref name="Marquis 1607-1896">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Jack Kelly (1927–1992), actor, mayor of Huntington Beach, California<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }} Accessed February 2014.</ref>
- Cyndi Lauper (born 1953), singer, songwriter, actress, LGBT activist<ref>Marzlock, Ron. "Ozone Park girl Lauper didn't always just have fun" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- 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<ref>Wolf, Gregory H. Billy Loes Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Melanie Martinez (born 1995), singer-songwriter, appeared on The Voice (2012)<ref>Connolly, Chris. "'Voicing' her thoughts" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Patrick McGoohan (1928–2009), actor<ref>Bennetts, Leslie. "McGoohan To Star In 'Pack of Lies'" Template:Webarchive, The New York Times, December 26, 1984. Accessed February 29, 2020.</ref>
- Chris Megaloudis (born 1984), soccer player for the Puerto Rico national football team<ref>Butler, Dylan. "The Butler Did It: Soccer star pays tribute to Megaloudis sister" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Ethel Merman (1908–1984), Broadway actress and singer<ref name=Thinking/>
- Eric Metaxas (born 1963), author, founder of "Socrates in the City"<ref>Metaxas, Eric. "About Eric" Template:Webarchive, 2012. Accessed January 17, 2012.</ref>
- Marilyn Milian (born 1961), judge on television series The People's Court<ref>Rapacciuolo, Anthon. "Living the Dream at The People's Court" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Dito Montiel (born 1965), author, screenwriter, director and musician<ref>Carr, David. "A Film Pays Tough-Eyed Homage to Astoria, Queens" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Nicole and Natalie Albino, of the musical duo Nina Sky
- Al Oerter (1936–2007), Olympic discus throw four-time gold medalist<ref>Litsky, Frank. "Al Oerter, Olympic Discus Champion, Is Dead at 71" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Melanie Safka (1947-2024), singer-songwriter<ref>Spelling, Ian. "Melanie's new songs lend their vigor to her old hits" Template:Webarchive, 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..."</ref>
- Joe Santagato (born 1992), Youtuber and entertainer<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Franz Schurmann (1926–2010), Cold War-era expert on the People's Republic of China<ref>Weber, Bruce. "Franz Schurmann, Cold War Expert on China, Dies at 84" Template:Webarchive, The New York Times, August 26, 2010. Accessed August 27, 2010.</ref>
- Dee Snider (born 1955), singer of heavy metal rock band Twisted Sister<ref>Brinn, David. "Getting twisted with Dee Snider" Template:Webarchive, 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?"</ref>
- Christopher Walken (born 1943), Academy Award-winning actor<ref>Matua, Angela. "Artist honors Astoria-born Christopher Walken with concrete busts at Socrates Sculpture Park" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Gordon Willis (1931–2014), Academy Award-winning-cinematographer<ref>Anderson, John. "Gordon Willis, Godfather Cinematographer, Dies at 82" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
Raised in or moved to AstoriaEdit
- Alvey A. Adee (1842–1924), acting U.S. Secretary of State<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Lidia Bastianich, (born 1947) celebrity chef, TV host, cookbook author and restaurateur<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Panayiota Bertzikis (born 1981), author, public speaker, and women's rights activist<ref>Levy, Kayla. "Astoria Greek Orthodox Ritual Reported As 'Dangerous Incident'" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Chester Carlson (1906–1968), inventor of xerography and co-founder of Xerox<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Alex Corbisiero (born 1988), professional rugby union player<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Kambri Crews (born 1971), author and storyteller<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="queensledger.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Jesse Eisenberg (born 1983), actor<ref>Guillaume, Kristine. "Astoria Takes The Stage, Page, And Screen" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Christian Finnegan (born 1973), comedian and actor<ref name="queensledger.com" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} "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."</ref>
- Whitey Ford (1928–2020), New York Yankees pitcher<ref>Berkow, Ira. "On Baseball; Ford Highlight Film Started Early" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- George Gemünder (1816–1899), German-born American violin maker who pioneered the construction of quality violins in the United States<ref>"George Gemunder Dead.; The Celebrated Violin Maker Passes Away at His Home in Astoria – He Won Many Prizes." Template:Webarchive, The New York Times, January 17, 1899. Accessed January 13, 2022.</ref>
- Shane Gillis (born 1987), comedian and podcast host<ref>Butler, Bethonie via The Washington Post. "New SNL member chided for racial slurs" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Chamique Holdsclaw (born 1977), basketball player<ref>Lawrence, Andrew. "Where are they now: Catching up with Chamique Holdsclaw" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- Anik Khan (born 1989), Bangladeshi-American hip-hop artist<ref name="NPR">Template:Cite news</ref>
- Nomiki Konst (born 1984), journalist<ref>Parry, Bill. "Public Advocate race down to seventeen candidates including three from Queens" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- George Maharis (1928–2023), actor and singer, best known for his work on Route 66<ref>"Stars of TV's 'Route 66' working on opposite coasts." Template:Webarchive, Albuquerque Journal, November 16, 2003. Accessed November 30, 2007. "George Maharis was born Sept. 1, 1928, in Astoria, N.Y."</ref>
- John H. Meier (born 1933), financier and former business associate of Howard Hughes, also involved with Watergate<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Nicole Petallides (born 1971), Fox Business reporter<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Henrietta Rodman (1877–1923), feminist and educator<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Larry Sharpe (born 1968), businessman and politician<ref>"Garden City resident meets with candidate for governor" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
Grave sitesEdit
Astoria is the final resting place of New York City mobster Frank Costello as well as ragtime composer and musician Scott Joplin. Both 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.<ref name="joplin">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
CommunityEdit
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,<ref>NYC Open Streets</ref> runs programming on 31st Avenue with local businesses and artists.<ref>[1]</ref> Shop Small Astoria, a collective of independent retail stores, host neighborhood shopping and drink crawls.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In popular cultureEdit
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.
FilmEdit
- In the film Joe (1970), Peter Boyle's character is a "hippie-hating hardhat" who lives in Astoria.<ref>Lewis, Dan. "Joe Fights His Identity" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- 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.<ref>Champlin, Charles. "Five Corners Knows Its Place and Has Its Says About It" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- 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.<ref>"Film Celebrates Queens Logic" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- 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.<ref>A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- 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.<ref>Gioino, Catherina. "On Location In Astoria – The Accidental Husband" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
- 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.<ref>Holden, Stephen. "Review: In People Places Things, Jemaine Clement Navigates Life as a Newly Single Dad" Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>
GamingEdit
- 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".)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.
LiteratureEdit
- 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.<ref>Cookinham, Frederick. Man in the Place of the Gids: What Cities Mean Template:Webarchive, p. 22. iUniverse, 2016. Template:ISBN. 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."</ref>
MusicEdit
- 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 25Template:Hyphen01 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.
TelevisionEdit
- 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
Template:Astoria, Queens Template:Queens Template:Ethnicity in New York City Template:Ethnic enclaves Template:Greektowns