Astoria
Heritage District · Astoria, New York
The north-western Queens neighbourhood that has been the centre of GREEK NEW YORK since the 1960s and is now equally EGYPTIAN, Moroccan, Bangladeshi, Brazilian and Balkan — with the largest Greek community outside Greece for much of the twentieth century, and a stretch of Steinway Street known as LITTLE EGYPT. ⚠ IT WAS ALSO AMERICA'S FILM CAPITAL BEFORE HOLLYWOOD, and the studios are still working.
31st Street at Ditmars Boulevard, Astoria, New York, 11105, United States
An open neighbourhood — free, no gate, no hours. Restaurants and cafés keep their own hours; the Greek tavernas run late and the Steinway Street shisha cafés run later still. ⚠ ASTORIA PARK is free and open daily, and the 1936 ASTORIA POOL — the largest and oldest public pool in New York City — is FREE and SEASONAL, roughly late June to early September. ⚠ The Noguchi Museum and Socrates Sculpture Park are LONG ISLAND CITY rather than Astoria and are separate rows. The N and W run to Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard, two stops from Manhattan; ⚠ several stations are elevated and stairs-only.