Astoria is one of the communities in the western portion of the borough of Queens, New York City. Astoria is situated along the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City to the southwest, Sunnyside to the southeast, and Woodside toward the east. In 2019, Astoria was estimated to be home to 95,446 residents.
The area was first known as Hallet’s (or Hallett’s) Cove in honor of the first owner of the land, William Hallet, who settled in 1652 there, and his wife, Elizabeth Fones. Hallet’s Cove became an incorporated area on the 12th of April, 1839. The name was later changed to honor John Jacob Astor, then the most wealthy in the United States, to persuade Astor to contribute money to the area. In the second half of the first decade in the late 19th century, the expansion of trade and economics increased the flow of people. Astoria and several other villages were incorporated into Long Island City in 1870 and later joined The City of Greater New York in 1898. The commercial activity continued until the last decade to the 19th century. The region is now becoming an international hub for filmmaking and industrial production.
The area, now known as Astoria, was initially named Hallet’s Cove (also known as Hallett’s Cove) after its first landowner, William Hallet (or Hallett), who came to the area in 1652 with their wife, Elizabeth Fones. The peninsula is bordered to its northern portion with Hell Gate, west by the East River, and the south by Sunswick Creek. Hallet acquired the property in 1664 after conversing with two chiefs from the tribe known as Shawestcont and Erramorhar. The 19th century saw New Yorkers who were wealthy build huge homes on the 12th and 14th Streets and 14th Streets, and an area later renamed Astoria Village (now Old Astoria). Hallet’s Cove, incorporated on April 12th, 1839, and established in 1839 by the trading Furman Stephen A. Halsey, was a well-known place for recreation and a destination for the city’s wealthy.
Astoria Heights
Astoria Heights in Queens, NYC, or Upper Ditmars, is situated between Hazen Street to the west, La Guardia Airport to the east, Bowery Bay to the north, Astoria Boulevard, and the Grand Central Parkway to the south. It is primarily a tranquil middle-class neighborhood that has one and two-family homes. It is home to the Riker Lent Homestead, situated close to the north of the northern portion of Astoria Heights at 78-03 19th Road. It was constructed in 1655 under the guidance of Abraham Riker under a patent from the governor of Nieuw Nederland, Peter Stuyvesant. It is believed that it is among the oldest houses situated within New York City and is still being used as a residence. H&A Power Washing
Places of Interest
• Museum of the Moving Image
• Isamu Noguchi Museum
• Socrates Sculpture Park
• Astoria Park
• The Hell Gate Bridge
Look into other neighborhoods, such as Bayside