Property Tales

For me, New York is coming home, being home. And it doesn't hurt that it's got the best food, and best pizza, and three airports and a 24/7 mass transit system. It's the perfect place to be.

   —Alyssa Getzoff, 40,

   computer expert

Alyssa Getzoff moved in to her third-floor walkup in a 16-apartment building in Astoria a month ago, and she's ecstatic to be home.

"I lived away from New York for work for three years total—first for a year and a half in Cincinnati 12 years ago and, recently, in Boston. Actually, I enjoyed my Boston apartment—but the food really sucks in Boston—except for one incredible Japanese restaurant, a good pizzeria near the airport and Hungry Herb's in Medford, until the Board of Health closed it down," she says. "After a year and a half of bad food, I couldn't take it anymore. I asked my boss to transfer me back home, but he said my job would be superfluous in New York. So I quit."

Now that she's back, Getzoff hopes never to leave New York again.

"This is where I grew up, where my family lives, where I feel comfortable," she says.

Before returning, Getzoff emailed friends for apartment leads.

"I crashed on a friend's couch while apartment hunting. I spent much of my life in Manhattan, but decided I no longer wanted to share the same room with my refrigerator—which meant moving to an outer borough. I'd already lived in Brooklyn and Staten Island, so figured I'd try a fourth… That meant Queens or the Bronx. I chose Queens because it's more diverse, with different foods, culture and immigrant populations.

"Everything I loved about Brooklyn 20 years ago is now happening in Queens," she says.

Getzoff heard about a Long Island City apartment with a realtor attached. She didn't like that place, but Crest Haven Realty had others to show—in Astoria.

"I liked the realtor—a local Queens boy with local ties—and loved the idea of Astoria because I'd heard it has great ethnic food—Greek, Italian, Indian, Brazilian. After having been deprived of good food within walking distance of my nice Boston apartment, one of the factors I based my neighborhood choice on was availability of good food," she says.

"My apartment is charmingly old-fashioned. It's a railroad flat, but because there's no next-door building, its kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom windows are sun-drenched. If you lean out the windows you see awesome views of Manhattan. I love the bathroom's lavender-colored tiles, parquet floors with dark borders, angular arches, molding like empty picture frames in the middle of the walls. The building's well-kept. The super grew up in the building—his mom lives here. I'm learning Spanish so I can speak with her."

Getzoff pays $1150 per month. She carpools to her company's Westchester offices, driving once a week. Commuting to Manhattan is easy—just four stops on the N or W trains to 59th St. and 3rd Ave.

"Broadway, one of Astoria's great food streets, is two blocks away. I'm trying all the restaurants—looking forward to every bite. The places aren't very expensive. For example, at Uncle George's, one of the best Greek restaurants—with great lemon soup and lamb—you can get a terrific meal for $25, including two glasses of wine served in tumblers! And, if you dine earlier in the day, prices can be even less," according to Getzoff.

"I eat out several times weekly in the neighborhood, but that'll increase as I convince borough-centric Manhattanites to join my explorations. Eating out's an adventure—you learn about people, their culture, how they handle food, what spices combine well. I'm always hunting for new good restaurants—or old good restaurants. I'll sample anything. I'll travel great distances to get to fabulous restaurants. But right now I don't have far to go."

Getzoff says she exercises a lot, too, to maintain her food habit. She's discovered several Astoria bike routes, and likes to stroll through Socrates Sculpture Park showcasing local artists in outdoor exhibits and the famed Noguchi Museum.

"I plan to stay in Astoria for a long time." o