Astoria, Queens

Looking to the west, while standing in Astoria Park. on the shore of the East River, mid-town Manhattan is easy to distinguish. If you made your way across the water and through the maze of buildings, continuing due West –– you would land smack in the middle of Central Park.

And land she did. Not exactly in Central Park. But a 15 minute subway ride away.

Astoria, Queens welcomed Mary Clare with misdirected luggage, a cold shower and a dead rat on the doorstep. But the reward was an excellent job offer within 48 hours of residence and a cute little apartment that even Livia Soprano would love.