Greek cultural imprint can be seen in numerous Greek-owned businesses in Astoria, Queens. [1] The most important Greek businesses include food-related businesses, finance businesses and Greek ethnic merchandise businesses.

1. Greek Food-Related Businesses in Astoria: Food is one of the more prominent ways people connect to their cultures. Therefore, food-related businesses are important because they allows for Greek Americans to continue eating the food of their country (in diners, restaurants, pastry shops, or buying products at grocery store which will allow them to eat and cook their own traditional Greek food at home) and because it allows other non-Greeks to become exposed to Greek culture through food. These food-related businesses create places for Greek Americans to meet and socialize which is very important.[2] Some of the food-related businesses we visited during our trip to Astoria were Lefkos Pyrgos, Zorbas, MP Taverna, Mediterranean Foods II, Artopolis, and Stamatis Restaurant. By visiting these food stores, we got a glimpse of the extensive range of Greek foods sold in Astoria, including a variety of different pastries, olives (and oils), cheeses, fish and meats.  Every shop owner welcomed us with open arms as if we were entering their homes. They were more than willing and excited to share their culture with us by offering us Greek food and sharing their stories with us. This emphasizes that Greeks living to Astoria really connect to their Greek heritage through food.

2. Greek Finance Businesses in Astoria: Finance businesses include banks, real estate agencies, travel agencies and law firms. These types of businesses are important for many reasons. Firstly, they allow Greek Americans to do business with each other. They are also important because these businesses depict how they successfully entered into American society. Through these types of businesses, Greek Americans have maintained communal ties to their home country. Their achievements in finance related businesses portray the Greek American upward mobility.[3] Although we did not go into any of these businesses during our trip to Astoria, we did pass many Greek Finance businesses including Alma Bank, Atlantic Bank, Century 21 Alexiou Realty, Lampeas Realty, Metropolis Realty, Halvatzis Realty, Homeric Tours and the Law Offices of Latos Latos & Associates. From what we could tell, there were many people within these stores who support ethnic finance businesses in Astoria. After our trip, we called Alma Bank and asked them why their Greek customers chose to do business with them. Within the reasons given was that Greek Americans living in Astoria give their business to Alma Bank because they want to strengthen their cultural ties with Greece and because they want to support Greek businesses that are there to support them and their culture.

While these businesses do cater to other ethnicities, to a large degree, their customers are mainly Greek. For example, Alma bank has many different branches throughout New York and all of them are in areas that have Greek populations. They have locations in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, in different areas in New Jersey and of course in Queens.[4] We learned from our research that in each of these locations there is a least one Greek Orthodox Church, a Greek Orthodox school, and some type of Greek restaurant. Some of these areas, including Brooklyn, have up to six Greek Orthodox churches in the area where Alma Bank opened. Greek finance businesses and Alma Bank specifically, occupy areas with Greek communities in order to serve the financial needs of Greek Americans.[5]

For an interview with the director of Alma Bank, click here.

Another example of Greek finance businesses catering mainly to Greek Americans is Century 21 Alexiou Realty. They too have branches near the areas in Jackson Heights, Long Island City, Woodside, Elmhurst, Sunnyside, and Bayside, that Greeks live in. When we visited their website we discovered that most of their brokers are in fact Greek. They take pride in the fact that they can offer customers the option to work with agents that will serve you in English or in Greek.[6] The fact that they offer the option of having a real state agent that will conduct business in Greek, shows the great extent to which their clients are mainly Greek Americans.

A third Greek ethnic bank we saw was Atlantic Bank of New York. Atlantic Bank was established in 1926 when New York State chartered Bank of Athens Trust Company, a subsidiary of Bank of Athens. In 1952, the bank changed its name to what we now call it today, Atlantic Bank of New York. The next year, Atlantic Bank of New York acquired Hellenic Bank Trust Company, a subsidiary that Nation Bank of Greece had established in 1930.  Atlantic Bank has been expanding all over New York and growing financially ever since its opening in the 1920’s. The bank has been a huge success story for the Greeks. Today, the New York Commercial Bank owns Atlantic Bank of New York and Atlantic Bank has branches mostly in Astoria,  Yonkers, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, all of which have Greek strong communities. Additionally, because Atlantic Bank is part of the New York Commercial Banks, this shows the that not only are the Greeks expanding amongst themselves but also in the American financial world.[7]

3. Greek Ethnic Merchandise Businesses: These types of businesses includes stores such as wedding shops, clothing stores, jewelry stores and gift shops. Greek ethnic merchandise businesses are important because the products they sell promote Greek culture and also allow Greek Americans to easily incorporate Greek culture into their weddings, family events and everyday lives. These Greek products allow Greek Americans to live in America without losing their Greek perspective on life.[8] During our trip to Astoria, we had the pleasure of experiencing these types of businesses first hand. We went to Hellenic Gifts, the Greek Superstore, Kentrikon and Noufaro and Thessaloniki Jewelry. Hellenic Gifts and the Greek Superstore were Greek gifts shops that had a large range of Greek cultural products including sports team paraphernalia, Greek CDs and movies, Greek statues, costumes, and Greek accessories (mugs, keychains, jewelry…). It was very interesting to be able to see all these Greek cultural products being sold in New York. It really showed us the extent to which Greeks value their culture and want to hold onto it and promote it in America.

Kentrikon and Noufaro is a Greek  store that sells products for weddings, baptisms and other Greek celebrations. We were very impressed by the amount of merchandise that there was. They sold beautiful white dresses, colorful candles and other decorative and ornamental items. The owners of the store took pride in their Greek products and were very willing to explain to us the value each item holds in the Greek culture.

Thessaloniki Jewelry is a jewelry store that sells beautiful Greek and non-Greek jewelry. The store owners showed us expensive Athenian jewelry, dating back many years. There were earrings with the famous Alexander the Great engraved on the surface and heavy gold necklaces that only the rich women wore. They were very enthusiastic about sharing the stories of how they started their jewelry business and about all the different Greek jewelry they sold.