Few businesses make me think of how New York used to be, and what it's lost in the last 15 years, than hobby stores. What sane person...

Among the ugly chains stores on 30th Avenue in Astoria is this charming shoebox of an enterprise, Astoria Music, where you can buy musica...

Old New York Pizzeria's often have good signage, but typically not of the neon sort. Rizzo's Fine Pizza in Astoria is a happy exc...

Rose & Joe's Italian Bakery is a small hole-in-the-wall joint on 31st Street, at the end of the Q and N lines, in Astoria. It loo...

"Who Goes There?" readers have been urging me to go to Piccolo Venezia for three years. I finally did earlier this month. I sh...

A fine old example of a paint and metal style sign in Astoria. One of the old, family-owned hardware stores that many neighborhoods in th...

I like the names of these Astoria bars. Sometimes just a slightly unusual handle can set an otherwise run-of-the-mill tavern off from its...

A couple years ago, I discovered that hiding under the mundane facade of Crater Candy Store at the corner of 30th Avenue and 31st Street...

In Astoria since 1969. Not to be confused with the Parisi Bakery in Little Italy.

This week's "Who Goes There?" takes me back to Queens and one of my favorite places in New York. And a place lately much in ...

Good news for Joe's Pork Store, the unassuming, third-generation butcher in Astoria. A reader writes in and says, "I just went the...

This is in Astoria. Now that, to me, is how an outer borough block should look (aside from the Sprint awfulness). A variety of heights, a p...

Meat A reader wrote in wondering about the status of the above business, Astoria Meat Products, which has a cool sign, a neat display case ...

Now here's the sort of programming that might actually make me go to church. I saw this poster outside a Catholic Church in Astoria. So...

The St. Honore Patisserie, a French bakery that opened on Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, Queens, in 1945, has closed. I was open as recently...

Don't know the name of this liquor store in Astoria. Doesn't really matter. Great sign.

These images are painted on the side wall of Crown Chemists in Astoria. Have no idea how long they're been there. All painted by ...

The Czech-Slovak Festival was held at Astoria's Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden this past weekend. There was a full music schedule a...

The hand-painted Pilsner Urquell sign on the outside of Zlata Praha, a Bohemian restaurant in Astoria, must be the only such advertisement ...

I mean, dontcha think? Extra plus: the illuminated sign shines green at night! As in the green-eyed monster?