"The Astoria Idea"

The immediate idea a person has when hearing of the town of Astoria is none other than just one word, “Greek”. To a great extent this word holds a lot of truth; however Astoria has come to have a diverse society. The population of Greeks as well as Italians in Astoria is enormous for such a small area yet just a brief walk down 30^th avenue will prove this to be wrong. Yes, there is a continuous strip of Greek cafes, restaurants and stores but it is easy to find people a different ethnicity. Astoria is loaded with Greeks but consists of Albanians, Indians, African Americans, Croatians, Mexicans, etc.

Astoria acts like a puzzle, each piece representing a different identity. Ditmars Boulevard is probably the most Greek it can get. It is highly impossible to live anywhere in that area without having at least three of your neighbors from a Greek background. Most of the Greek Orthodox churches are located in that area as well as Greek schools and halls for Greek associations. 30^th avenue, also known as the heart of Astoria, gets a bit more diverse as far as ethnicities go. Next is Broadway, where everything changes. Years ago, all of Astoria could have been considered simply Greek and Italian. Broadway distinguishes the merely Greek from the diverse variety. It is slowly transforming into a little-Manhattan. The majority of the inhabitants near the Broadway area do in fact work in the city. Many even moved there from the city because of the convenience of the N train in addition to the cheaper rents. This resulted in an obvious cultural diffusion among the town of Astoria.

Going further into Astoria, past Broadway, you can possibly encounter a famous actor shooting a soon-to-be best film of the year. Around 36^th avenue exists the infamous Kaufman Studios where many movies and TV shows are made. Because of the location of the studios, the streets of Astoria are often used for films to be shot. Have you heard of a Bronx Tale? Most of that movie was shot in, of course, Astoria.

Generally, whether you want to visit the Greek-town or hang around Astoria Park for a nice city-view, Astoria has plenty to offer.