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Used to have a much larger Hispanic population than it currently does... It still has a significant Hispanic population but a number of Hispanics in that area have been replaced by transplants from suburbia...
Is there a certain part of Astoria the Hispanic population is larger? Astoria seems very large, that's why I ask
Yea, Astoria does seem great. Seems like there's tons of nightlife and my cousin who lives in NYC goes there regularly. The park looks beautiful, too. And the pool is free? Nice. But it seems like it has a bigger Greek population than Hispanic population. Am I right on that or no? Correct me if I'm wrong lol I'm not physically there yet so I'm just using the Internet as my main source. Aren't Astoria and Jackson Heights really close though? Maybe I can move to Jackson Heights and just go to Astoria for nightlife... Hmm...
I really don't know the percentages of ethnicities in Astoria but yes, it is known as a Greek neighborhood and definitely has a Euro flair to it. I do some of my errands in Astoria and recently one place I went to was owned by a Bosnian and a Romanian, and at the other place, the person who helped me was of half Greek, half Italian immigrant parents (speaks both, as well as Spanish) and had grown up in Astoria. She told me she learned Spanish from playing with other kids while growing up in Astoria, so take that for what it's worth.
Jackson Heights is very, very close to Astoria, but you need to look at transit options, unless you're keeping a car. A car service/cab is about $12 for a flat fare between the two neighborhoods so I guess that's an option when going out as well. The R train does go between Jackson Heights and Astoria very fast, but you would need to be near the R stations in both neighborhoods to have a quick trip. Both neighborhoods are quite large. Parts of Jackson Heights are only served by the 7 train and parts of Astoria are only served by the N and Q.
While Astoria does have a Hispanic population, is is not the majority population and it is not known as a Hispanic neighborhood. It's definitely known as a Greek 'hood with a growing transplant population. I do not speak Spanish and I am able to navigate the restaurants, shops, etc. there just fine. However in places like Corona or the Hispanic section of Jackson Heights, I find myself many times having to delve way in the back of my brain to remember the Spanish I learned in high school when visiting restaurants and shops. There's definitely more of an immigrant Hispanic population in these places than say certain neighborhoods in the Bronx (or even Ridgewood in Queens) where there are many Puerto Ricans but most are all born here (sometimes second generation US citizens) and their main language is English.
While Astoria does have a Hispanic population, is is not the majority population and it is not known as a Hispanic neighborhood. It's definitely known as a Greek 'hood with a growing transplant population. I do not speak Spanish and I am able to navigate the restaurants, shops, etc. there just fine. However in places like Corona or the Hispanic section of Jackson Heights, I find myself many times having to delve way in the back of my brain to remember the Spanish I learned in high school when visiting restaurants and shops. There's definitely more of an immigrant Hispanic population in these places than say certain neighborhoods in the Bronx (or even Ridgewood in Queens) where there are many Puerto Ricans but most are all born here (sometimes second generation US citizens) and their main language is English.
Sounds like you haven't been to Ridgewood in awhile... It still does have a pretty significant PR population... Probably around 15-20% overall but the majority of the Hispanics in this area are either first or second generation who grew up with parents who didn't speak any English at home... The area is quickly becoming more Ecuadorian/Mexican/Dominican than Puerto Rican... And there aren't any PR establishments in the area anymore... There used to be a couple of PR deli's and eateries closer to Bushwick near the DeKalb and Jefferson lines but those are gone and for the most part they've either been replaced by Dominican delis or Mexican spots...
Also @ Henna... It's true what you say about the historic district in JH... It is very nice but I was comparing the congested parts of JH where there is the most nightlife to be found, to Ridgewood... In terms of that, you really cannot compare which one is less congested... And Ridgewood passing Forest into 60th st, ln, pl, and Fresh Pond from Palmetto all the way down to Metropolitan is a beautiful area as well... (lol it does feel like we're competing for neighborhoods a little bit even though we're just stating the pros and cons of each one)...
Ultimately it's the OP's decision... Personally, I'd go for my area just because I like the way it feels more than Jackson Heights and it is definitely more diverse in terms of groups living amongst eachother as opposed to sections of concentrated ethnicities (Either majority or all Spanish, Asian or White as it tends to be the case with Jackson Heights)... Especially along Woodward or Onderdonk avenues towards the heart of Ridgewood from about Grove to Catalpa you see all different kinds of people living on this block and get along just fine... Jamaican, Polish, Ecuadorian, Romanian, Egyptian, Dominican, Arab, Italian, Puerto Rican, etc. Many times in the same six family buildings you'll have up to four or five different nationalities... A working class diverse immigrant community as it always has been... One of the few remaining areas that can still say this...
That being said, it seems like Jackson Heights/Astoria may be a better fit for the OP based on what she's looking for... And you really can't go wrong with either area... This isn't 1995, the shady areas of Ridgewood and Jackson Heights are ridiculously tame compared to what the were 15-20 years ago...
I moved to Jackson Heights from out of state and I love it. I'm in my late 20s and middle class. Jackson Heights has a very big Hispanic presence, and south Asian (think Indian and Bangladeshi) is probably the second biggest presence. It's a very diverse neighborhood overall, and it seems like everyone has integrated really well. I belong to neither of the major ethnicities in the neighborhood and I feel very comfortable there, it's just a great place to live.
I can't say much about the night life because I don't go out like I used to. It seems like the night life mostly caters to the Hispanic crowd, but again, this is just based on what I've noticed from walking around and looking at storefronts from the street. I will say, though, that if you don't like what's available in JH, you have all of NYC to choose from. It's pretty easy to get around from JH.
You can definitely find something in your price range. I live in one of the more expensive areas of JH, on the top floor of a very nice building, in an ~850 sq ft one bedroom (five rooms total, and tons of closets). My kitchen had been remodeled and had brand new appliances when I moved in. I pay $1750. If you are single and don't need this much space, you can definitely find something in your range.
Some parts of New Jersey have large South American populationsModerator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed have some of the largest concentrations of Peruvians in the country (FWIW, I'm Peruvian, but I live out on Staten Island), and I know Paterson and the surrounding cities/towns have a lot of Peruvians as well. I'm not sure if there's many Chileans out there, but it's worth a shot.
Harrison has the PATH into Lower Manhattan, while East Newark has buses that connect to both the PATH (at Harrison), and NJT trains in Newark. I'm not sure if they're really suited for professionals, but that whole area stretching from Harrison up to say, Paterson might be worth looking at. (For instance, I hear Rutherford/East Rutherford is pretty nice and has a lot of things by the train station).
Of course, consider the commute as well. The PATH is quick and frequent into Manhattan, but NJT trains aren't as frequent, and the buses might be frequent, but they're prone to traffic jams.
Last edited by Yac; 05-28-2013 at 07:43 AM..
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