Mother is in town!

I live on a street. In Astoria. Ummm....Long Island City. Ummmm...Queens. Yeah, yeap, in New York! It's in New York!

While reflecting on a good way to introduce my neighborhood - which is only proper since lots of my wanderings, discovers and sweet mischievous acts take place here - my thoughts kept going back to my mother. Which I did find odd for a short time, before realizing that it sort of makes sense, in a weird, twisted, Pavlovian-kind-of-way.

My mother first came to visit me in the U.S. about 7 years ago. I tried to prepare, well in advance, a mighty fine introduction and tour of Astoria for mother. Impressing her is nothing less than a Ponce-de-Leonic mission, but little did I know. Funnily, the impressing part did not go too well, not after she realized that a stroll on Broadway in Astoria was not a stroll on "the Broadway", that we are separated by the "real New York City", or "Menhetten" by a foul-smelling body of water also called the East River on occasion, and that we needed to ride what she calls a train from 1907 to get to "Menhetten".

However, while attempting to impress an non- impressionable, posh european mother, I stumbled upon a motherload, (punsic!) of facts, and stories, and places and I discovered a bit of my neighborhood's history - such wonderfulness!

The Village of Astoria was incorporated in 1839 by Stephen Halsey. Long Island City ("LIC") was incorporated in 1870 by absorbing the Village of Astoria, and the hamlets of Steinway, Dutch Kills, Middletown, Ravenswood and Blissville. Nowadays, Astoria and Long Island City are used intermittently be it by locals, or by officials such as the postal office. Presently, Astoria is considered a Greek neighborhood - because of the predominance of Greeks and Cypriots in the area - but there are also Italians, Asians, South Americans and other ethnicities.

Over 250,000 people live in Long Island City, making it the largest community in Queens. The community boasts over 4,000 businesses, 1,100 stores and 300 restaurants. Steinway Street is also known as the “Longest Shopping Mall in the World.”

Another fun fact is that although Long Island City is in Queens, its face is to Manhattan: it is connected to New York by three bridges and four tunnels placing our communities minutes away from mid-town.

I live within an equidistant 4-5 block walk from Norwood Gardens,


Steinway Street, Kaufman Astoria Studios, the Museum of Moving Image, the Noguchi Museum, three flea shops, the famous 30th Avenue - the "Greekest" Avenue in the U.S., or Monica's, a mid-century style cafe bar with an outdoor terrace favorite with the artsy crowd. A bike ride can get me to Astoria Park, Ditmars area, or museums in LIC within 10 minutes or so. Astoria is very, very artsy and outgoing.

Nearly 400,000 tourists visit Long Island City cultural institutions: MOMA Qns, PS 1, Noguchi Museum, American Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria Performing Arts Center, and Socrates Sculpture Park --- making the arts --- and artists --- Long Island City’s fastest growing community! Three locations of New York's Music Trail are in the area: Kaufman-Astoria Studios, Steinway Piano Factory, and Scot Joplin’s grave in St. Michael’s Cemetery. In the 1920s and 1930s movies were made at the Paramount (now Kaufman-Astoria) Studios. By the way, did you know that the first word ever duplicated was "Astoria" by Chester Carlson, the inventor of the photocopy process in a lab on Broadway? Take that, Xerox! Oh, and did I mention Tony Bennett was born here?

As you probably induced from mentions of "Steinway Street", the neighborhood is home to Steinway & Sons, the legendary piano maker. In 1870, William Steinway, son of the company founder, purchased a large tract of land in northwest Queens and moved the cramped operations to a new home along the East River. Along with the factory, he built Steinway Village, a company town with its own post office, church, library and housing for employees. The Steinway & Sons factory continues its production in the same location today. And using the original, hand-made processes, it is the leading manufacturer of pianos in the world.


We're also sporty and outdoorsy, and those of us who ain't, support sports from the parks' benches. Tennis in Astoria Park comes close to perfection! Plenty of newly-remodeled courts, some shaded by trees and a nice community spirit of "hey, I know your face, wanna play?" is always going on. The park has over 60 acres and is considered one of the most beautiful parks in the New York City park system. The 1936 Olympic Swimming Trials were held in Astoria Park Pool. There are always concerts and events taking place on its sprawling lawns.


Lastly, the last beer garden in New York City is located in Astoria. The Historic Bohemian Hall & Park is huge, and its line spills around the block on any given Friday or Saturday night. Mmmm, Be-er, Be-er is the Best!


Well, that is all. I like my neighborhood. And beer. And yeah, puns. Butter too.
And Mom. Mom, by the way did warm up to Astoria after all. I know now that I should have started my 'hood tour at the Garden, y'all!