Rudyard Kipling’s famous quote, "East is East, West is West, and never the twain shall meet", certainly does not apply to the Astoria neighborhood in Queens, New York. In this neighborhood, the cultures of East and West coexist comfortably side by side. A sizable Greek population lives next to a growing Indian, Bangladeshi, and Korean population.

In the commercial area of this neighborhood along Ditmars Boulevard and 31st St., north of the overhead subway line, you see Greek restaurants and sidewalk cafes on one block; on the next block you find grocery stores that sell Indian spices and food, and meat slaughtered according to Muslim ritual law. Women in saris and men in baggy pantaloons and skullcaps walk alongside women dressed in western clothing. The Greek alphabet appears on some storefronts, while on others one sees the Arabic script or sanskrit.

This is the sort of neighborhood first and second generation immigrants typically have settled in over the last 30 years, as immigration into New York has surged. It is densely packed and the housing consists mainly of apartments and row houses. Given the concentration of the population into ethnic enclaves and the density of habitation, this is the sort of neighborhood where ethnic subcultures flourish. Neighbors talk to each other by sticking their heads out of the windows of their apartments, and everybody knows somebody else’s business.

Astoria was settled in the 19th century by German immigrants. The location of the neighborhood at the edge of Queens - just over the Triboro bridge that connects Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens - makes it a very convenient place to live. Steinway, the famous piano maker, built its first factory in Astoria. Legend has it that the original residents named the neighborhood Astoria after John Jacob Astor, the fur trader and investor. Apparently, they hoped that he would be flattered enough that he would invest money in their neighborhood and help to develop it. He didn’t invest, but his name stuck.

After World War II, Greek immigrants began to settle in Astoria, and for decades this neighborhood has been known as the center of Hellenic culture in the New York area. Several historic Greek Orthodox churches are located here, and they are mandatory stops when the ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church in Constantinople (Istanbul) comes for a visit to New York. In the last 20 years, various Asian immigrant groups and now Hispanics have become the dominant population groups. If you’re looking for a colorful ethnic neighborhood that is safe and has a mix of cultural groups and relatively low rents ( $700/ month for a 2 bedroom apartment), this is the place. Just sit in one of the cafes, watch the street life, and sip some Greek coffee. This is New York City neighborhood life at its best.

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