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21st Street is a major thruway in Astoria that can get you from east to west in a matter of minutes. The stop lights are timed especially for traffic so for drivers, this means you won't be waiting too long. It gets you to the entrance of the 59th Street bridge to Manhattan rather quickly and that is a blessing, however you must allot yourself extra time in the morning when others have the same idea as you.

Residents, however, would be best to avoid living directly on the avenue do to the constant noise from cars. There are businesses all along the street, like Riccardo's catering hall on 24th avenue, and many auto shops further down. Avoid the housing projects that neighbor it when you go into Long Island City.

Any long-time resident of the area will tell you that 19th Avenue is a perfect area to take someone just learning how to drive. The traffic is minimal since it is bordering the Con Edison complexes and there are no major intersections.

Residentially, it is the end of the road and you have some small houses and apartments along the way. It merges with 81st Street and you can access it quickly once you exit the highway on 81st Street. Commercially, there is nothing going on except for Maric Lanes, the bowling alley on 49th Street.

Shore Boulevard is dominated by Astoria Park for over half of it's length. It was once a popular drag strip for street racers but since the speed bumps were put in and cops started patrolling in the 90s, it has gotten quieter. The view of Manhattan cannot be beat and is a popular photo subject for any Astoria visitor. The Astoria Houses lie past Ditmars Boulevard, and Shore Tower Condominiums on the other side of the park at Astoria Park South. A generally safe area except for late at night, where walking in the park is not advisable. No public transportation is near by except for buses on 21st Street.

23rd Avenue is a great avenue to live on or near, because it is quiet but still presents many dining and nightlife opportunities for residents. There is a spa near the Steinway section, as well as a music rehearsal studio (Astoria Soundworks) and other local businesses. St. Irene's Greek Orthodox Church stands at the corner of 36th Street, and several eateries near 31st Street such as Telly's Taverna, Lefgos Pyrgos and Stamatis Restaurant. 23rd Avenue ends by Astoria Park.

The only stretch of 23rd that presents a difficulty is the block between 35th street and 33rd street, where the Amtrak line runs overhead. While one of the best sandwich shops in the Queens borough lies right there, Sal, Kris and Charlies, there is a chance you'll get a bird dropping on your head from all the pigeons that like to nestle in the tressels!

Once a "farmer's path" before Astoria was urbanized sometime in the late 19th century, Newtown Road is a diagonal section of road between Steinway Street and Northern Boulevard, starting at 41st Street and ending just past 49th Street. This is a residential block that gives a quick shortcut through this section of Astoria, and is lucky enough to be close to three schools - PS 70, IS 10 and Bryant High School. There is little else to mention besides this, and the fact that the section off of Steinway behind 41st Street is just an alley way.