Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The joke's on Astoria

From the NY Times:

An unlikely ecosystem has developed in the northwest corner of Queens. Just as there are some creatures that flourish at certain warm depths of a coral reef but not a foot deeper where the water is colder, a thriving hive of comedians has affixed itself to Astoria, perfectly suited to the particular microclimate there.

Thanks to cheap rents that allow time for writing, ample parking that makes road trips to out-of-town clubs easy and a myriad of other comedian-lifestyle perks, it has become more than likely that if you meet a comedian outside a New York City club, he (most of them are men) will tell you he lives in the Queens neighborhood better known as a gold mine of Greek restaurants.

“The only caveat about living here,” Mr. Allen said, “is convincing and extracting a beautiful girl with a sweet Manhattan apartment to come out to Queens, which in their mind is filled with serial killers, rusty above-ground tracks and barrels of fire straight from the scenes in Eddie Murphy’s ‘Coming to America.’ When girls ask me where I live I say, ‘I live on the Upper East East Side.’”

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Get real. Like everything in that nabe, calculated for the real estate market.

Everyone is afraid its becoming another Corona.

Astoria is a joke.

No night life there - unless you wear polyester and shades at midnight, drive a souped up Maza, live in Great Neck with mommy and daddy, oggle women that would go out with Monsterrat, and think Euro tump is the latest in music.

Anonymous said...

Ample parking in Astoria? Where? It's one of the reasons I moved out and will NEVER move back. I can't even stand to drive there when I have to go back to visit my mom.

the two Mikes said...

If you've got to go to Astoria in search of a quickie with some mustachioed Euro babe you're better off traveling a little further to Flushing.

More "massage parlors" per block per-capita than in any other nabe.

Just check out the "Tribune" for those "Zaggat" rated spots.

kingofnycabbies said...

Love the "Coming To America" reference.

Of course, Murphy and Arsenio Hall's dump, which was supposed to be in Queens, was actually in Williamsburg (and not substantially changed today). The "McDowells" restaurant was in Queens, near the intersection of Queens Blvd. and Broadway; it's now a Wendy's.

mazeartist said...

Parking in Astoria? Are they kidding?

Anonymous said...

Great - an increase in itinerants - the neighborhood doesn't matter - just the fact that the rent is cheap - if you're a 35 year-old who is willing to live like a frat boy.

Lino said...

Don't take the comments from some a-hole comedian seriously..most of our restaurants staff people (over 230) live in the outer boroughs -the majority in Queens.

I have often recommended Astoria-LIC-Sunnyside to new hires if they are looking for a place..none have ever given negative reaction.

Now, if I recommend the Bronx, they act as if I have told them to "go to hell". ;-)

Anonymous said...

I have often recommended Astoria-LIC-Sunnyside to new hires if they are looking for a place..none have ever given negative reaction.
--

yea, and your point ? - dishwashers and other 3rd world types?

or midwesterners that only sleep there until they move on?

nice solid community.