kthorjensen

I have lived in Astoria for seven years and have seen it go through a number of changes. When I moved in, it was primarily Greeks and Eastern Europeans, but the neighborhood has steadily grown younger and hipper. Astoria is the most ethnically diverse neighborhood in the world, and that's reflected in the amazing array of food to be found - spectacular Thai, Egyptian and even some of NYC's best Mexican joints. Unfortunately, there's no decent bars unless you enjoy thumping Euro techno. Astoria has several great parks, including the massive Astoria Pool and the charmingly funky Socrates Sculpture Park. Transportation is a mixed bag - allegedly, the G train runs to Brooklyn, but good luck ever catching it on a day when it's running. The R is often broken, but the N and W are fairly dependable. Even though rents are skyrocketing, it's still a reasonably affordable hood, and there's plenty of available real estate, much of which is decently sized.