m~/k~ uo<br > ~ ~s~/Xk !dd!ss!ss<br >~H:l jo ~uo!~d~3<br > Mo:ls!H u~a!i~<br > he fact that Queens is looked down upon by<br > Manhattanites， mainly because the borough remains a<br > predominantly working class area， is good news for<br >would-be bargain hunters in the housing game. This preju-<br >dice has meant that the surprisingly quaint neighborhood<br >of Astoria has yet to be dobbered by the housing boom that<br >has hit most of Brooldyn s boroughs. Consequently， if you<br >venture out to Astoria you can still get a sizeable bang for<br >your buck.<br > Astoria has a rich history. In 1652， William Hallett， an<br >Englishman， purchased 1，500 acres of land from the<br >Dutch governor， Peter Stuyvesant. Though the region s<br >natives did not relish in this sale， they were coaxed by<br > t<br >beads， seven coats， four kettles， a blanket and a bit of<br >HaUett s smooth talking into a peace treaty with the<br >Englishman. By the 1830s， this small community had<br >been elevated to the status of a village and named Hallett s<br >Cove. In 1839， a local fur trader named Stephen A. Halsey，<br >who dreamt of making Hallett s Cove an affluent and<br >bustling sector， proposed that this site be called Astoria in<br >an attempt to lure the wealthy John J. Astor into investing<br >in this developing community. Astor was not impressed<br >by Hallett s sycophantic attitude and contributed nothing<br >to Astoria s development; nevertheless， the name stuck.<br > Bound by the East River in the North and the West，<br >Grand Central Parkway， the Brooklyn-Queens<br >Expressway， and LaGuardia Airport in the East， and 35th<br >Avenue and Sunnyside in the South， most of Astoria s<br >charm has to do with its proximity to Manhattan and its<br >reputation for being a safe yet sprightly neighborhood.<br >The area can boast two major claims to fame: first， the<br >penchant of Hollywood film makers for featuring this<br >friendly neighborhood and second， the fact that Astoria，<br >often referred to as "Little Athens; houses the largest con-<br >duster of low-rise tenements and<br >brick row houses. Dark-suited<br >older men retire to the benches lin-<br >ing the sidewalks， and mingle ant<br >socialize with their acquaintances.<br >Greek pastry shops and cafes<br >around 31st street and Ditmars<br >©³©¥©·<br >©§ ©§<br >©»©¥©¿<br >Boulevard beckon any passerby -- <br >with goodies， pastries and some strong<br >Greek coffee. Although you do not have to be<br >Greek (or Italian) to fit in here， it doesn t hurt since thel<br >are quite a few exclusive social clubs and many of th<br >shops are lined with alphabets foreign to the America<br >reader.<br > Astoria may be proud of its roots and cultural he1<br >itage， but it is by no means unwelcoming or xenophobi~<br >The people are always ready to lend a helping hand， an<br >once settled， one cannot help but love the community fe~<br >of Queen s little treasure.<br > "Lots of profe，，<br >sionals， amenities everywhere，" but "not entirel<br >clean--it ain t the upper Westside， here， but it <br >not awful." "Starbucks is coming， a sure sign th~<br >the neighborhood is being ruined." Also， the "1<br >(Never) and R (Rarely) trains are a big reaso<br ><br >