Astoria is one of the neighborhoods located in the western part of Queens, New York. Astoria is bordered by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City to the southwest, Sunnyside to the southeast, and Woodside towards the East. As of 2019, Astoria is estimated to have a population of 95,446 residents.
The region was initially named Hallet’s (or Hallett’s) Cove after the first landowner, William Hallet, who settled there in 1652 along with their wife of his, Elizabeth Fones. Hallet’s Cove was officially incorporated on the 12th of April, 1839. It was later named after John Jacob Astor, then the wealthiest person in the United States, to persuade Astor to put money into the region. In the second part, during the first decade of the 19th century, the growth of commerce and economics accelerated migration. Astoria and several other villages were included in Long Island City in 1870 and were later integrated into the City of Greater New York in 1898. The commercial activity continued throughout the end of the century. The region is becoming a hub for filmmaking and industrial production.
This region in Queens, now known as Astoria, was initially known as Hallet’s Cove (also known as Hallett’s Cove) after its first landowner, William Hallet (or Hallett), who settled in 1652 along with their wife of his, Elizabeth Fones. This peninsula is bordered to its northern part by Hell Gate, west by the East River, and to the south by Sunswick Creek. Hallet purchased the property at the age of 1664 by negotiating with two indigenous chiefs named Shawestcont and Erramorhar. In the 19th century, wealthy New Yorkers built large homes between 12th and 14th Streets, an area that later came to be known as Astoria Village (now Old Astoria). Hallet’s Cove, incorporated on April 12th, 1839, and founded in 1839 by a fur trader Stephen A. Halsey, was a well-known recreational spot and a resort for Manhattan’s elite. EZ Bed Bug Exterminator Queens
Astoria Heights
Astoria Heights, or Upper Ditmars, is bordered by Hazen Street to the west, La Guardia Airport to the east, Bowery Bay to the north, Astoria Boulevard, and the Grand Central Parkway the south. It is mainly a peaceful middle-class neighborhood with one- and two-family houses. The Riker Lent Homestead is located near the north of the northern end of Astoria Heights at 78-03 19th Road. Built in 1655 under the direction of Abraham Riker under a patent from Nieuw Nederland’s governor Peter Stuyvesant It is thought to be one of the oldest residences located in Queens, NYC, and is still used as a home.
Places of Interest
- Museum of the Moving Image
- Isamu Noguchi Museum
- Socrates Sculpture Park
- Astoria Park
- The Hell Gate Bridge
Check out different neighborhoods like Bayside