The Quadrangle

Issue date: 3/23/05 Section: Features

This part of Queens offers residents the Citigroup building and the Hell´s Gate Bridge as some of its local attractions

Among the first suburbs of New York City, the history and culture of Astoria, Queens has evolved with every wave of change the City has gone through since its inception. From modest beginnings as a pastoral escape from Manhattan, the Astoria/Long Island City grew to a size and population unparalleled in the rest of its borough. Today, Astoria is a booming neighborhood that is only a quick train ride from midtown Manhattan.

The large neighborhood of Astoria began as Dutch farmland, and remained that way until plans for residential homes and commercial buildings began in the 1640s. Though many areas of the farmland became residential and commercial, farming continued in the region until the mid-nineteenth century. Astoria only became more populated when Steven Halsey, wealthy fur merchant in New York City, began operation of a ferry service to 92nd Street in Manhattan.

After the City's elite began sojourning to the burgeoning neighborhood then known as Hallets Cove, Halsey suggested that the neighborhood be named in honor of wealthy fur merchant and personal friend, John Jacob Astor. Once named in his honor, Halsey believed, Astor would give money to help develop the area. Though flattered, Astor only gave a small sum of money, but the name of Astoria stuck regardless.

By the early 1800s, Astoria became both a haven of the wealthy, and a center of industry. Affluent families constructed mansions on 12th and 14th street, and 27th avenue, and companies erected factories along the shore of the once-independent Long Island City. Soon after, the neighborhood experienced a tremendous influx in German immigration, as cabinetmakers from the nation poured into Astoria.

Among those German immigrants was the Steinway family, upon coming to America, settled in Astoria and left a great impact on the history of the neighborhood. Assessing America's desire for well-made pianos, the Steinways began production in Astoria, greatly increasing the number of jobs available in the neighborhood. The family also founded a music hall on Manhattan's 14th Street, one of the first Kindergartens for their employee's children, and the area of Astoria known as Steinway Village. The family also raised funds to create the North Beach recreation area on the Long Island Sound, now the site of La Guardia International Airport.

Using his family's prominence in New York City, William Steinway, son of the company's founder Henry Steinway, became the first Chairperson of the Rapid Transit Commission of New York City. Through Steinway's guidance, the routes and designs of the current New York City subway system were created. While keeping the interest of his father's piano business in mind, Steinway designed tracks, trains, and tunnels that would allow for grand pianos to be transported into Manhattan by rail, using the middle track of the elevated N and W trains running near the factory.

Astoria was also a thriving - and vital - port for the Union Army during the American Civil War. The Long Island Rail Road's terminal in Hunters Point allowed the factories of eastern Long Island to freight necessary parts to New York Harbor and the East River. Once Long Island City consolidated, including nearby Astoria and other villages, the city government encouraged industrialization based on previous successes, and it's undeniable proximity to Manhattan.

Astoria and the greater Long Island City area remained predominantly industrial until the opening of the Queensboro Bridge, which facilitated transit between Queens and Manhattan greatly. With shorter commute times, many saw Astoria as a neighborhood remote enough from Manhattan, but close enough to get to for work. Movie studios also move into Astoria, as some of the nation's first motion pictures were shot in the neighborhood's movie studios. Popular programs such as The Cosby Show and Sesame Street were also shot in Astoria, decades after movie production left New York City for sunny California.

Though Astoria is rich in history, it is not without modern attractions. A simple walk down Steinway Street provides a shopper with anything they could ever ask for, in any of the myriad shops that crowd this main drag of the neighborhood.

The Museum of the Moving Image (35 Avenue at 36 Street) also calls Astoria home, and chronicles the history of movies and television through interactive galleries, and archaic footage from the beginning of film. One of the more noted exhibits is a history of video games, allowing people to play some of the games on their website (http://www.ammi.org). For the technology buff, the Museum also provides detailed descriptions of how projectors, televisions, and cameras all work. Admission is free on Fridays from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., and is $7.50 all other times for students.

Astoria also provides great food at reasonable prices; Emack and Bolio's (2150 31st Street) provides what many food critics consider to be the best dessert in New York City, ranging from ice cream, cookies, and cakes. An import from Massachusetts, Emack and Bolio's has become a staple of many diets, and the vice of even more dieters. Another Astoria landmark is the Jackson Hole restaurant (Astoria Blvd and 51st Street), which embodies the charm, atmosphere, and prices of the 60's. Portions are healthy, and their grilled chicken sandwiches and hamburgers are notorious throughout Queens.

Akin to every neighborhood in New York City's five boroughs, Astoria's history is one marked by frequent changes, interesting twists, and unique charm. From its early years as a pastoral wonderland, to a lightly industrial haven for the wealthy, to a thriving town that allows refuge from the rush of Manhattan, without a daunting commute.

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