Astoria, NYC: Everything You Didn't Know

[@tomdnyc1]

Thanks for watching (or coming down to the comments to post something [supportive, of course]!). If you have watched more than one of my videos, please consider checking out or joining the Patreon - www.patreon.com/tomdnyc . There are extraaaas... I also try to keep the vids informative more than click-baity and I don't do endorsements, so the bulk of my support comes from there. It means a lot, and would be pretty siiiick.

[@christianmoller6141]

My Grandmother was born in Astoria in 1919, on Steinway Street. She lived to be 102 years old. Her Grandmother worked at the studio in Astoria during the silent movie era.

[@Bachconcertos]

Wow! With Charlie Chaplin & Lilliam Gish. Amazing.

[@moemcgalfend3255]

Nice story

[@rnsone8827]

My best friend’s grandmother who was born in 1900 and lived to 107, all in Astoria! She told us about the grand opening of the old Astoria cinema, the opening of the triboro bridge, and going to see Babe Ruth play at Yankee Stadium.

[@mariazollo3354]

Greetings from a Greek American in Astoria! Thank you for honoring our neighborhood! Your Greek accent was spot on, by the way!!

[@Gl6619]

When you go to New York…definitely book Tommy for a tour…so worth it…he’s definitely fun and very informative…plus, whatever place you tour, he know cool local spots to eat and drink at in whatever area you tour with him…going back to NYC next summer, will definitely hit him up..

[@larabaidengan2123]

How do you book a tour? I message on Instagram and no response and we will be there in a few months :(

[@dariuspk2850]

Me and my wife are from the south and when we spent three months in NY to experience someplace new, we ended up staying in Astoria for a majority of that time after Airbnb hopping. We’re coming back again this weekend and I’m so excited to be in this neighborhood again

[@aaronx8006]

Cool

[@susanfoy2259]

I grew up in Astoria, NY and, by the way, my great-grandmother was aboard the General Slocum and, obviously, survived since I'm here to tell that bit of personal history! From what my friends tell me, my hometown has changed alot!! Nice video! Thanks for the memories!

[@estefimedinaj]

It has but we are trying hard to keep that Astoria charm. This neighborhood has welcomed me with open arms and I try my best to keep that community feel going.

[@magamaga1827]

it's all white liberal hipsters from Ohio. Disgusting. All the natives have been forced and priced out.

[@constance480]

Hey Tom!!! One of your best videos. Great stories about LaGuardia airport and “the bridges”. I laughed my way through this one! Bravo!!

[@seshepley]

The epic fact alert blew my mind. Great video as always Tom. Love Astoria and all that you've shared here.

[@MirandaVTempest]

I've had a cheerful grin on my face for 25 minutes and change and I've learned a few flings about the neighborhood I live in...TYVM. New fan!

[@armandobarbarek]

I love Astoria! Thanks for doing this video!

[@LuciePohl1]

When Tommy D posts a new video, I feel like I’m walkin’ on sunshine…straight to Astoria!

[@Jcflippedboi]

My BF has lived in Astoria for 11 years and taught me a lot. Thank YOU, Tom, for filling in the gaps!!! I do love me some Astoria!!

[@gregorycanell6118]

As a Greek American whose family is from Astoria I officially dub you accent as 6/10

[@zorzetmalliagros842]

From a Greek living in Astoria, thank you for coming to our neighborhood! If you had passed from my house a couple of blocks from Kauffman studios I would have treated you with Greek hospitality for some delicious Greek food!! 🥂🍾🍢🥗🧆🥘🫕 😘

[@3ms4ever]

Yess!! Hey Tom!!! I love your videos, I just came across your channel recently and I have been watching the walking and park tours non stop, I love the format, I was wondering if you could maybe do some updates on some of the neighborhoods? Some of the tours are 2+ years old and us newer viewers would really love to see how the city has changed since you first started. Thanks Tom! Love your content and keep the vids coming pleaseeee.

[@portlandsamber]

😆 Silly.

[@Gl6619]

If you’re in NYC….hire him for a personal tour…I did last summer

[@3ms4ever]

@@Gl6619 I would absolutely love to. I am a student at the moment, as soon as I have the funding to travel and book a tour like that I will be there! How was the tour??

[@bris8875]

Omg I grew up in Astoria New York! I use to go to p.s 85. My god I miss it so much. Have some amazing memories of Astoria. ❤️

[@simonsmj1]

I’ve lived in NYC for 9 years, have been to most of these areas and still watch a lot of your videos !!! Do you still do standup in New York??

