Astoria, Queens

Astoria
Neighborhood of Queens

36th Street between 30th Avenue and 31st Avenue in Astoria
Astoria
Astoria
Astoria
Coordinates: 40°46′28″N 73°54′15″W / 40.774444°N 73.904167°W / 40.774444; -73.904167Coordinates: 40°46′28″N 73°54′15″W / 40.774444°N 73.904167°W / 40.774444; -73.904167
Country United States
State New York
City New York City
County/Borough Queens
European settlement 1659
Named for John Jacob Astor
Population (2010)
 • Total 154,000
Ethnicity[1]
 • White 47.0%
 • Black 4.1%
 • Hispanic 26.6%
 • Asian 14.2%
 • Other N/A
ZIP code 11101–11106
Area code(s) 718, 347, 917

Astoria is a middle-class and commercial neighborhood with a population of 154,000[2] in the northwestern corner of the New York City borough of Queens. Located in Community Board 1, Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City, Sunnyside (bordering at Northern Boulevard), and Woodside (bordering at 50th Street). Astoria is patrolled by the New York City Police Department's 114th Precinct.[3]

History

The area now known as Astoria was originally called Hallet's Cove, after its first landowner William Hallet, who settled there in 1659 with his wife, Elizabeth Fones. 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[4] and previously founded by fur merchant Stephen A. Halsey, was a noted recreational destination and resort for Manhattan's wealthy.[5][6]

The area was renamed after John Jacob Astor, then the wealthiest man in America with a net worth of over $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 Hell Gate, 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.

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.[7] 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.[8]

Astoria and several other surrounding villages, including Steinway, were incorporated into Long Island City in 1870. Long Island City remained an independent municipality until it was incorporated into New York City in 1898. The area's farms were turned into housing tracts and street grids to accommodate the growing number of residents.[5]

Astoria also figured prominently in early American filmmaking as one of its initial centers. That heritage is preserved today by the Museum of the Moving Image and Kaufman Astoria Studios.

Today, much of the Astoria waterfront is being redeveloped and underutilized industrial sites in forgotten historic neighborhoods are being revived. Hallets Point is one of five former industrial sites on the waterfront being transformed, and will bring seven new mixed-use residential towers, including 2,000 market-rate units and 500 affordable units, into the neighborhood.[9] The development will also include new waterfront parks, a supermarket, retail shops and restaurants, and two new schools. These waterfront projects were designed by a New York architectural firm, in conjunction with private developers, city agencies and landscape architects.[10][11]

Demographics

30th Avenue, Astoria, Queens, NYC
31st Avenue at 33rd Street in Astoria

Astoria was first settled by the Dutch 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.[12]

The 1960s saw a large number of ethnic Greeks from Greece, and immigrants from Cyprus in 1974. The Greek cultural imprint can be seen in the numerous Greek restaurants, bakeries, tavernas and cafes, as well as several Greek Orthodox churches. 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. Greek organizations in the area include the Hellenic American Action Committee (HANAC) and the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York.[13] Recent economic issues in Greece have seen an insurgence of thousands of Greek immigrants.[14]

Many Maltese also live in Astoria, around 20,000, and although this population has steadily been emigrating from the area, there are still many Maltese, supported by the Maltese Center of New York.

Beginning in the mid-1970s, the neighborhood's Arab population grew from earlier immigrants from Lebanon to also include people from 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".

Astoria's South American and European population has seen significant growth since the early 1990s, including a large population of Brazilians, who reside in the 36th Avenue area. Albanians, Bulgarians, 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 being supported by the Casa Galicia, or Galicia House.

At one time, many Bangladeshi Americans settled in Astoria, but by 2001, many of the Bangladeshi American people in Astoria 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, as Bangladeshi immigrants are increasingly settling in Astoria.[15]

Population losses in Queens were particularly high in immigrant neighborhoods such as Astoria, which suffered the greatest population loss in the city—it lost over 10,000 residents between the years 2000 and 2010.[16]

Geography

Detail of 1896 map of Long Island City, showing Astoria and Ravenswood, from the Greater Astoria Historical Society.
Night view of the Triborough Bridge and Manhattan from Astoria Park

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 New York in 1898, and much of it is still classified as LIC by the USPS.

