This post is by Dr. Anne Vuagniaux, professor of art history at Bronx Community College. The northeast corner of Astoria has a distinct character that visitors can experience as they walk up Ditmars Boulevard to the area around Steinway Street. Originally a tidal swamp with scattered farmhouses, these blocks were developed into an industrial community by the Steinway and Sons Company starting in the 1870s. Traces of the past are still visible around old Steinway Village.