Demographics
National Geographic states that Astoria, Queens is the most diverse neighborhood present in the world. According to the 2010 U.S. Bureau Census, the total population of Astoria is 191,105, and of that population more than half (54.7%) consists of people of diverse backgrounds. These diverse populations are made up of: 27.6% Hispanic; 14.1% Asian or Pacific Islander; 9.8% Black/African American; and a total of around 2% of mixed races. Of the population of 191,105 people residing in Astoria, 161,284 people are adults, making up the majority of the population.
Location
Astoria is located in Queens Community District 1, which is in the northwest corner of the borough of Queens. The neighborhoods included in this district are: Astoria Heights, Queensbridge, Dutch Kills, Ravenswood, Rikers Island, Steinway, and Long Island City (which is also included in District 2). Astoria is also bordered by the East River. It is a neighbor to District 2, which consists of Long Island City, Sunnyside, and Woodside.
Community Board
The chairperson of the community board for Astoria is Vinicio Donato and the District Manager is currently Lucille Hartmann. The community board office is located in Astoria at 45-02 Ditmars Blvd and the office can be contacted at 718-626-1021
Schools
In Astoria, there are three public high schools: the Young Women’s Leadership School, William Cullen Bryant High School, and Frank Sinatra High School. There are also two private schools: St. John’s Preparatory School and St Demetrios School. In addition to this, there is also one middle school and four elementary schools (the majority of which are private schools). In addition to these schools, there are also a handful of daycares located around the neighborhood.
Local Businesses
The majority of Astoria’s local businesses cluster around the heavily trafficked 30th Avenue, 31st Street, Steinway Street, Ditmars Blvd, and Broadway. These local businesses consist of restaurants, beauty supply stores, hair salons, drugstores, vegetable stalls and convenience stories.
Real Estate and Housing
According to the 2010 Census, Astoria possesses 39,030 total family households and 37,603 nonfamily households, creating a grand total of 76,633 households. AddressReport names Astoria as the best neighborhood for young professionals because of its proximity to the city and reasonable housing prices.
Commuting
Astoria is easily accessible by the N and Q subway lines as well as with the Q18, Q19, Q102 and Q103 bus lines. Astoria is also only about a half hour drive from Manhattan.
Hot Topics
The Kaufman Arts District located in Astoria will soon see an installation of new condos. The Kaufman Astoria Studio is an active studio that currently filming the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black.” The president of the studio claims that with the improvement of the Museum of the Moving Image (also located in this district), and the popularity of Frank Sinatra High School, improving the residential area “seemed like the next step” for attracting talent to the area.
Resources
National Geographic: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/big-idea/02/queens-genes
2010 Census for District 1: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/neigh_info/socio_demo/qn01_socio_demo.pdf
Queens Community Portal: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neigh_info/qn01_info.shtml
Queens Community Board: http://www.nyc.gov/html/cau/html/cb/queens.shtml
AddressReport of Astoria: https://www.addressreport.com/blog/best-neighborhood-in-queens/
New Condos in the Kaufman Arts District: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/23/realestate/new-condos-in-astoriaskaufman-arts-district.html?_r=0