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".[17] Banners displayed on lamp posts along 30th Avenue refer to it as "the Heart of Astoria".[18]

Ravenswood

Ravenswood is the name for the strip of land bordering the East River in Long Island City, and is part of Astoria.[19]

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."[20]

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.[21] In 1870, Ravenswood, along with several other hamlets and the Village of Astoria, merged to form Long Island City.[20]

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 No. 3 Generating Station 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.[22]

Ditmars

A street in Ditmars (2012)

Ditmars is a middle class section of Astoria bounded by Bowery Bay to the north, 31st Street to the east (boundary with the adjacent neighborhood of Steinway, with which Ditmars is sometimes confused), 23rd Avenue to the south and the East River on 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.[23] However, the Ditmars neighborhood was not included in the Steinway & Sons company housing and related facilities project. Ditmars is considered to be a popular neighborhood among young professionals and in some real estate references the adjacent neighborhoods of Ditmars and Steinway are joined as a single "Ditmars-Steinway" reference. The neighborhood takes its name from Ditmars Boulevard which was named in honor of Raymond Lee Ditmars, (1876-1942) famed American herpetologist and curator of Reptiles of the New York Zoological Society at the Bronx Zoo.[24]

Astoria Heights

Astoria Heights, or Upper Ditmars, 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 1 and 2 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.[25] 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.[26]

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

Museum of the Moving Image on 35th Avenue in Astoria
A residential street in Astoria with bike lanes

Transportation

N train entering 30th Avenue station

Astoria is served by the local E M R trains of the New York City Subway, which stop at the Steinway Street and 46th Street stations on the underground IND Queens Boulevard Line, as well as the N Q trains, which run along the elevated BMT Astoria Line above 31st Street.[34]

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),[35] a major commercial street with many retail stores, and a very prominent Middle Eastern section between Astoria Boulevard and 28th Avenue, the area is full of Middle Eastern food restaurants which present some local types of food from Lebanon, Egypt and Morocco, most food in these restaurants is Halal to suit the Muslim residents who are main customers in this neighborhood.

The 21st Street – Queensbridge subway station (F trains) also serves the area at Queensbridge Houses.

Health care

FDNY Engine 312 in Astoria, Queens

Because of its location, Astoria is conveniently served by several nearby New York City hospitals and medical centers, as well as FDNY EMS service. As of 2014, there are 5 FDNY firehouses in Astoria. Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens is the only true hospital medical center in the neighborhood. It operates 24/7 and is part of the Mount Sinai Health System network. Other nearby hospitals include Elmhurst Hospital Center in nearby Elmhurst, as well as Forest Hills Hospital (part of the North Shore LIJ Health System) in Forest Hills.

Education

Schools

The New York City Department of Education operates Astoria's public schools.[36]

Astoria also has several private schools, many of which offer parochial education:

Libraries

Astoria Boulevard library

Queens Borough Public Library operates three branches within Astoria's ZIP codes:[37]

Notable people

Born in Astoria

Raised in or moved to Astoria

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.[65]

In popular culture

Night view of the Hell Gate Bridge from Astoria Park.

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.

Colloquialisms

Film

Gaming

Literature

Music'

