Growing up in Astoria

The N train, the main train line of Astoria.

My grandparents came to America from Puerto Rico in the 1960’s and settled in Astoria in the late 1970’s. When I was born in 1991 I was taken to live with my grandparents in Astoria. I began attending school at P.S.17Q in 1996 and everything that followed would shape me into the person I am today. I consider the time I spent growing up in Astoria to be my golden years for this reason.

The famous bakery on the corner of 31st and Broadway. The lovely aroma that comes from the bakery gives Astoria a scent in the air that no other neighborhood has.

Astoria is such a peaceful yet, lively neighborhood with a diverse population and a bunch of crazy characters. I remember waking up every morning to the smell of Parisi’s Bakery spreading it’s lovely aroma of baked goods all down Broadway. The N train was a block away from my house and I remember seeing and hearing it each time as it passed by. The sounds would often lull me to sleep once night came. The nostalgia is what keeps my coming back to Astoria.

Kaufman Studios is a historic movie studio located in the Astoria. Home to New York City’s only backlot, which opened last year in December, 2013.

Unfortunately, today Astoria is a heavily gentrified area. For those of you who don’t know what gentrification is, it is a shift in an urban community that favors wealthier residents/businesses and drives out the lower class residents from the community. Basically the rich move in, and the poor get swept to the side. This is making it all the harder for me to move back to my beloved hometown of Astoria. I hope one day to live in Astoria once more, but for the mean time I’ll survive with just working in the neighborhood I love so much.

Ditmars Blvd Station, the last stop on the N Train in the heart of Astoria.