Astoria – Lifestyle

Astoria doesn’t generate as much buzz as other New York City neighborhoods. And that’s just fine with its residents, many of whom would prefer to keep its delights to themselves.

 

 

Bohemian Hall, New York’s oldest beer garden, where you can sip Czech pilsners alfresco on a sunny day, shoot pool in the evening, and indulge in schnitzel or burgers with family or friends in between. Another uniquely Astoria institute is Omonia Cafe, which dates back to the 1970s, when the neighborhood was home to one of the largest Greek populations outside of Greece itself. Another nod to Astoria’s links to Greece is Athens Square, a park that, as well as a playground, features a center amphitheater with a bronze statue of Socrates and granite Doric columns. The 60-acre waterfront Astoria Park references Greece as well: Its playground is named Charybdis, after the daughter of the Greek god Poseidon.

 

Astoria is hardly stuck in the past, however. New boutiques and restaurants sprout up just about every week (and if you’re drawn to Middle Eastern food, you’ll love the stretch of Steinway Street known as Little Egypt). Pubs such as the Wolfhound, Shillelagh Tavern, and Mad Donkey, with the help of the Astoria Music Collective, ensure a robust live-music scene, and the Welling Court Mural Project continues to update its gallery of street art.

 

Need more reasons to consider moving to Astoria? There’s its wealth of schools, including the 30th Avenue School (a citywide magnet school for the gifted and talented), the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School, Energy Tech High School, and the Baccalaureate School for Global Education, all of which are among the top 5% of the city’s public schools. And there’s its proximity to Manhattan: You can grab a subway or a bus and make it to midtown in less than a half-hour, and you can even bike or walk over the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge. Or you can instead admire the view of Manhattan from Astoria Park and appreciate both the serenity and the vibrancy of its namesake neighborhood.

 

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