Photos by Emily Gagliano
LOCAL LOVE
Ravid Cohen
and Carl Michel
Astoria couple Ravid Cohen and Carl
Michel got engaged this past summer on
a hot, humid day in Astoria Park. Luckily
for Michel, it looked like it was going to
rain any minute, so he could conveniently
hide the ring in his umbrella.
“Our engagement was so special because
it was so surprising. In the moment, I
couldn't believe it was truly happening, but
after a minute to process the proposal, I was
Photo by Doug Young @dyoungphoto Photo courtesy of Paige Popdan
18 FEBRUARY 2 0 2 1
just so grateful and excited to be Carl’s fiancée,”
Cohen said.
Michel surprised Cohen with not only
a ring, but balloons and a blanket on the
nearby grass.
“The nervousness and excitement did
not leave until after I put the ring on her
finger, and based off the video I saw of
the proposal, it’s safe to say I didn't make
it through all the words I practiced,” Michel
said.
The duo first met in 2017 at the Macy’s
in Herald Square where they both worked.
They spent two months as coworkers before
meeting officially. They finally crossed paths
at a work happy hour karaoke night.
Cohen and Michel have been living in
Astoria since 2018 and plan to get married
in 2022.
FAVORITE DATE SPOTS:
PINK NORI
LAS CATRINAS
NINO’S AQ
THE BONNIE
AKROTIRI
Paige Popdan and
Alyssa Suhr
It’s not every day you come across a couple
that has known each other since pre-school,
but Astorians Paige Popdan and Alyssa Suhr
made it work. Even though they weren’t immediate
friends, they eventually got along
and started dating in 2011.
“Alyssa couldn’t stand me and constantly
made fun of me for most of middle school.
Luckily, we had a mutual friend between us
who brought us together and convinced
Alyssa to be nice to me in high school. We
remained good friends for years, but didn’t
start dating until later on in college,” Popdan
said.
The lovebirds moved to Astoria about
six years ago when Popdan started her
first job out of college and Suhr was finishing
up grad school. In 2019, Suhr popped
the question to Popdan on her brother’s
rooftop overlooking the RFK bridge. After
proposing, Suhr surprised Popdan by getting
a bunch of their friends to meet them
at The Bonnie.
This past September, the couple had an
intimate outdoor wedding on Long Island.
FAVORITE DATE SPOTS:
THE BONNIE
BLACKBIRDS
MILKFLOWER
CHANO’S CANTINA
Popdan and Suhr in high school ASTORIA COFFEE
Photos by Rachel O'Brien @rachelobriencreative