As previously mentioned, I just moved (and moved in with my beloved). My new home is located in the same borough that Archie Bunker and George Costanza once called home, Queens. They would not, however, have felt as comfortable as I do in the Queen's neighborhood of Astoria for it is one of the most diverse and vivacious communities in the world - and I mean that literally.
Queens in the most diverse county in America (borough and county being co-extensive, ya see) and in Astoria you can see blacks, whites, Asians, Arabs, Eastern Europeans, and Greeks (who give this neighborhood its character and flavor), living side by side by side. Astoria is one of the hottest neighborhoods for young people moving to NYC to live in, and it welcomes all. It used to be regarded as a "tough neighborhood" but now it, like so many parts, is getting gentrified and Yuppified. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Walk along its main drags like 30th Avenue, Ditmars Boulevard, and Steinway Street, and you can find any store or eating establishment you want and even those you never thought of. Oh, and the Bohemian Beer Garden is fast becoming one of NYC social hotspots, with lines down the block on Friday and Saturday nights. I gest not: its almost as hard to get in as Lotus or Marquee but the people are friendlier, the crowds are more fun, and those places don't have great Czech beer and picnic tables either!
Astoria is a quintessential New York neighborhood. And it proves that the heart and soul of this city exists not only in Manhattan.
A couple other cool things.
1. Did you know that Astoria is one of the hearts of show business? Here exists the Kaufman Astoria film studios (where "Sesame Street" has been filmed for almost four decades, along with more adult-friendly fair like "Angels in America"). Also here is the world-class Museum of the Moving Image, the movie and TV lover's Met. Also nearby is the UA Kaufman Astoria 14, a big multiplex where you can see first-run movies at bargain rates - and the lines are never that long. Oh, and this is the same place where only a month or so ago held the premiere of a little film called "Spiderman 3."
2. Want a great view of Manhattan? Then take the N/W subway line. The first/last stop in Queens on this line is Queensborough Plaza (technically not in Astoria but that's not a sin) and yet going or coming on this line, into or out of Astoria, gives one a breathtaking view of l'Isle de Manhattan. You see all the grand structures: the Chrysler Building, the Empire State, the United Nations, and the brand-new Bloomberg Tower from across the East River. It's a postcard picture view and at night, when you see all this lit up, giving NYC a diamond night sky ... well, if you aren't even slightly moved by the sight, then you should move to Duluth.
Astoria. Like every part of this city, it has its unique charms. And it's a nice place to live too.
Queens in the most diverse county in America (borough and county being co-extensive, ya see) and in Astoria you can see blacks, whites, Asians, Arabs, Eastern Europeans, and Greeks (who give this neighborhood its character and flavor), living side by side by side. Astoria is one of the hottest neighborhoods for young people moving to NYC to live in, and it welcomes all. It used to be regarded as a "tough neighborhood" but now it, like so many parts, is getting gentrified and Yuppified. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Walk along its main drags like 30th Avenue, Ditmars Boulevard, and Steinway Street, and you can find any store or eating establishment you want and even those you never thought of. Oh, and the Bohemian Beer Garden is fast becoming one of NYC social hotspots, with lines down the block on Friday and Saturday nights. I gest not: its almost as hard to get in as Lotus or Marquee but the people are friendlier, the crowds are more fun, and those places don't have great Czech beer and picnic tables either!
Astoria is a quintessential New York neighborhood. And it proves that the heart and soul of this city exists not only in Manhattan.
A couple other cool things.
1. Did you know that Astoria is one of the hearts of show business? Here exists the Kaufman Astoria film studios (where "Sesame Street" has been filmed for almost four decades, along with more adult-friendly fair like "Angels in America"). Also here is the world-class Museum of the Moving Image, the movie and TV lover's Met. Also nearby is the UA Kaufman Astoria 14, a big multiplex where you can see first-run movies at bargain rates - and the lines are never that long. Oh, and this is the same place where only a month or so ago held the premiere of a little film called "Spiderman 3."
2. Want a great view of Manhattan? Then take the N/W subway line. The first/last stop in Queens on this line is Queensborough Plaza (technically not in Astoria but that's not a sin) and yet going or coming on this line, into or out of Astoria, gives one a breathtaking view of l'Isle de Manhattan. You see all the grand structures: the Chrysler Building, the Empire State, the United Nations, and the brand-new Bloomberg Tower from across the East River. It's a postcard picture view and at night, when you see all this lit up, giving NYC a diamond night sky ... well, if you aren't even slightly moved by the sight, then you should move to Duluth.
Astoria. Like every part of this city, it has its unique charms. And it's a nice place to live too.
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