New York City Car Rental and an Astoria Overview

Astoria is a neighborhood in Queens which you can visit with your New York City car rental. It is bounded by the East River, Long Island City, Sunnyside, and Woodside. The area was named for John Jacob Astor, who never actually visited the area, but was persuaded to invest money in the community. Astor did have a summer home in Manhattan on what is now East 87th Street where he could see across the river to his namesake.

Visit a cultural mosaic

Astoria was first settled by Dutch and German settlers in the 17th century and remained that way for a long time until the next major wave of immigration in the 1890s brought Czech, Irish, and Italian immigrants. By the 1920s, there was a large number of Irish settlers who founded the Catholic Churches in the area that still serve today (Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Patrick’s, St. Mary’s, Immaculate Conception, Most Precious Blood, and St. Joseph’s). These churches still serve as a pillar of the community when you visit with your New York City car rental for the immigrants of Latin American and Eastern European heritage.

It’s all Greek to me

In the 1960s, there were a large number of Greek immigrants to the area, which you can still see today with your New York City car rental because of all the Greek restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and Greek Orthodox churches in the area. In fact, Astoria has the largest number of people of Greek heritage outside of Greece! Approximately 30-35% of the population claims this heritage.

Take a short trip

In the 1970s, there were a large number of immigrants from Lebanon, Egypt, Tunsia, Yemen, and Morocco. The area on Steinway Street between 27th Avenue and Astoria Boulevard is sometime referred to as “Little Cairo” because of the number of Arabic shops, restaurants, and cafes. If you are looking for some of the best Arabic food in the city with you New York City car rental, this is a great place to start!

Get out on the town

When you visit Astoria with your New York City car rental, you may want to have a designated driver, because the oldest beer garden in New York is found here. Bohemian Hall was founded in 1910 when the area was largely made up of Irish, Czech, and Slovak settlers. Other attractions in the area include Astoria Park, which is located along the East River with your New York City car rental. This large park also has the largest of New York City’s public pools where they used to hold the U.S. Olympic trials. In neighboring Long Island City, you will also fin the Socrates Sculpture Park, which features outdoor exhibition space.

Immerse yourself in art

Astoria is home to the Kaufman Astoria Studios’ Museum of Moving Images, which educates the public “about art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media and to examine their impact on culture and society”. There are three floors of permanent and rotating exhibits as well as screenings. Two or three films are usually screened on Saturday and Sunday, often with retrospectives of a director or actor. The Noguchi Museum is also found in Astoria with your New York City car rental for the work of Isamu Noguchi.