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Astoria/Long Island City
To paraphrase 18th century English writer Samuel Johnson’s
comments about London: “When one is tired of Northwestern
Queens, he is tired of life.”
Astoria and Long Island City are booming with new residential
buildings, restaurants, bars, cultural attractions, and hotels. Plus,
the high-energy area is only one subway stop from Grand Central
Station on the 7 train and one stop from Manhattan’s Upper East
Side on the N train.
Many of the hotels, restaurants, and cultural attractions are
mentioned in other parts of this guidebook. Here are a few fun
places: Astoria Park; Astoria Performing Arts Center; City Ice
Pavilion; Dorsky Gallery; Fisher Landau Center for Art; Greater
Astoria Historical Society; Gantry Plaza State Park; Greek
Cultural Center; LaGuardia Performing Arts Center; Hunter Point
South’s Waterfront Park; LIC Flea + Food; LIC Landing, MoMA
PS1; Museum of the Moving Image; New York Irish Center;
Noguchi Museum; Queens Council on the Arts; SculptureCenter;
Socrates Sculpture Park; Thalía Spanish Theatre; The
Chocolate Factory Theater; The Creek and the Cave; and The
Standing Room Comedy Club. More information is at www.
longislandcityqueens.com.
The latest news is ferry service from 34th Street in Manhattan
to LIC Landing and Astoria. A one-way pass costs $2.75 or the
same amount as a ride on a subway or bus. Plus, the trip only
takes a few glorious minutes.
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