"The hall was built in 1910 by Czech immigrants who were looking for a way to replicate their homeland and to hang out and be with friends," said Lizanne Fluxmon , event planner for the place where neighbors still hold weddings, and a mug of beer costs $5 -- a bargain in the Big Apple.
"The beer hall is like a symbol for Astoria. It's a neighborhood, built by immigrants, where prices are reasonable, people are friendly, and it feels like a village in Europe," Fluxmon said.
Bounded by 34th Avenue, 49th Street, the East River, and Bowery Bay, Astoria is a hip, multiethnic neighborhood in the shadow of the Triborough and Hell Gate bridges, and across the river from Manhattan's Upper East Side. But this urban district in western Queens, one of the five boroughs of New York City, has much more to offer than a 10-minute subway ride from Midtown. Home to 250,000 residents, Astoria and neighboring Long Island City are thriving urban communities with a small-town feel, where the sidewalks are walkable and there is plenty to walk to.
For visitors, Astoria is a less-crowded alternative to Manhattan, offering a cutting-edge food scene, outstanding views, and culture at a more affordable cost and slower pace. In addition to ethnic cafes and a lively nightclub scene, Astoria has several discount retail and food stores and open park land for walking, jogging, and taking in the vistas.
Linda Spitolla moved to Astoria 25 years ago from Manhattan because rents there were getting too high. "Now I'm near the river, I'm 10 minutes by train into Manhattan, it's quiet, and the people are friendly."
TV viewers of a certain age will recall that "All in the Family" was set in Astoria. Like Archie Bunker's homestead, many of the residences here are two- and three-story row houses with narrow driveways and tidy garden patches. Archie's house may have been make-believe, but other scenes in the show's opening credits are real : Stroll by Square Hardware at 3616 Ditmars Blvd., or the intersection at Broadway and 41st Street.
