Neighborhoods To Know And Go: NYC's Astoria

November 13, 2009 at 2:04 PM | by JetSetCD | Comment (1)

Of the five boroughs of New York City, Manhattan is obviously the most visited, most well-known, but whether or not tourists realize it, they actually set foot in another borough first. This is Queens, otherwise recognized as the home of both LaGuardia and JFK airports, but it's a whole area simply packed with unique neighborhoods and small, family businesses, all the things that visitors expect from Manhattan but no longer find.

We focus in particular on the Astoria section of Queens, between the East River and LaGuardia, a neighborhood that—like the typical idea of NY—flourishes with immigrant populations ranging from Greek to Arab and everything in between. In addition, it's ever so slowly becoming the new Brooklyn, as more Midtown professionals and creatives make their homes here after being priced out of both Manhattan and Brooklyn. Indeed we find ourselves coming here more and more often, in quest of the best Greek souvlaki and views of the city.

Join us in Astoria, after the jump.

Where To Eat:
Like we said, come to Astoria for Greek food. Our recommendation goes to Zorba's Souvlaki Plus at 29-05 23rd Avenue, a gem especially in the summer when the locals have lively conversations and eat massive amounts of lamb and feta cheese and steak gyros outside in the sun.

For fresh fish, there's Elias Corner at 24-02 31st Street, a seriously local haunt where Greek families don't ask to see the menu; Elias' waitresses will rattle off the day's fresh catch options and a few stand-bys like tzaziki. Go with the monkfish or swordfish; the thought of each makes us drool heavily.

Where To Drink:
Most people, especially Manhattan-dwellers, know Astoria as the home of the big, Bohemian Hall Beer Garden. It's true that it's pretty sweet—a walled garden of picnic tables with the promise of flowing beers and sausage—but there are countless dive bars and old man bars to explore as well.

We favor The Sparrow at 24-01 29th Street, which is across the street from the beer garden but a world away. It's smaller, warmer with brick walls and dim lamps, and they serve a small Sunday brunch complete with mac & cheese.

Where To Shop:
if you're looking for luxury labels and kitschy shops, better stick to Manhattan and Brooklyn, but if your tastes are more exotic then it's Astoria for you. In particular, the stretch of Steinway Street between 28th Street and Astoria Boulevard where Arab shops and hookah bars line both sides of the street. On warm nights, the community comes out to smoke hookah outside the cafes, and the air smells of sweet shisha. During the day, you can buy the best Arab treats, Egyptian coffee, and vibrant tunics. Here you forget that you are only a few subway stops away from Fifth Avenue, and that's the way we like it.

When summer comes back around, you'll probably find us over gazing at the skyline from Astoria Park, under the Hell's Gate bridge. It's here that you'll also find a giant, free public pool—a great reason on its own to get out of Manhattan for the day.

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