Saturday night at Harry’s (LIC)
Josh Guttman | July 30, 2007
I ventured over to Harry’s at Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City on Saturday night. This place opened last summer and it’s been on my list to check out ever since. After dinner in the city, I zipped through the Midtown Tunnel on my Vespa and made it to the beach in 20 minutes. DJ Grand Master Flash was on the tables helping to further the resurgence of 80s hip hop that’s been piping through NYC, and the crowd was enthusiastic. The “beach” is a strip of sand-covered land directly opposite lower midtown on the East River, adorned with drink tents serving beer and liquor, a music tent sweltering with body heat and the now-infamous neon palm tree. The crowd is a real slice of NYC - drawing from Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and maybe even a little from the Bronx. While there was definitely an element of cheese, the diversity of the crowd kept me engaged and gave the experience an authentic feel. During the day, Harry’s is a full-on beach, with volleyball courts, bbq grills and I’m guessing you might even find some token kadima-players. At night, it transitions into a club/beach party vibe, though several paired up patrons were unabashedly still in “lay out” mode on the sand. Whoever this Harry fellow is, I give him a lot of credit. The concept of this place is pure genius and I imagine it will succeed for a long time. If you’re craving some beach sand with a view of the Manhattan skyline or something a little different on a Saturday night, this is a good bet.
Harry’s at Water Taxi Beach is located at 2-03 Borden Ave in LIC, Queens. Admission is $3 per person and its accessible by G/7/E/F-trains - additional directions.
Sphere: Related ContentComments
1 Comment so far
Harry is Harry Hawk of Schnack fame. (Unfortunately he seems to spend much more time @ the beach now and Schnack ain’t the same).