1. Astoria Park Was Once Home to ‘Fashionable Families’

Construction of the Hell Gate Bridge. Image fromThe Library of Congress

As NYC Parks and Recreation notes, the site of Astoria Park was once home to wealthy, “fashionable families” like the Barclays, Potters, Woolseys, and Hoyts, who established their country houses along the shore. For instance, the Barclay family, whose roots can be traced back to traders along the Baltic and Scandinavian coast, owned a mansion near Hell Gate, which was later torn down to make room for the construction of the bridge.

Next, check out our Untapped Cities guide to Astoria.