When I looked around for apartments last summer, my ignorance led me to believe that Astoria was a poor man’s alternative to living in Manhattan, a mere satellite with unattractive buildings and hardly a word of English spoken on the streets. I still moved out to Astoria because rent was cheap and only three subway stops from Manhattan - something I firmly held as my only reason for the relocation when asked by friends about the move.

Over the past six months, however, Astoria has really grown on me, and any previous envy of living in artsy West Village or hipster Brooklyn has slowly faded. One of the primary reasons for my change of heart, and for anyone else who comes to love Astoria, is well described by William Grimes in a recent NY Times article:

“For me, Astoria is not a satellite of Manhattan, it’s the gateway to Queens, a jumping-off point for the borough that, when it comes to ethnic diversity, knows no equal. For me this is not an abstract demographic issue. It is as real as the food on my plate.”

And for me, the food on my plate has been a series of exciting pleasures. A sampling:

Mundo Cafe, which is a 5-minute walk from my apartment, serves an interesting mix of Turkish, Mediterranean and South American dishes along with very affordable wines by the bottle in a youthful and lively atmosphere.

A ten-minute drive gets me to Jackson Heights, where I do all of my Korean grocery shopping (the signage is terrible - I think it says “Oriental Grocery”). Staple purchases each trip: big jar of kimchi, pork belly, and tofu. Spend $50 or more and you get a free choice of their homemade snacks. I usually get the sticky rice with chestnuts.

After reading this Bruni review, Andy, Mel and I took a 20-minute drive to Flushing for a dangerous feast at Spicy & Tasty. The incredibly spicy dishes probably damaged our stomachs, but you can’t deny the addictive deliciousness of Sichuan peppercorns and hot chili oil.

On days I don’t feel like cooking and also don’t feel like shelling out big bucks for dinner, I take a two-minute walk to Copacobana, a Brazilian buffet that serves high-quality meats and side dishes for amazingly low prices. All meats are freshly cut from large skewers and intensely flavored. My roommates and I also get delivery of $2 tacos and $5 burritos from a nearby Mexican restaurant whenever it’s too cold to leave the apartment.

There are many places still left to explore. I haven’t given Greek cuisine too many chances, although I’ve indulged in gyros sold on Ditmars Blvd. There’re also Pakistani and Bangladeshi restaurants I need to add to the repertoire. I should also take more trips to Flushing, where there is a Korean fried chicken place and a juk (Korean gruel) joint that I need to check out.

I still frequent Manhattan restaurants as much (or perhaps even more) as when I lived in Times Square. But living in Astoria has definitely opened my eyes to some of the treasures hidden in areas that I previously overlooked or ignored because of my silly insistence on Manhattan being the center of the restaurant universe. Prejudice is a limiter of new experiences, and I hope living in Astoria will continue to sweep away some of my ill-informed notions.

(photo of Spicy & Tasty courtesy of NY Times)