Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden

On our list of the best activities in New York.

The Bohemian Citizens' Benevolent Society, formed by Czech and Slovak immigrants in 1892, laid the cornerstone for Bohemian Hall in 1910 and finished the outdoor bar and park in 1919. The society still owns and runs it, one of roughly three Astoria beer gardens that once numbered alongside 800 across the city and the only one still standing. Big communal tables and circulating pitchers of Czech lager anchor the outdoor space, with pierogies, sausages, and schnitzel covering the food side. The hall closes Mondays except for private events, and the outdoor park fills fastest on sunny weekend afternoons.