A story
to tell

Astoria’s history is long and varied. From the 17th century, early farmsteads along the waterfront grew into bustling hamlets, and in the early 19th century, wealthy Manhattanites began building their mansions in the area – some of which still stand today. Officially founded in 1839, Astoria Village (named after business magnate John Jacob Astor) continued to expand as commercial growth brought German immigrants to the area. One of them was Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg, patriarch of the Steinway family and founder of Steinway & Sons piano company. In 1853, the family constructed a factory in northern Astoria, followed by a sawmill and foundry, as well as a streetcar line, before eventually establishing Steinway Village for the factory workers. Both Astoria and Steinway villages were incorporated into Long Island City in 1870, and remained an independent municipality until becoming part of the City of Greater New York in 1898.

The remaining farms were replaced with a street grid and tract housing to accommodate the City’s growing number of residents. In the early 20th century, Astoria was connected to Manhattan by train and car via large-scale infrastructure projects, like the Hell Gate Bridge and RFK Bridge that replaced water traffic. Later, the N and W Subway lines provided alternative public transport links and recently, Astoria was added onto the NYC Ferry route – upgrading its connectivity with Manhattan and the rest of NYC. Other notable moments for Astoria during the 20th century included the 1910 founding of New York City’s oldest beer garden, Bohemian Hall. Astoria also played a significant role in the early American filmmaking industry, and many hit TV series are still filmed at the Kaufman Astoria Studios. Famous names who were born in the neighborhood include ​​Tony Bennett, Dee Snider, Christopher Walken and Cyndi Lauper. It was also the birthplace of xerography – the dry photocopying process after which Xerox is named. Clues to this past can be found all over Astoria, and one doesn’t have to look very hard to find them. Street names, architectural gems, cultural institutions and more all survive today to chronicle this richly layered part of the city.