Astoria was named after John Jacob Astor. However, prior to obtaining its current name, Astoria was known as Hallet’s Cove. Astoria was named after John Jacob Astor to persuade him to invest $2,000 in the neighborhood. Although he only invested 1/4 of that, the name remained. Another interesting fact is that John Jacob Astor never actually stepped foot in Astoria. He did have a residence in another location with the same name, but this was actually in Manhattan.

In the early 19th century residences were constructed between 12th and 14th Street. Later on this became known as Astoria Village. Currently it’s referred to as Old Astoria. In 1839 Hallet’s cove was founded by Steven Halsey. At this time this was a resort and recreational destination for the wealthy, mostly from Manhattan.

In the later 1800's, both economic and commercial growth resulted in an increase in immigration, a large portion being German, many of them in the cabinet / furniture industries. One settler was Henry Steinway, whom many both aware and unaware of Astoria, are familiar with. In 1853 the Steinway Piano Company was founded. The Steinways later built a sawmill and foundry, a streetcar and eventually Steinway Village, which was a community for their workers at the time.

In 1870, Astoria as well as Steinway and several other villages were incorporated in Long Island City. From the mid- 1850s to today, Astoria is a community that thrives on its ethnic diversity, strong neighborhood atmosphere and great proximity to all parts of New York City.