[@Kaitrader]

Great guy and interesting videos - thoroughly enjoy watching them. Thank you !

[@MichaelLoweth]

Hi, I grew up in Astoria first in Queens Bridge projects, then in the story of projects, then moved to 42nd St., just off of Stanley Street right by Kaufman Studios. There’s a bunch of stuff filmed there one of them was the wiz with Michael Jackson the other thing is there was two buildings that used to be army barracks that me and my friend used to hang out there especially in winter times, the Kaufman studios took over those Buildings most people don’t know, but there is a tunnel connecting the two buildings underneath the street from one building to the other when the cop chases us in one building, we used to go down the tunnel up to other building. Astoria Queens always be a part of me no matter where I live. I miss it so much now I’m in Wisconsin big difference. Thanks for the video. I enjoyed it very much.

[@crazy1234573]

I love all the information Tom has to give!! I grew up in New Jersey so I went to NYC a lot, especially Gramercy Park area. Lots of great history and nice to see the areas I went to growing up.

[@dootyminnozezelochi2257]

Video I've been waiting for for a loooong time!!

[@LouisEMora]

always enjoy the intermittent dialogue between you and Eric or Phil 😁 keep the videos keep on coming

[@buckseedamerica2743]

I never been to Astoria but I used to always catch the Long Island Rail Road to Penn Station back in 2000. Too much fun.

[@samlarson9947]

I have been watching Tom's videos for a hot minute, and I have to say this one made me chuckle the most. Thumbs up to tomdnyc great content here.

[@ortizlzitro]

I really dig your videos. Super informative and you a funny dude. Thank you! Keep them coming

[@lunabouch]

Thanks once again for the diversity of Astoria Queens. Our landlord was I was a child immigrated from Greece after WWll. He would tell me stories of the about how poor everyone was during and after the war.

[@earlj.d.6285]

Spent my childhood in Astoria before my family moved us to South Jersey for high school 😖 So many great memories in Astoria Park, ICYP baseball in Ditmars, OLMC Catholic School before it became an all girl’s school, learned to ride a bike and hoop at Hoyt Playground ☺️ now I’m in Oahu but will be. visiting in September Great upload 🤙🏽

[@derekrusso6069]

Bye OLMC you mean Our Lady of Mount Caramel right. That’s my church. Also ICYP is great, played baseball there and currently playing flag football there.

[@ShikataGaNai100]

My pastor was Fr. Holzheimer at OLMC.

[@heatherkapek1291]

Hi Tom! I just recently came across your videos a week ago, as I was doing research on a trip to NYC for my birthday in December....I am HOOKED! After watching your videos, I feel like a born and breed New Yorka! (I'm a Midwest girl from Ohio🤣) YOU ROCK!!!

[@jamilasalaam]

Astoria is freaking LIFE… when I was a little girl in the 80s it was filled with so manny amazing Greeks.. my aunty married a super cool Greek .. so I’d visit on weekends !!! And then I moved there in 2012 till 2018… love love love it and miss it… …

[@DRS659]

hahah the shudder speed/angle is doing something magical when you move your hands man, I for one love this new motion blur effect haha

[@chriswaring2569]

You had me at... Trash and birds, where I belong lol

[@shellyinspires777]

Great video. It brings back so many great memories as I grew up in Astoria on 33rd Street.

[@gregoryambres1897]

2:49 I didn't know that they had Santa Clara in New York. That's my brand (I reside in Mexico).

[@dylanisco0l]

Tom, the beard is looking tremendous. Also, the new renovations to LaGuardia seem to have finally brought respect to Fiorello’s name!

[@conniedeleon4568]

Awesome history-- thank you for sharing. You are so funny- glad I found your tours, etc....take care.

[@tammiegrant2883]

Thank you for this video, I live in Astoria. Very informative

[@eugenedimitrov]

This was another blast and so informative as always!!!Really into Astoria and Queens !

[@matthewbaker5741]

Hey Tom! Long time, no see. Great walking tour of my hood. Athens Square is just a five-minute walk from my home (my daughter used to play in the playground there). Hope to check out more of these.

[@adrianla7801]

Great vid, Tom! My wife and I love watching them. One note, you may want to consider a “flashing lights” warning if you do something similar to the epic fact bit. I have a few epileptic friends and that would have been rough for them. Looking forward to the next one!

