8 THE QUEENS COURIER • JUNE 26, 2014 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com QUEENS LOCALS OPEN HOOKAH BARS IN BAYSIDE THE COURIER/Photo by Liam La Guerre Two hookah lounges open on Bell Boulevard in Bayside, hoping to spread the smoking sensation outside of already popular areas. Flushing Meadows hosts Queens 10K run BY CHRIS BUMBACA More than 8,400 runners met on the afternoon of Sunday, June 22, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the Queens 10K race, the third segment of the New York Road Runners Five- Borough Series. The running enthusiasts, who participated with their local running groups, covered 6.2 miles of Queens pavement early in the morning. Participants enjoyed optimal conditions for running, with temperatures in the mid-60s and a sunny day. “It was beautiful, gorgeous — you don’t get a better day in the summer,” said George Hirsch, NYRR chairman of the board, who celebrated his 80th birthday that day and crossed the fi nish line in 55:20. After taking the lead at the 5-mile mark, Brent Frissora, of the New York Harriers, won the race in 32:56. “NYRR races are always really competitive,” he said. “It feels great to win one.” Jayne Grebinski of the New York Athletic Club won the race on the women’s side, with a time of 37:57. She set the course record last year, and her repeat victory came as no surprise; she is training for the Chicago Marathon in October. “It was fl at; it was fast,” she said. “It’s a beautiful park.” Ryan Crane, of the Queens-based Hellgate Road Runners, has lived in Astoria for 16 years. “It’s always fun to come out and represent,” he said. “We take a lot of pride in this race.” The brand-new Woodside-Sunnyside Runners, sporting bright-yellow T-shirts, had 12 members run yesterday’s race — their fi rst as a team since receiving offi cial NYRR club status. “Running in Queens is great,” said member David Minsky. “The people, culture, food … It’s cool without being hip.” BY LIAM LA GUERRE [email protected] @liamlaguerre Bayside is getting hooked up with hookah. Hookah enthusiasts opened two lounges on the Bell Boulevard commercial strip within the past three weeks, hoping to spread the smoking sensation away from crowded, known hookah areas such as Astoria. “Anybody that’s into hookah or that’s serious about hookah would have to go to Astoria, but Astoria is saturated with lounges,” said Sandy Diaz, co-owner of Galyan Hookah Bar, which is between 38th and 39th avenues. “The reason we brought this concept here is because there is a void that needs to be fi lled.” Diaz, a Flushing resident who grew up in Glen Oaks, opened the lounge as a restaurant and bar that serves a fusion of Middle Eastern and American food, meaning that patrons can expect everything from burgers and fries to lamb. But Galyan primarily targets hookah–lovers or customers interested in trying the Middle Eastern delight. There are dozens of fl avors for the hookah, ranging from Skittles to mango, and each costs $15 to $20. Not to be outdone, Pyramids, which opened few blocks south near 41st Avenue, offers a wide variety of fl avors as well, such as vanilla and blueberry pancake, for a similar price range. They also have a custom mix-and-match option. Pyramids owners, longtime friends Amarjit Singh of Ozone Park, Maneet Dhillon of Briarwood and Dave Verma of Bellrose, brought the lounge to Bell Boulevard after sensing a lack of hookah establishments. A DJ system is set up prominently in the lounge and modern party music is spun nightly. “We want people to relax, have a good time and enjoy the surroundings,” Singh said. “We want people to be comfortable when they come here.” Although the two lounges opened around the same time, they have no affi liation and owners said they don’t see each other as a business threat. “No beef, we’re all family,” Dhillon said.
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