Your Neighborhood, Defined by the Queens Gazette

While poking around various news sources today, I came across these fun factoid blurb descriptions of various neighborhoods in Queens. Here's Western Queens:

Astoria
This primarily residential, one and two family area was known as Hallets Cove in the eighteenth century. The area was given its current name in honor of John Jacob Astor. It later became part of Long Island City.

Astoria, the home of Kaufmann-Astoria Studios which opened in 1920, has a large Greek influence (the largest Greek population outside of Athens) but Italian, Asian and South American cultures also have major influence.

Ditmars
A section of northern Astoria, generally considered part of the greater community.

Home to major power plants, Ditmars was named for the first mayor of Long Island City, Abram Ditmars.

Hunters Point
A section of Long Island City, Hunters Point was named for George Hunter who owned the property in 1825. The riverside location secured an industrial importance for this neighborhood.

Although still industrial in nature residential sections have remained and more housing is planned as part of the Queens West development.

Long Island City
Long Island City was originally part of the town of Newtown but combined with the villages of Ravenswood, Dutch Kills, Hunters Point, Astoria and Steinway to form Long Island City in 1870.

Predominately industrial in nature because of the Queensboro Bridge and linking subway lines, the area was only doted with residential sections. The area, though still predominately industrial, is home to loft-sized dwellings and many artistic endeavors.

Ravenswood
Named for Rev. John Ravenscroft, Ravenswood is a part of Long Island City.

The riverfront estates that once filled this area are now apartment buildings, one of which is the Ravenswood housing project.

Roosevelt Island
Located in the East River between New York City and Queens, Franklin D. Roosevelt Island, is part of Manhattan administratively, with a large residential development and a major rehabilitative hospital, Coler Memorial.

Home to Indians, the island was settled by Europeans in the late 17th century, bought by New York City in the late 1820s and was named Blackwell’s Island. It subsequently became Welfare Island in 1921 and finally Roosevelt Island in 1973.

Steinway
An area originally settled by the Germans in the early nineteenth century and part of the larger Astoria community.

Steinway was given its name when piano manufacturer Theodore Steinway moved his piano plant there from Manhattan.


And, our neighbors to the east:

Sunnyside
Sunnyside is named for a farm that became the town’s original site. Sunnyside Gardens, a development of garden apartments, was the first of its kind in the United States.

Celtic Park was a recreational spot and center for sports to the large Irish population that inhabited the area. The spot became a greyhound racetrack and is currently the site of Celtic Park Houses, a large apartment complex.

Woodside
This neighborhood, a blend of residential, commercial and industrial areas that is named due to the large wooded area that was located there in 1869 when the town was founded.

Tower Square located on Northern Boulevard and 51st Street was built as a railway station and has since been preserved as a landmark.