Would you pay $270,000 for a third-floor studio apartment in a new-ish Astoria condo building? What if it provided this experience every time an N or W train went by, thanks to its direct view of the elevated tracks that carry those trains: "Like the ominous slow-motion moment that precedes an explosion in an action movie, conversation ceased, everyone in the room froze and hairstyles rose and bowed in windy deference"? I would say "no," especially if it meant giving money over to a broker who quipped "You feel like you're in the city" after that hair-raising experience! Because, you know, the taxes and the buses and the 718 [...]

Earlier today a correspondent sent us the link to the website for the new publication Astoria Celebrity & Entertainment Magazine. (Yes, it is from the same people who brought you Forest Hills Celebrity & Entertainment Magazine.) The cover star on the first issue is Michael Stagliano, who is, of course, a break dance instructor/actor/singer/children's book author but who you may also know from TV's "The Bachelorette." ("The ultimate truth is that I am an artist…and we are crazy anyway and never satisfied…especially if we are limited to just one thing.") You guys, you will not believe how long I have spent reading this magazine! I know so much now, [...]