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I had a previous thread posted asking your opinions about Brooklyn vs. Queens. Thanks for everyones help. I have decided to really look into Astoria. I researched it and visited a few times and I am really starting to like it. But I get confused when they talk about the different areas of it...for example, LIC, Sunnyside, Ditmars, Steinway etc. I sort of understand the concept of it all but I am wondering what areas you all would recommend based on safety and excitement...i don't want nothing quiet, I like the craziness of people all over the place, but at the same time I don't want to put myself in an area with higher crime rates. I moved to NY from MI and am currently living in Yonkers (boring!!) so I'm looking forward to the move. Thanks!
I had a previous thread posted asking your opinions about Brooklyn vs. Queens. Thanks for everyones help. I have decided to really look into Astoria. I researched it and visited a few times and I am really starting to like it. But I get confused when they talk about the different areas of it...for example, LIC, Sunnyside, Ditmars, Steinway etc. I sort of understand the concept of it all but I am wondering what areas you all would recommend based on safety and excitement...i don't want nothing quiet, I like the craziness of people all over the place, but at the same time I don't want to put myself in an area with higher crime rates. I moved to NY from MI and am currently living in Yonkers (boring!!) so I'm looking forward to the move. Thanks!
LIC and sunnyside are not astoria, astoria will be a lot like yonkers unless you want to hang out puffing hookahs with the arabs
I've been visiting Astoria for apartments as well, and I find Steinway St. to be the area where you find nice restaurants, bars, and such are located. Astoria is pretty big, but the center of activity seems to be concentrated along that street. I'm sure a resident of Astoria will give you a better answer and hidden night spots. Astoria is also 15-20 minutes to midtown Manhattan, and there's no doubt you will find exciting nightlife there.
The apartment I just took is in the Ditmars area. Based on the apartment prices, personal observation, and the opinions of friends living nearby, Steinway probably isn't the nicest place in Astoria to live. There are lots of stores and stuff on Steinway, which is great, but there's also lots of congestion, and it just doesn't strike me as being as "nice" as Ditmars. You'll probably pay more in Ditmars than in other areas of Astoria, on average. Other popular areas include those surrounding Broadway and 30th Avenue.
A tip: the distinction between Astoria and "greater LIC" is very blurry for basically everybody -- and brokers/landlords use this to their advantage. I looked at two apartments that were supposedly in Astoria, but really weren't -- they were in more industrial areas with no stores, tons of graffiti, and totally desolate streets. I don't really have an answer to the question of where the border really is, but if it's very far from the subway (which runs along 31 St), that's probably a bad sign. The bottom line is, you really have to just start looking at places and use your eyes and ears to scope out the neighborhood.
There's a big Arab center, and since I'm of Lebanese heritage, it's a great place to hang on Friday Nights. Sadly, most of the Arab's are Muslim, old (as in 45ish), and immigrants, wheras I'm a Christian, 18, and American born.
As mentioned by babadi, the boundaries of Astoria are fuzzy. But Sunnyside and LIC are not in Astoria, but border it instead.
The three main areas of commercial activity in Astoria border Ditmars Blvd, Broadway, 21st Str. and Steinway. I would not want to live on any of these streets, but rather one street over, or on a side street.
Ignore the crack about hookah bars. There is a 2 block stretch of Steinway where these dominate, but other than that very small area, they are non-existent.
Astoria is known as a Greek neighborhood, but there are also Italian, Arabic, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern populations. Plus a bunch of generic northern European types. There are not very many African Americans for some reason.
I cannot think of any areas of to specifically avoid. I personally would not want to live in the area south of Astoria Park, but that is mainly a feeling, and not because of any particular crime problem.
Yeah, definitely don't want to live ON the streets where the center activities are concentrated at, but live close to it. From what I can see, there are neighborhoods where nice houses, apartments and condo-like buildings line the streets and it's very clean, quite, and friendly, and there are places where industrial and warehouse buildings pack together and they're rather unsightly. The area around the 46st subway stop (on the R and V trains) I find to be very very nice. I've also been advised to check out Ditmars, but it's pretty far up and I haven't had the chance to see the neighborhood. However, I did go see some apartments up there and they were among the best I've seen so far in Astoria.
I actually have checked out the areas and honestly I'm in love with it I think its perfect for what I am looking for. But if I would be living farther from the main streets and all, would you guys still say I would be ok without a car?
car.... well, first of all, parking will be your single biggest hassle in owning a car.
if you live in New York (and are not super rich), then I'd advise against the car idea. learn to enjoy walking and taking public transportation like the rest of us.
getting an apartment within the vincinity of a subway stop would save you a lot of energy and trouble when it comes to communting from where you live to the rest of the city (especially after a long day of work you really woudn't feel like walking 8 blocks to reach your door).
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