Television

References

  1. ↑ 2000 Census
  2. ↑ http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/census/census2010/t_pl_p1_nta.pdf
  3. ↑ "NYPD - Precincts". Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  4. ↑ http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/arch_reports/952.pdf
  5. 1 2 "History Topics". Greater Astoria Historical Society. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
  6. ↑ "The Neighborhoods of Long Island City". Greater Astoria Historical Society. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
  7. ↑ "Neighborhoods: Steinway". Greater Astoria Historical Society. Archived from the original on 10 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
  8. ↑ "New York city guide; a comprehensive guide to the five boroughs of the metropolis: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Richmond". archive.org. Retrieved 2015-12-06.
  9. ↑ Brosh, Brendan (June 16, 2009). "Waterfront development in the works for Hallets Point". nydailynews.com. The New York Daily News. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  10. ↑ Montefinise, Angela (March 1, 2009). "QUEENS GETTING A ROYAL UPGRADE". nypost.com. The New York Post. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  11. ↑ Gordon, David (June 24, 2009). "Plans to develop Hallets Point in Astoria". queenscourier.com. The Queens Courier. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  12. ↑ "Greater Astoria Historical Society - Events". Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  13. ↑ Williams, Solange; Stephanie Mejia (2001). "Astoria: 'A Little Greece' in New York". New York University. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  14. ↑ "New wave of Greeks flocking to Astoria". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
  15. ↑ Kershaw, Sarah. "Queens to Detroit: A Bangladeshi Passage." The New York Times. March 8, 2001. Retrieved on February 28, 2012.
  16. ↑ "NYC2010" (PDF). Results from the 2010 census. City of New York. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ O'Donnell, Michelle. "Life Limps On for Powerless in the Heart of Astoria", 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.”"
  19. ↑ Forgotten New York: Ravenswood
  20. 1 2 Seyfried, Vincent F. (1984). 300 Years of Long Island City: 1630-1930. USA: Greater Astoria Historical Society. External link in |publisher= (help)
  21. ↑
  22. ↑ Massey, Daniel (June 23, 2009). "Labor fight could unplug Queens power plant". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
  23. ↑ Jackson, Kenneth T., The Encyclopedia of New York City, Yale University Press, 1995, p. 335.
  24. ↑ Neighborhood Gudies. http://www.nestseekers.com/Guides/Neighborhood/Ditmars-Steinway. 29 June 2010.
  25. ↑ The Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead: History, accessed December 25, 2006. "The facts confirm that this dwelling is the oldest dwelling in New York City that is still a dwelling."
  26. ↑ In 2008 the tour benefitted the Greater Astoria Historical Society.
  27. ↑ "The Astoria Pool - - FindNetOne America Directory". Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  28. ↑ "Bohemian Hall History". Archived from the original on 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2006-07-20.
  29. ↑ "St. Michael's Cemetery". Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  30. ↑ "Steinway & Sons official site".
  31. ↑ "NYC Cycling Map 2001" (PDF).
  32. ↑ Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  33. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 2/10/14 through 2/14/14. National Park Service. 2014-02-21.
  34. ↑ Transportation in Astoria
  35. ↑ Street Necrology of Astoria, accessed December 31, 2006
  36. ↑ A complete listing searchable by ZIP code can be found on the Department's official website.
  37. ↑ "Queens Library". Archived from the original on 23 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
  38. ↑ "Funny Pages", Queens Tribune. Accessed October 23, 2007. "A part of Astoria funnyman Ted Alexandro could be seen in the July issue of “Maxim” magazine."
  39. 1 2 3 Jackson, Nancy Beth. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Astoria; Accessible, Affordable and Highly Diverse", 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."
  40. ↑ Photos: Tony Bennett in Astoria, Newsday, September 13, 2006.
  41. ↑ Cadillac Man. "The Story of Cadillac Man and the land of the Lost Souls", Esquire, 1 May 2005. Accessed February 8, 2009.
  42. ↑ Cowan, Coleman. "Sweeping Him Off His Street", The New York Times, 18 March 2007. Accessed February 8, 2009.
  43. ↑ Petsalis-Diomidis, Nicholas (2001). The Unknown Callas: The Greek Years. Amadeus Press. ISBN 1-57467-059-X.
  44. ↑ Chester's Dream: The Genesis of the Modern Photocopier, Industrial Market Trends, April 9, 2001
  45. ↑ Coppock, Kristen. "Filmmaker brings ‘The Camden 28’ to the nation’s attention on PBS", 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."
  46. ↑ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume,1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
  47. ↑ "Jack Kelly". Matinee Classics. Retrieved February 2014.
  48. ↑ Bennetts, Leslie. "McGoohan To Star In 'Pack of Lies'", The New York Times, December 26, 1984. Accessed March 8, 2008.
  49. ↑ Metaxas, Eric. "About Eric", 2012. Accessed January 17, 2012.
  50. ↑ Litsky, Frank. "Al Oerter, Olympic Discus Champion, Is Dead at 71", 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."
  51. ↑ Spelling, Ian. "Melanie's new songs lend their vigor to her old hits", The New York Times, 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..."
  52. ↑ Weber, Bruce. "Franz Schurmann, Cold War Expert on China, Dies at 84", The New York Times, August 26, 2010. Accessed August 27, 2010.
  53. ↑ Bridges, Peter. "An Appreciation of Alvey Adee".
  54. ↑ "AT HOME WITH/Lidia Bastianich; A Recipe Kept Warm For 55 Years". The New York Times. 15 November 2001. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  55. ↑ "Frank Bonsangue". IMDb. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  56. ↑ "Kambri Crews, an Astoria resident, is opening a multi-purpose comedy club called Q.E.D. in the neighborhood.". 2014.
  57. 1 2 "Queens Ledger - Q E D in Astoria is A Place to Show Tell". Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  58. ↑ "Shows Start At New Astoria Artspace". Queens Tribune. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  59. ↑ "The Star of TBS's "Are We There Yet", Astoria's Own Christian Finnegan". Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  60. ↑ https://firstorderhistorians.com/2014/09/26/7-questions-with-christian-finnegan/ "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."
  61. ↑ Berkow, Ira. "ON BASEBALL; Ford Highlight Film Started Early", 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."
  62. ↑ "Stars of TV's 'Route 66' working on opposite coasts.", Albuquerque Journal, November 16, 2003. Accessed November 30, 2007. "George Maharis was born Sept. 1, 1928, in Astoria, N.Y."
  63. ↑ 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 (Noosa Heads, Queensland: The University of the Sunshine Coast and Rock Mountain Publishing) 2: 129–162. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  64. ↑ "Astoria native anchoring Greek parade". 2010.
  65. ↑ "St. Michael's Cemetery:Events Archive". Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  66. ↑ Astoria, Queens at the Internet Movie Database
  67. ↑ "Five Corners". IMDB.com.
  68. ↑ "Rockstar Games: Grand Theft Auto IV: Steinway Beer Garden". Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  69. ↑ "Cosby". Internet Movie Database.
  70. ↑ McCormack, Simon (August 23, 2010). "Seinfeld's Jerry Stiller Visits 'Costanza House' in Astoria". Huffington Post.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Astoria, Queens.
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