[@joseromero7558]

PLEASE PLEASE DO MORE OF QUEENS !!!! JAMAICA, HOLLIS, FAR ROCK!!

[@ninja_tony]

The flashing segment at the 5:35 mark completely crashes the KZbin app on PS4, making it impossible to finish the video on there. Aside from that, it could definitely be an issue for anyone that suffers with seizures. Just mentioning it because it could use a warning for those that it effects. But I had to finish watching on my phone because of the former issue as well.

[@Bodega180]

I had the exact same issue. Had to immediately switch to the computer to finish this siiick video

[@denisegonzales7890]

Awesome Time! I'm hoping to get one of the NYC housing lotteries out there! Otherwise can't move lmao. Always interesting and entertaining and educational!

[@yeahohright3097]

Two things: 1) Astoria will always have a place in my heart 2) You can't convince me you're not Father John Misty's long lost brother

[@barbaraw4066]

Love your videos! Please do one on Woodhaven, Queens. Lots of interesting history there.

[@darryljorden9177]

The Marx Brothers filmed their first two movies at Kaufman-Astoria Studios while performing on Broadway.

[@neillong7801]

Tom I love your videos so much. I think they are informative in a great, funny way. Just wondering how do you remember such specific dates, and where do you get most of your historical info at for such old pieces of info. Keep up the videos. I’ll keep watching for sure!

[@mickeyrodriguez2084]

Enjoy your video about Astoria. I first came out here in 1973 . Thanks for the history. I learned lot's of facts.

[@applepeel1662]

This is weirdly my ideal and dream city. I'm an international student and moving to Boston but would love to live here long term

[@alexhellacaster27]

i love ur videos!! i’m visiting nyc soon and watching ur videos has me to excited to experience the city and also know some local history :)! i really wish i could book ur tour but the misses has family in nyc and would be annoyed if we didn’t let her family show us around but thank you sm and i hope to book ur tour someday!!

[@justsandy4381]

Thx, living in Astoria for about 30 years, learned a bit here today!

[@luciaterrizzi1881]

Tom, You have so much talent as you can memorize so much! You should of been a Teacher/Professor. Wonderful and you are also humorus and that is a good quality in teaching!

[@jd33331]

hey tom..appreciate your video....very informative...you have a great personality...funny and smart...

[@wawathunder]

Thank you! Love learning more about NYC!

[@y0ungsald]

Thank you for the tour Tom!!!!

[@FURQMEDIA]

Awesome as usual Tom!! We need a Long Island City Vid.

[@geoffreyselvage1673]

Informative as always Tom.

[@GothamSnapPhotography]

I’ve 3 years living here thanks for share the history is a great neighborhood

[@rodserling6955]

Astoria Pool is huge...Queensboro bridge has high Voltage lines going across the bridge to connect the boroughs and a tunnel underneath the Astoria power plant and the Bx hell gate plant at 138th street are connected by a tunnel..

[@vincentgoupil180]

12:09 New York City's *Bayonne Bridge* arch designed by Othmar Ammann was also influenced by Gustav Lindenthal's Hellgate Gate Bridge. Lindelthal was Ammann's mentor. Or, have you forgotten your roots* after your hoity-toity Aussie videos (sick plugs) mate? :) * St. Pete ... Tampa ... whatever it is. You tuber Nick Johnson did a recent tour of that area. Also, YT Cash Gordon did an gentrification apartment in Ridgewood. (Cue-in Led Zeppelin's "When the Levy Breaks" ... " make a mountain man leave his home . ." )

[@margot64fern]

I need to pause the video because I’m about to go down a rabbit hole about the iconic blue and white NYC Greek paper coffee cup. Be right back!

[@MrSmoovemoove]

Glad you brought up Innovation QNS. Hell of a job as always.

[@LollyandPop2]

Another gem by TomDNYC!

[@VegasWinner55Slots]

Great video and Funny too. Enjoyed! Thanks Tom

[@Libertyspot-1]

Can you do Kings Highway and Gerritsen Beach Brooklyn? 🙏

[@TrainsFerriesFeet]

The epic fact alert is a nice new touch, Tom.

[@dianamatthews2613]

Hey. So enjoy your knowledge of everywhere you go. I just watched the movie ENCHANTED, Seeing how much Manhattan has changed since then is something. In the movie before they enter Cental Park, there's an arc with statues behind them do you know where it is?

