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Old 09-18-2009, 07:37 PM
 
12 posts, read 77,281 times
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I had been hearing good things about it recently, but I visited the area a couple days ago and wasn't really that impressed; it seemed to be no different than any other area of Queens.

Phrased that way, I suppose I sound somewhat stupid to expect otherwise. I'm nevertheless curious, though; what does Astoria have to offer (proximity to Manhattan excepted) that other areas of Queens, or perhaps a neighborhood in Westchester of comparable socioeconomic breakdown, does not? More specifically, how much of the stuff I hear is hype and/or resulting from proximity to Manhattan?
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Old 09-18-2009, 09:02 PM
 
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I think the question is - where did you go? Astoria is huge. If you walked down Steinway Street and called it a day, maybe that's why you were unimpressed.
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Old 09-18-2009, 11:12 PM
 
12 posts, read 77,281 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Henna View Post
I think the question is - where did you go? Astoria is huge. If you walked down Steinway Street and called it a day, maybe that's why you were unimpressed.


I stopped at the end of the line (I believe Ditmars St) and wandered around there, and then I got back on the train and did some more wandering around after getting off the train at 36th St (I think that was the one; it might have been 30th or 39th).

What should I have been looking for, and where should I have gotten a better representative idea?
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Old 09-19-2009, 07:30 AM
 
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The area by the Ditmars stop is considered to be one of the more desirable areas. The appeals of Astoria include the proximity to Manhattan, great restaurants, good nightlife for Queens, and a lot of young people attracted by all of the above. Downsides include noise, traffic/parking, pollution, cleanliness (garbage on streets, graffiti, etc.) and until recently, in my opinion, inflated rents, although that's probably calmed down a bit in the past year.
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Old 09-19-2009, 07:39 AM
 
Location: Beautiful Pelham Parkway,The Bronx
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Well,of course it has a lot to do with proximity to Manhattan.What is wrong or invalid about that ? Two of the biggest driving forces in the NY real estate market are 1) proximity to Manhattan and 2)proximity to fast transportation to Manhattan.Since proximity is of utmost importance to a lot (probably most) people ,I wouldn't call it hype to point out that a neighborhood is close to Manhattan.
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Old 09-19-2009, 08:39 AM
 
Location: Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
8,900 posts, read 15,869,619 times
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I lived about a 10 minute walk easy of the Ditmars blvd station. It's the Upper Ditmars area, and I was told by people in Astoria that it's the nicest section. It's very quiet and not as crowded as most of western Queens. I really liked the italian and greek vibe. There's some awesome restaurants in the area.
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Old 09-20-2009, 01:58 AM
 
Location: Astoria, Queens, you know the scene
749 posts, read 2,448,884 times
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My favorite parts of Astoria are Steinway, Broadway, 30th Ave, Ditmars, and Little Egypt. I like Astoria because of the unrivaled amenities, the diversity - probably the most diverse in NYC, the food, the 10 minute commute to the city, the safety, the size of the apartments, the park, the beer garden, the outdoor cafes, the european charm, the noguchi museum! etc...

There are many things to like about Astoria, but if I had to choose one, I'd say it's the diversity. Everyone lives amongst each other and gets along - I can't think of any other neighborhood in NYC that is as diverse as Astoria.
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Old 09-20-2009, 02:09 AM
 
30 posts, read 79,403 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rachael84 View Post
I lived about a 10 minute walk easy of the Ditmars blvd station. It's the Upper Ditmars area, and I was told by people in Astoria that it's the nicest section. It's very quiet and not as crowded as most of western Queens. I really liked the italian and greek vibe. There's some awesome restaurants in the area.
Can I ask what type of property you rent? and how much? hope that's not to cheeky?
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Old 09-20-2009, 07:18 AM
 
Location: Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
8,900 posts, read 15,869,619 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NewYorkerwannabe View Post
Can I ask what type of property you rent? and how much? hope that's not to cheeky?

It was in a 3 family house, and my apartment was a semi-basement. Not exactly a basement. I had a bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom. I had an amazing deal--just $750 a month. My landlord was an old man who said he didn't care about making a profit off anyone, so that's why the rent was so low. I found it through a broker, so I had to pay the fee, but it was worth it for that good of a deal. I just moved out last June. I miss my landlord and his wife. I'm probably going to visit soon to say hello
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