Posts by Jason D Antos
Secrets of Astoria
Astoria is a neighborhood full of places to explore and enjoy. A town so big and old as Astoria has, without a doubt, many secrets. Let’s explore some of these gems which are hiding in plain sight! John Jacob Astor-Astoria’s Namesake Originally known as Newtown, our neighborhood was named after America’s richest individual, John Jacob…
Read MorePreserving History
The history of Queens is as epic and diverse as its citizens. Millions of stories, large and small, have occurred here since its establishment in 1683. The Queens Historical Society (QHS) has been helping to preserve the legacy of these stories and the greater history of the borough for more than 50 years since it…
Read MoreChew on This
Long Island City Was Epicenter Of Women In The Workforce As we celebrate Women’s History month let us recognize the year 1919. It marked the time in America’s history when women were given the right to vote after the ratification of the 19th amendment on June 4th of that year. From that point on everything…
Read MoreWestern Queens Was Home To Family Of Christmas Fame
The Moore You Know The five boroughs of New York City were established on January 1, 1898. Prior to what was called the “Great Consolidation” of five counties to make one huge metropolis, Astoria was part of Newtown township in the days when Queens was its own county. Newtown has been inhabited since the days…
Read MoreThe Inside Scoop on ‘The French Connection’
Taking It To The Streets In 1970-71, the movie ‘The French Connection’, based on the book by Robin Moore, was filmed on the streets of Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, and Queens in the dead of winter. At the time, the director, William Friedkin, was only 35 years old and unknown. Filmed with mostly handheld cameras,…
Read MoreJustice, Astoria Style
The Long Island City Courthouse If you’re familiar with Long Island City you’re probably familiar with the historic structure located at 25-10 Court Square. The Long Island City Courthouse has stood since 1874 and has been the site of some of the most important and controversial trials in New York City’s legal history. Originally designed…
Read MoreRemembering the Veterans of Astoria
In the mid-1950s, President Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day. Happy Veterans Day to all those who serve.
Read MoreA Haunting In Astoria
The festival of Samhain is upon us! What began centuries ago as a Celtic festival and is Old Irish for “summer’s end,” the holiday we know as Halloween is celebrated with the telling of ghostly tales, and folks, young and old, going door to door dressed in costumes for the traditional Trick o’ Treating. In…
Read MoreAstoria Lights The Way!
One of the top attractions in Astoria is the waterfront at Astoria Park. After locals were concerned about safety, a lighthouse was born.
Read MoreWhen Astoria Was America’s Hollywood
Lights, Camera, Action! Gloria Swanson, star of the silent screen and famous for classics like Sunset Boulevard, said of making movies in Queens in her 1980 autobiography, Swanson on Swanson: “Every day we drove across the Queensboro Bridge to the new studio in Astoria in the borough of Queens. It was certainly not another Hollywood.…
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