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I used to live on 30th Ave. & 33rd St. in my childhood. I remember there was a Korean neighbor from across the street, whos daughter became addicted to drugs because of her boyfriends and eventually ran away. But those were still bad times in the 90's
Hi. I've lived in Astoria for 30 years & it has always been
a safe area. 30th ave is great b/c it has a lot of shops.
Astoria is IMO the safest part of Queens, along with Bay Terrace.
Hi. I've lived in Astoria for 30 years & it has always been
a safe area. 30th ave is great b/c it has a lot of shops.
Astoria is IMO the safest part of Queens, along with Bay Terrace.
LOL,that is the 1st time I have ever heard that. Don't even put Astoria and Bay Terrace in the same sentence.
Mother in law speaks of the gang in the 40s and 50s---the Astoria Gents. They used to go into her neighborhood to the south and bully the kids. A co-worker friend of mine grew up there around the same time period. She never heard of the Gents...she is what one would call "lace-curtain-Irish."
In the early 90's from what I have read and older folks, as many parts of Long Island City were suffering drug crimes and prostitution , and yes Astoria was always one of those areas with rough spots, crime was increasing into what were considered the traditionally safe (and mostly Greek, Eastern European, Italian) sections of Astoria.
The areas that were roughest in Astoria is what realtors now call the Astoria/LIC areas and those areas bordering Ravenswood as Ravenswood was a very rough area (Ravenswood encompasses roughly 21st street to the east, East River to the west, about 30th Ave/30th Rd to the north and borders the Queensbridge Houses). The Astoria/LIC areas that became quite unsafe were generally below or at 34th Ave down to Queens Plaza, with a few small enclaves staying staff (Dutch Kills in the blocks north of Queens Plaza and the Crescent street area). 36th Ave was by the 70's and 80's a dump and not safe and has taken the longest time to turn around. Now it is pretty vibrant the area between 31st and Steinway.
But I have heard stories from some of the older Irish residents (yes Astoria has quite a bit of Irish) of drug addicts on some corners and the need to mind your business and have strong street smarts for some areas.
Actually, aside from the normal project shenanigans, Astoria did have a problem with Greek "gangs" (I don't know what to call them) back in the 80s. It was never a huge problem, and Astoria was never really a bad neighborhood per say, but the groups of hoodlums (it was mostly young 1st genration greak american youths) would cause a ruckus, harass people and what not.
Astoria is very safe, but there's definitely safer areas on the east side of Queens.
I would say say Astoria is the safest urban neighborhood in queens. yeah neighborhoods like Whitestone, Malba, Douglaston, forest hill gardens, are probably safer, but those are suburban neighborhoods.
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