When Astoria comes up in conversation, you almost always hear the same thing. “That’s the place with the
beer garden and all the Greek restaurants, right?”
At least we’re past the snobby outright dismissal of Queens, but constantly-evolving Astoria has a lot more to offer than those two dependable but clichéd choices. According to
government surveys, there are 138 languages spoken in Queens, making it one of the most diverse counties in America. Yet unlike some people in other boroughs that shall remain nameless, we haven’t let the charms of our borough go to our heads. You’re not likely to see anyone wearing Queens pride T-shirts, and as far as we know, Pete Wentz isn’t about to name his next kid “Astoria.”
What you will find here is a vibrant, internationally-fueled nightlife with a welcoming, laid-back attitude—which may be why it’s now the destination neighborhood for young people moving to New York. For locals or reverse bridge-and-tunnelers looking to do something a little different on a night out, we’ve put together a bar-and-restaurant-hopping agenda for one of New York’s best neighborhoods.
~Chris Goldberg
