I never really thought I'd post something about a place I've been to outside of Manhattan. As I write that, I realize that I just let myself get caught up into the borough wars they have here in New York City. It's not really a war, but there is that sense of belonging to your 'hood. You know the areas... Brooklyn, the boogie down Bronx, Staten Island, JERZEEY (not really a borough but its in the mix), Queens and Manhattan. Anyway, being in Manhattan I am a 
Manhattanite. Little did I know, I have become a Manhattan snob. LOL! So this post will be my penance for not thinking there would be fun places to go outside of Manhattan.
Earlier in the week a fellow Black Mamba, Nate, thought it would be fun to head over to the Bohemian Beer Garden in Astoria Queens. I've heard about this place but have never been. So I was very excited to be outside during the day, throwing back a few European beers, meeting new people, and hanging out with good peeps! I invited the usual suspects, and you know how my invites are. They are very informal and pressure free. The last thing I want to do is have someone come who didn't really want to go. Nate was going to be there and he was bringing some peeps too. The DCI peeps are great! Well I ended up going with B-Low. B-Low was here this weekend so he was down for some beer garden fun!
We followed the directions on the web site and took the N subway train to Ditmars Blvd. Having never been to the beer garden we got off the subway and didn't really know what direction to walk in. It was only a block away, but you still need to go in the right direction. Using my handy dandy iPhone, I pointed us in the the right direction.
As we got closer to the place we started to hear live music! What?!?! I love live music! This place rocks already! There wasn't a line to get in but the place was packed! As it turns out, this Saturday was battle of the bands! 
Brooklyn vs Queens! Sweeeet!!! I'm pretty main stream when it comes to music but I am always open to new tunes. I like bands that can get the crowd going and keep that energy up. There were 8 bands and it was going to be head to head single elimination. Here was the first round schedule.
FIRST ROUND
2:00p La Res vs The Botz
2:30p Aaron LaVigne vs 13
3:00p Whiskey Bravo vs TJ Moss Band
3:30p Illimanjaro vs Audio Fiction
B-Low and I got there around 3:30 and met up with Nate, Mary Rechelle, and Jason. More peeps arrived later. We ended up sitting near the stage and off to the right. It's all park bench seating, which wasn't that bad. They had several huge park bench umbrellas out so if it started to rain some people would be covered.
As I said earlier, the place was crowded, but it looked like you can find a seat. People were friendly. There were people of all ages. I found it interesting that there were little kids there too. One little girl was dancing in front of the stage. Awesome! If people got too drunk and out of control there was a lot of security to keep it under control. I saw people with a deck of cards playing some card game. I guess it's because no beer games are allowed.
You can eat here. There isn't too much to choose from, but you should find something that suits your appetite. We had to order food from the wait staff which was great because it kept the line at the bar for strictly drinks! The pitchers of beer we got were $15, which is about 5 glasses. That's not bad at all!
Overall I think the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden is awesome! This is definitely in the mix for the future. I would highly recommend it for hanging out on the weekend for a lazy afternoon. It's great for a group of people. I would definitely go back if a band is playing because I like drinking beers with friends and listening to live music playing in the back ground. If people didn't want to take the subway back into the city, they had car drivers outside ready to take you back to where ever you came from! I thought that was funny!
The Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden
29-19 24th Avenue
Astoria, New York 11102, U.S.A
http://www.bohemianhall.com/
Related Link:
http://www.whyleaveastoria.com/events/battle-of-the-bands-bkln-vs
If your looking for a low key place to enjoy a BIG glass of your favorite German beer, Hallo Berlin is the place for you. Located on 10th between 44th and 45th in MidTown, it's surprising you don't see a few tourist here. I think it's too far west of times square and low on the scale of 'places to visit' when in New York. However, if your a local yocal... you've got to swing by for at least a 'wurst'!!
I came to learn about this place from D Griff (aka Griffster, Davo). He enjoys his beers and always wanted to go to their 10th street location. We ended up going for lunch one day. During our first visit, the thought did cross our mind... Yup! We did throw back a small one from their selection of beers on draft. It was just a teaser for what started to become a tradition. "Humpen" to be exact. This is what I mean.
We ended up going back to Hallo Berlin on a Thursday afternoon. (If you didn't know, people tend to leave the office around 3pm on Thursdays to catch their flight or train home.) This time we would bring some people from work. These days, I hate talking 'shop' outside of work. So we asked a few people who we knew would not like to talk work all day. We still talk work, but it's good to know that we can talk about other things too!! Stay tuned for a posting with our "Humpen Code of Ethics"! Yes... Just like man-laws, there are also things that you should know when you go Humpen with us!!!
I'll be the first to admit. I don't know my beers. I've never been much of a beer drinker, but I know drinking beer for me slows the alcohol in take. So during my time of keeping a nice buzz throughout the night, 
I've come to appreciate Guinness, Bass, Blue Moon, Anchor Steam, and Sam Adams. There are others, but those float to the top of my list. You should know, Hallo Berlin has none of those beers. I knew I had to try a few to figure out which one I liked. So in addition to knowing what beer you want, you need to know what size. I knew what a Stein was and I thought that was a big glass. Hahahaaa... Little did I know!! After seeing my Stein next to everyone's 'Humpen', my manhood went under attack. "You wearing your skirt today Larry?" and "Did you want an umbrella with your drink Larry?" Check out these Humpens!!!
First of all, in my defense. ;o) I needed to try a few beers to figure out what I wanted. I ended up enjoying the Koestritzer Black Lager. I would have to agree with Goliber that it's much better than Guinness. Did I just say that? Yep!! And to get it in a "Humpen" makes it worth while! The Koestritzer is actually pretty popular with our crew.
Going back to my review... Here are some key highlights of Hallo Berlin
+ There is a beer garden in the back.
+ It's very laid back. No need to dress the part. Come as you are and enjoy a Humpen!
+ It's different. You won't find any beers that your used to.
+ If you like a good wurst, they have 'em! I've actually had a few. They are great! However, there isn't a lot of space left with a Humpen of Koestritzer in hand.
Some things they can work on...
- The wait staff isn't the most attentive, especially if your outside.
- This is the wurst (get it?) place to go to watch sports. Unfortunately, german beer and sports don't work very well.
- Don't come here for the crowd. When we go it's usually empty.
Hallo Berlin is a Thursday afternoon tradition. If you ever hear someone ask you... "Are you Humpen?" You now know what they are talking about!!
Hallo Berlin Food Wine & Garden Beer Hall
626 10 Ave @ 44th Street
Phone: 212.977.1944
Fax: 212.947.9008
11am until 11pm (1am if busy)
http://www.halloberlinrestaurant.com/index.html
Manhattanite. Little did I know, I have become a Manhattan snob. LOL! So this post will be my penance for not thinking there would be fun places to go outside of Manhattan.
Brooklyn vs Queens! Sweeeet!!! I'm pretty main stream when it comes to music but I am always open to new tunes. I like bands that can get the crowd going and keep that energy up. There were 8 bands and it was going to be head to head single elimination. Here was the first round schedule.
As I said earlier, the place was crowded, but it looked like you can find a seat. People were friendly. There were people of all ages. I found it interesting that there were little kids there too. One little girl was dancing in front of the stage. Awesome! If people got too drunk and out of control there was a lot of security to keep it under control. I saw people with a deck of cards playing some card game. I guess it's because no beer games are allowed.
