QNYC Event Highlight: The Village of Astoria

Image Source: In Queens

Presently a wonderful combination of restaurants, bakeries, nightlife and ethnic diversity, Astoria actually has a rather uncool history. It was named after a man who never even set foot in the neighborhood. Real estate tycoon John Jacob Astor was the wealthiest man in the U.S. in 1840, about the time his last name was immortalized in Western Queens. (Allegedly, he could see his namesake village from his Upper East Side residence near what is now York Avenue.) On February 4, Kevin Walsh, founder of the website Forgotten New York, will present a lecture on Astoria Village at the Greater Astoria Historical Society. Expect everything from the 1660s to the area’s current housing development.