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THE BEER GARDEN BACKSTORY
A new generation of watering holes
reminds us of 19th-century Queens
By Andrea Lillo
ASTORIA, LONG ISLAND CITY - Dressed in a fedora and flip-flops, a young woman places a card on her table to win the hand, and her companions erupt into shouts of laughter. Off in the distance, under a river birch tree, a man blows bubbles that float away in the summer breeze. A pair of twenty-something young men look for an empty spot to rest their liters of beer and plates of burgers and fries, then settle on a table filled with like-aged folks and a few empty seats. They all exchange handshakes and smiles, and new friendships are born.
Such is the scene on a typical Saturday at Long Island City’s Studio Square, the borough’s newest and largest beer garden, and the one that most closely resembles the gardens of Europe. Sleek and sprawling, with more than 30,000 square feet (18,000 in outdoor space alone), it combines the concept of the old-time beer garden with modern touches like flat-screen televisions and made-to-order sushi. (Its menu also includes bratwurst, weisswurst and chicken souvlaki, along with hamburgers and fries.) A similar scene could have just as easily played out only a few train stops away at Astoria’s oldest beer garden, Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden. Both establishments harken back to the early 1900s, when more than 300 beer gardens dotted the Queens landscape.
Originating in Germany, the beer garden concept was imported to the United States by German immigrants. An open-air area usually attached to a beer hall or pub, the gardens offered relaxation and congregation for the newly arrived, fostering a sense of home and community in a new, foreign and at times inhospitable land. “They were unique because they catered to the whole family,” explains Debbie Van Cura, a trustee of the Greater Astoria Historical Society and a member of the Bohemian Citizens Benevolent Society, which supports Czech and Slovak culture. The grownups enjoyed a few hours of relief from the rigors of working life, and their children could play freely in the open areas. The Bohemian Hall’s facilities also included apartments and a bowling alley (long since unused), and all of its current-day profits are reinvested into a neighborhood children’s school.
Farther north, College Point was once home to some of the most celebrated beer gardens of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Here, beer gardens were part of more elaborate resorts that offered bowling, swimming, roller skating and horseback riding. Up until the 1930s, College Point was “the Hamptons of its time,” according to Susan Brustmann, executive director of the Poppenhusen Institute, which serves the town as a community cultural center and offers recreational and educational programs. New Yorkers would trek to College Point by the thousands via ferry, horsedrawn carriage, trolley or train. During the height of the summer season, the area’s population might swell to three times its normal numbers. By the late 1870s, up to 50,000 glasses of beer were served daily, according to one report.
Two of College Point’s largest resorts were Witzel’s Point View Island and Donnelly’s. Witzel’s occupied an eye-popping 27 acres and offered a running track, ball fields, bowling alleys and shooting galleries; one 1903 report pegs a single September day’s attendance at more than 16,000 people. Donnelly’s, located on 10 acres on what is now 14th Avenue and 115th Street, offered dancing and ball fields and was noted for being the site where Theodore Roosevelt announced his 1881 campaign for New York State Assembly.
Outside of College Point, one of the largest resorts was the result of a collaboration between piano king William Steinway and beer baron George Ehret. Called North Beach, it occupied the current site of LaGuardia Airport, touching both Bowery and Flushing bays, and was a precursor to Coney Island, according to Van Cura. Among the many amusements were a Ferris wheel, sailing, bathing and picnic grounds, concerts and a dancing pavilion, as well as “rare and valuable animals,” according to an 1896 New York Times feature, which called it a “perfect pleasure ground.”
During the 1920s, beer gardens began facing a number of challenges. The car, or “horseless carriage,” allowed people to travel farther away, making local attractions less appealing. In addition, anti-German sentiment, having reached a fever pitch during World War I, led many to shun the gardens. Prohibition dealt another blow; few patrons were interested in trekking out to College Point for “near beer,” the only legal brew, containing less than half of 1 percent alcohol, and significantly less relaxation power.
Today it seems the beer garden is back— maybe not in full swing, but with a genuine swagger. The sense of community that beer gardens encourage is still a major draw. Studio Square’s debut summer launched with a bang, with an average of 30,000 patrons per week, according to co-owner Larry Cerullo. Back on 24th Avenue at Bohemian Hall, the beer garden can accommodate 900 people at a time, said manager Katherine Xenos; including the interior restaurant, that number rises to 1,500. “It’s very social, very relaxed here,” Xenos said. “There’s no pretension and it’s very safe; people bring their kids, parents and even grandparents.”
That was the case during one warm afternoon at Bohemian Hall, when a young father held up his baby and danced to a band playing cover songs from the likes of Bon Jovi and Ozzy Osbourne. With many of the tables packed, a handful of people danced in the space in front of the stage, while others lip-synced or played air-guitar from their seats. Dressed mostly in casual wear—shorts and sandals predominantly—patrons ate fries and burgers, played cards and laughed with friends. Just like the old days.
Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, 29-19 24th Ave., Astoria, 718-274-4925
Club 21, 30-09 21st St., Astoria, 718-718-0305
Studio Square, 35-33 36th St., Long Island City, 718-383-1001
Wunderbar German Grill and Bierhaus, 37-10 11th St., Long Island City, 718-937-2337
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