Written by Sama Nada
Hi everyone! Welcome back for another post, this one is about Astoria. Today we are going to be giving you a trip across astoria of some nice places as a student to support small businesses and maybe even get a student discount by showing your student ID or even better your Student Metrocard.
On our list of small shopping businesses to support there is Newton HQ and Lockwood. In effort to best represent these businesses we actually interviewed the owners and workers to paint the best picture for you of their experiences in the Astoria community.
Newton HQ is a small Latina owned business that actually opened during the pandemic so its been open about a year and half, they faced a lot of trouble at the beginning since they were closed for about a year during the pandemic which got them off to a difficult struggle. However this actually worked out for the better since the owner told us that it worked out for the better since she had a business partner who dropped out during the times of the pandemic allowing her to make the store closer to her taste.
In addition to this the owner also told us that her favorite part of the having her store be in Astoria is that there are people of all ages coming into the store and getting excited to see their favorite characters and products in the store. We also asked what three words she would use to describe her store and she said fun, pop culture, gift shop. That sounds like a combination that everyone loves and should support.
Also check out this super cool old fashioned videogame machine that you can play and the many stickers that you can purchase to put on your laptops. Everything is handpicked to be unique and you won't find many other people with the same pieces as those from this store.
Lockwood is also a small boutique that is unique because of its structure. There are three stores next to each other with each one being dedicated to a different set of products home & gift, stationary, and clothes. The products they offer at these stores are also unique themselves and its often quite hard to find then at other places.
They have been open since 2013 and although we did not talk to the owner we were able to talk to Aidan a very enthusiastic employee. They said that their favorite three words to describe the store were colorful, cute and enthusiastic which makes it beloved by the community.
We also asked them how the astoria community has been in supporting their business and they said that the costumers are some of the nicest they’ve ever seen in comparison to work experiences at other retail stores and locations. Pictured below is a little outdoor section in the backyard which is exclusively for po
Although these two stores are only a small fraction of the small businesses to support in Astoria, these are the ones that we talked to and were able to gather some information about to share with you guys. There are also on the other hand some small food businesses for you to study and have and have a coffee or tea which at which are listed below.
Tea and Milk is a place that is well known and beloved by Astoria and according to one of the employees the community is very nice and supportive. Whenever they have an event or a collaboration people always come out to support them. They decided to give back to the BSGE community through giving us a student discount that is still viable throughout the rest of the year which is shown below. There is also outdoor seating available as shown in the picture to the side where you can ask for boardgames to play with your friends and just have a fun time.
Coffee Ave is another great place that is close to the school and they opened during the pandemic which caused for them to feel the impacts, but similar to all the other stores they said that the Astoria community was very supportive and they are excited to come to work during the day. They too offer a student discount so make sure to whip out your student ID (or should I say student metrocard) and show them so you can get that discount. There is also additional outdoor seating on picnic tables that are further out in the street for larger groups.
Another small business that we did not get the change to interview exclusively for this post is Astoria Bookshop, however based on our own experiences we know a little bit about the store and how fun it can be for costumers. As the only bookstore in Astoria they get quite a bit of traffic, that also allows them to have different classes, bookclubs and signings which you can check out on their website https://astoriabookshop.com/events . As someone who enjoys reading its a great place to go look at books and sometimes just sit down and read for a few minutes to unwind after a long day!
Addresses and Directions:
Newton HQ: 36-12 34th Ave, Queens, NY 11106
Lockwood: 32-15 33rd St, Astoria, NY 11106
Astoria Bookshop: 31-29 31st St, Astoria, NY 11106
Tea and Milk: 32-02 34th Ave, Queens, NY 11106
Coffee Ave: 34-56 33rd St, Queens, NY 11106
Tea and Milk's discount for BSGE community:
Comments