21-44 78th Street, 2

Quick Profile

Just outside the hustle and bustle of Astoria sits a triangular-shaped neighborhood known as Astoria Heights. It’s a quiet middle-class sub-neighborhood of Astoria, and it has a charming suburban feel. It offers tree-lined streets, one and two-family homes, a few small parks, and mom-and-pop style stores, especially along 21st Avenue, the business district. 

Astoria Heights (aka Upper Ditmars by some old-time residents) is easy to navigate. Much like the bulk of Manhattan, the streets are laid out in a numerical grid. The neighborhood is bounded by 19th Avenue and Rikers Island Bridge to the north, Astoria Boulevard to the south, 81st Street to the East, and Hazen Street to the west. 

Astoria was initially named Hallett’s Cove after a local landowner. Developers and civic leaders, attempting to rebrand the area, and woo millionaire John Jacob Astor to invest in the neighborhood, decided to use Astor’s name in the rebrand. Astor only invested a small amount, but the Astoria name stuck. 

Astoria and Astoria Heights have always had a diverse population. In the 1940s and 1950s, many Greek immigrants began migrating to Astoria and nearby areas. Asian, Middle Eastern, Latino and Indian immigrants have since contributed to the local melting pot. 

Astoria Heights is serviced by the M. N. R and W trains and the Q69, Q101, and M60 bus lines.