Kristen McCarty Chernets
and Yuriy Chernets
After matching on OkCupid in 2017,
Kristen McCarty Chernets and Yuriy
Chernets had an iconic Astoria first date:
They started with drinks at Diamond
Dogs, carried on to Passage, strolled to
the Wolfhound for some live music and
ended the night eating chicken over rice
in Athens Square Park at 3 a.m.
“When I met Kristen, my first impression
16 FEBRUARY 2 0 2 1
was that she looked very confident
and determined. And she had beautiful
blue eyes. At the back of my mind I was
also wondering what my last first date
would be like. Now I know, and I could
not have wished for a better one,” Chernets
said.
The Astoria duo got married this past
May in their landlord’s backyard. They
hosted a few friends in person while
their families in Russia, the Ukraine and
the U.S. watched over Zoom and Skype.
Plus, their cat, Oliver, got to wear a tux.
“Want an unusual wedding? No worries,
2020 got you covered! It was one
of the happiest days in my life — bright
and sunny and Kristen was simply stunning,”
Chernets said.
FAVORITE DATE SPOTS:
PASSAGE
PINK NORI
DISTRICT SAIGON
SINGLECUT TAPROOM
SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK
LOCAL LOVE
Photos by Taylor Szabo Photos courtesy of Karen Bridges
Photo by Aubrey Greene
Karen Bridges
and Jay Mehta
Astoria couple Karen Bridges and Jay
Mehta met about five years ago through
mutual friends at the hotspot Judy &
Punch, but they started out as friends before
officially dating.
“I’ll just say I was smitten. Karen was
lovely, had an infectious laugh and I just
felt great being around her,” Mehta said.
Before their first official date in 2017,
Bridges and Mehta would meet up for
what they call “adventure club” outings,
where they walked around Queens
exploring new places and scenes like
Smiling Hogshead Ranch and the Louis
Armstrong House. This is where they introduced
each other to some of their favorite
shows like “Veep” and “It’s Always
Sunny.”
In 2018, the duo got engaged at Via
Trenta at the table where they had their
first date. They plan to have a backyard,
Zoom wedding soon in Astoria.
FAVORITE DATE SPOTS:
JUDY & PUNCH
VIA TRENTA
RIVERCREST
JACKSON HEIGHTS FOR SOUTH
INDIAN FOOD
CASA DEL CHEF