Wikipages Blog

Astoria is an awesome neighborhood to live in. I love just walking through the streets and finding new places to go. Just a couple weeks ago, Ben and I discovered this little gem: The Waltz-Astoria.

A wine bar/ coffeehouse, the Waltz-Astoria is chilled out place with an artsy vibe. It reminds me of the coffeeshops I used to frequent in the 90’s, when Starbucks was the new thing. My nostalgia for those places made this one feel familiar and friendly.

With outdoor seating, a wide beverage selection, and a cosy interior, this cafe is a great hangout. The interior has a piano, shelves of books, and paintings by a local artist. It’s perfect for Ben and I, since we’re more and more often in the mood for a quiet evening. Plus, he doesn’t drink and I really do, so the cafe has something for us both!

The cafe hosts many different events. We went there on “Board Game Night”, where they have many available games to play. We settled down to some drinks (a flavored coffee for Ben and a nice red wine for me) and a game of scrabble. Ben beat me, unfortunately. It was a wonderful way to spend a peaceful evening, just steps away from our home.

My friend Rose and I wanted to go dancing. But not the kind of dancing that involves a loud, vibrating beat or a disco ball. Swingdancing! I never technically learned how to swing dance. But having done musical theatre and attended college during the swing trend, I can fake it pretty well. Rose, on the other hand, has won swingdancing contests.

We chose Swing 46, a favorite of my old theatre crowd. It’s an upscale place in Midtown with expensive food and even more expensive drinks, but the music and the vibe always pay off. After paying the $10 cover, we sat down with a couple martinis (probably about $12 each). The band playing was Double Down, a fun band that combines Frank Sinatra and Big Bad Voodoo Daddies.

We decided more alcohol was necessary. The most cost-effective way to drink more was to get a bottle. We decided to get the cheapest bottle on the menu, whatever it was. It turned out to be a bottle of, not wine, but champagne! Though, to be accurate, it must have been sparkling wine since I am sure it did not come from the Champagne Province. Whatever! We ordered it and they brought it over, silver standing tray with ice and all! It attracted some attention and some middle-aged Bulgarian men came over, asking us to dance!

So there we were, drinking champagne, and dancing with slightly sketchy, middle-aged Bulgarians. They were decent dancers, actually. (Both Rose and I are in very happy relationships, so we weren’t looking for hotties to dance with, anyway).Then Double Down changed gears and performed a swing version of Thriller. The whole band even jumped off the stage and did the classic dance!

We stumbled out of the club well after 2 am, throwing out the business cards from the Bulgarians on our way down the block, and singing Double Down’s version of “Luck be a Lady”. All in all, a good night out.