[@vintageradios7790]

I am trying to find the map of the OLD ASTORIA PARK from the 1800s, I saw a map about 20 years ago and I cannot find it again. The parks location was between 21 st and 25st aka crescent st. And between Newtown avenue and 30th avenue if you study all of the buildings inside the streets I mentioned all of the buildings were built post 1920, most built in the 1930s, NO WOOD buildings are in this section. I wish I could find the map again.

[@newyorknewyork10011]

Love your videos! Keep them coming!

[@christopherlentakis7685]

You are giving me ideas to do when I go again to the City

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Thank you for your tour here in New York...

[@stephenbacks3100]

You inspired me to order the biography of Robert Moses by Robert Caro. He’s done some great biographical work on Lyndon Johnson, and his wife, Myrna has written a wonderful book on the history of Paris.

[@madelynroesch7279]

A really good tour of part of NYC enjoyed from the comfort of home and my computer.

[@gregoryambres1897]

Love your videos, Tomás. 🏆

[@angelicagaldos]

Sick Plug!! Another city to add to places to visit. Thank you Tom

[@justingooding647]

Great vid, very interesting, you are a walking talking encyclopedia. Digging your crooner act too, sing it baybee!

[@marnie8930]

Oh boy I have wonderful childhood memories, in the 40s circumstances took me away from astoria, I lived right next to the river ,bridge, and my favorite park went to ps 122 , , never got that close to the east river, we were warned of the whirlpools ,hence the name Hell Gate Bridge

[@bigben1986]

Oh shit you were right next to the projects I grew up in. I went to Hollets cove day care center in the late 70's. Also where you are standing is exactly where my friend Sammy died. he drown in that same spot back in 1983

[@queenofspades84]

So happy you featured this neighborhood I've grown to love. Astoria is so cool. No to Innovation Queens but we know it's happening.

[@ShikataGaNai100]

Whatever happened to The Venice Pizzaria near 21st Street, not too far from PS7? My Mom introduced me to Tony Bennett and Julius LaRosa back in 1960 there. My Mom was a classmate of Tony in elementary school. The Venice was just across from Jack's, where I used to buy knishes after school.

[@843Reboot]

as an astoria resident, i did learn a lot of new things about astoria

[@PoloShak]

I was seeing if you mentioned Astoria Houses but I definitely learned something

[@markru2]

Love that Satin Spawn Bridge way to bring home the bridge LOL

[@stephenenders2066]

Gave you a thumb up for the analytics

[@hooper4581]

Great tour as always lads.

[@324clw]

Why haven't you done Crown Heights?

[@ThomasBlair.]

Just about had an aneurism when the flashing happened lol

[@colleen4062]

Tom live your wideos keep up the great work. Thank you. 👍❤

[@rodserling6955]

Thats a nice area their is a big bldg their...the Subway El was part of the 2nd ave El this section was not knocked down..

[@miniaturescookingandmore6583]

Great Info! Thank you!

[@Jpkjr52]

Thanks again John in Chicago

[@themooseling]

Now that action kid isn't covering New York city and the neighboring boroughs it's a good opportunity to take over the area and walk the city and get up the vacuum action kids left behind..like your hip approach

[@ninja_tony]

True, but Sifat (NYC Walking Show) basically is doing the same types of videos that actionkid was doing, and because they are close friends, it feels like a natural progression.

[@magamaga1827]

action kid was boring as F. all he did was walk and film. his videos put you to sleep.

[@superpokeguy9199]

Great video😊

[@dennisgordon9939]

Hey Tom was your performance on Flatbush Misdemeanors, great job. Dont know how he sold you on offering a promotion before you even hiring. lol

[@DroOnTheGO]

Came for the sick plugs and left with so much new knowledge.

[@crissilvanyc6256]

Queens was cleaned 17 year a go ,now is discussed, not clear any more . But I live Astoria 😊

[@carriehenry6721]

Its my what do u expect?...LOL🐱💜😇

[@carriehenry6721]

Ny

[@ShikataGaNai100]

Yo, as a kid, I lived in an apartment above an "Italian Social Club" (AHEM) near the corner of GCP and Steinway. Went to PS7; JHS 126; and LaGuardia HS.

[@acanessa]

OMGATKS! I live in Astoria! 😸

[@simon7762]

Awesome stuff Tom!

[@dissidentfairy4264]

Thank you for the exciting excursion. You always make things fun:-) Poor Eric, you made fun of him for seeing Lolita then you started talking about the scent of a woman. Lol

[@tejida815]

I hope you can do a film about the US Tennis Center before the US Open.