Scenes From My Neighborhood: Joy In 'Little Egypt'

Shortly after moving to Astoria, my BFF and I did a little exploring of the neighborhood. During our travels one evening we came across a stretch of Steinway Street (one of Astoria's main shopping drags) that seemed to be almost in a different country. The street was lined with hookah lounges, Middle Eastern grocery stores and a ton of restaurants serving Kofta, Kebab, Baba Ghannoug, Tehina and Shawerma. Gentlemen sat on chairs along the sidewalk (with some sitting on their Off-Duty taxicabs) chatting and laughing with each other - while gorgeous twenty-somethings sipped cocktails in open-fronted bars. The neighborhood had a REALLY cool vibe, and the BFF and I vowed to return sometime for dinner (which we have yet to do).

It was only yesterday I found out that this particular stretch of Steinway Street is known as "Little Egypt" - and is home to a large number of Egyptian expatriates. Naturally, the people of Little Egypt have been following the events in their homeland closely - glued to TV's and radios in their homes and in neighborhood cafes.

And then it happened. Yesterday, shortly after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek stepped down, Little Egypt erupted in joy - and the celebrations lasted well into the night.