Three comments from the Post:
1. Back in the 1990's, Astoria was a nice Greek-American neighborhood, with lots of terrific Greek restaurants. Of course, it had to be destroyed, just like so many other fine working class neighborhoods in the city, either through gentrification or through the rise of the "underclass."2. My mother is 90 years old. She grew up in Astoria across the street from the Astoria Park and attended P.S. 122. She loves to tell me me stories about life in Astoria - how beautiful the park was, how safe it was, what a wonderful education she received in school.
Most of the kids were poor but life was good: no crime (except for one flasher in the park); kids respected their teachers (if they misbehaved, they got hit by the teachers; but wouldn't dare tell their parents, because their parents would hit them again if they found out); the park was spotless because all garbage was picked up.
On hot summer nights, everyone left their doors open because there was no fear of crime. Most of the kids were children of immigrants and were inculcated with American values in school (sang patriotic songs, went to patriotic assemblies where they had to wear uniforms with crisply ironed white shirts).
My mother tells of being embarrassed when approached by her mother on the street because she didn't want anyone to hear her speaking in her native Greek, lest anyone think that she was not "American".
Back then people worked for a living; they did not receive public assistance, except for unemployment when people may have gotten laid off. My mother fondly speaks of riding the subways back from dances at 1 am without fear of crime. She misses those beautiful times. When I see this bigmouth Ocasio Cortez referring to the Peoples Republic of Astoria, I feel sick to my stomach.
3. My great grandparents & grandparents lived in Astoria until their deaths, it was all Italian and Greek, they slept on the fire escapes in summer..I will tell you what happened, They built the queens bridge houses & Ravenswood!! The politicians quickly found out how to stay in power forever was to coddle & BUY this new class of New Yorkers! 🤬🤯🇺🇸
Like the comments say above that was what all of America was like to live in. Gone now.