Astoria: New York’s Secret Paradise?

I’ve been to New York many times, and loved it every time.  But on my most recent trip, I took advantage of the opportunity to save some money and spend time with an old friend by staying in his shiny new flat in Astoria, a neighborhood in the borough of Queens, which is just east of Manhattan.  This is actually the island of Long Island, which stretches out for miles out into the Atlantic.

Astoria is awesome, and I encourage you to consider it as a base during your next visit to New York.  Here’s why.

Bridges, Parks and Views

One of the surprising aspects of Astoria is how comfortable and neighborhood-y it seems.  Children play on the sidewalk, grandmothers stroll around with their mini shopping trolleys, and folks relax on small cafe terraces watching the world go by.  The best place to really experience this environment is in Astoria Park (map).  It has river views over into Manhattan, and it’s underneath two simply spectacular bridges.  The park is huge – when I went on my riverside runs, it would take 5-10 minutes to get through the park – and inside there are basketball courts, playgrounds, running tracks, picnic areas, and even a massive public swimming pool. Families, couples and singles will all enjoy some time here.

But honestly, just strolling around Astoria’s busy boulevards and more quiet sidestreets, is enjoyable.  Even the loud rumble of the regular subway train (which is above ground here in Queens) adds to the atmosphere.  There are weird discount shops, niche stores (can you really make a living only selling Greek music?), and dark-yet-inviting pubs and bars.  There’s even a great museum, the Museum of the Moving Image (map). In some ways, Astoria delivers on that charming neighborhood feel that we all saw as the backdrop in HBO’s Sex and the City.

Food

Yum.  Astoria is widely considered one of New York’s culinary neighborhoods, and I can attest from my calorific visit that if you’re staying here, you’ll definitely not feel the need to go into Manhattan to eat.  Just a few of my finds:

• Bagels:  Yes, New York is the king of bagels.  What I like about Astoria is the number of independent bagel shops, little no-name places that are typically families that have owned the place for generations.  And if the photo above doesn’t illustrate, the bagels are huge, and so are the amount of toppings put inside.
• Trade Fair:  Trade Fair (map) is the end-all-be-all of ethic supermarkets. Seriously, have you ever been inside an entire store organized not by dairy or vegetable, but by country?  This should be a tourist attraction in itself.  Perhaps indicative of it’s global status, the place is open 24×7, and it’s loud/boisterous/busy inside, so consider yourself warned.
• Bare Burger:  Bare Burger (map) is anything but bare; they have the most unique and delicious combinations of burgers I have ever tasted, not to mention their yummy milkshakes and tasty fries.  It’s a unique take on a simple yet delicious cuisine.
• Sac’s:  Sac’s (map) claims to be the best pizza in Astoria, and while it’s tough to verify (because there’s pizza every 3rd door it seems to be a pizzeria of some sort), it is an excellent slice.  They have a coal-fired pizza often which apparently is the best thing since sliced bread, though I didn’t notice that much of a difference from a normal slice.

Given the number of immigrants that live in Astoria, if you want it, you can find it.  Indian, Greek, Thai, and Chinese are several other types of restaurants that dominate the area and are just as good, if not better, than Manhattan.

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Getting In / Getting Out

In/Out of Manhattan

Getting to Astoria from Manhattan couldn’t be easier – 25 minutes will take you to the upper west or upper east side for shopping or central park strolls, whereas another 15 minutes or so will take you all the way to the tip of Manhattan for ferries to Ellis Island, so really, you can’t complain.

Connecting onto the N is super easy from all of the main lines in Manhattan.  The N also runs regularly most hours of the day, so you won’t have any trouble.

Airports

If you’re flying into/out of LaGuardia airport, then Astoria is really easy to get to because it’s just a mile or two away via bus or taxi.  JFK is slightly more complicated, as you’ll need to walk several blocks to the subway, and then transfer to the air train, but still possible.  Newark travelers will have to take the subway and cross through Manhattan and switch to the train at Penn Station.

Photos are copyright Andy Hayes.