From the Daily News:GiGi Malek, co-owner of the trendy Hookahloopa Lounge in Forest Hills, insisted the Metropolitan Ave. hot spot - open till 2 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays - is safe and clean, and respects its proximity to homes.
But concerned locals - caught off guard by the innuendo-filled menu - want Community Board 6 to investigate and possibly craft a resolution urging the state Liquor Authority to deny a license.
"It's practically saying to kids, 'This is fine; this is a big joke,'" said community board member Barbara Stuchinski, also president of the Forest Hills Community and Civic Association.
J.R. Nocerino, girls softball director for the Forest Hills Little League, interpreted the provocative labels - which also include "All Night Long," "Sex in the Woods" and "XXX" - as ways to lure underage teens.
"We're trying to lean toward a society of not having our kids smoke anything," he said. "It's like a magnet. It's like a hangout - a smoking hangout, no less."
It's Gigi again? Oy vey!
34 comments:
That phony wimp and political opportunist Nocerino would be the director of a girls soft ball team.
He's strictly "little league" himself!
He could never muster up the moxie to hard-ball it all the way into main stream politics.
So he sits on the sidelines handing out BS to everyone attempting to convince folks he's important.
H-m-m-m....another legend in his own mind!
He did NOTHING to help save the historic Trylon Theater beyond tossing out platitudes.
Thank Vallone and Astoria for making hookah places possible.
From there they are spreading across the city.
Once again, like mismangaging their community with development issues, what happens in Astoria is not their problem, but everyone's problem.
There's a "cigar lounge"...off Bell Blv'd in Bayside...one in Broadway/Flushing, etc.
That's one step away from the hookah!
What are you smokin' these days yourself 'ol buddy?
This shit didn't start in Astoria.
You're always trying to export your issues.
Maybe you should export yourself...like move...if you don't like conditions where you live.
I think the real problem is that you're a racist who doesn't like Muslims in your hood.
If you think this is a "Muslim" thing there's a bridge in Brooklyn I'll sell ya. The peddlers of this stuff know how to use the race (or in this case religion) card. This is marketed toward kids who want to smoke. Why else would Gigi of Forest Hills Gardens be opening one?
Why so down on JR? Are you so beholden to katz, that you need to bash a community minded citizen and family man? Go trash Katz, and if and when JR is elected, then you can trash him as well.
Looks like a bong to me, are they smoking pot? i bet they are lmao and gets away with it.
Hookah is legal and one would be hard pressed to find a hookah lounge that DOESN'T have names like that. I do believe EVERY place has a XXX hookah. Though to be fair, most places with XXX hookahs use alcohol.
Smoking is forbidden by strict Muslems.
People who are living in their buildings have a right to a smoke free envirnment, and not be pushed out by another group just because the clubhouse wants to cultivate them..
This is a tweeding issue, and the 'New Americans' are fuel for the 'boys'.
Why does every Goddamn thing in this city be based by the needs of the clubhouse?
"Hookah is legal"
Uh, no it's not unless you have a tobacco selling license which the state is no longer giving out like candy. The DOH & police just look the other way.
The DOH & police just look the other way.
Why does every Goddamn thing in this city be based by the needs of the clubhouse?
The part of Steinway Street you're talking about and objecting to is Muslim and YOU ARE A RACIST Mr. White-bread Astoria...though you might have switched from wearing white to a pastel colored sheets these days!
Try jumping off that Brooklyn Bridge you want to sell us...MF!
It's Muslims not Muslems unless you prefer the antiquated term Moslems!
Drinking alcohol is definitely forbidden but I'm not sure about smoking.
This Astoria guy is constantly bellyaching about conditions in his hood...all yap but no action.
How come he still lives there if he hates it so much?
I think he really hates living in the 21st century!
To recap:
Hookah bars are illegal unless they have a license to sell tobacco.
Establishments cannot get a tobacco license unless they sell alcohol.
You cannot allow smoking in your bar unless you have the tobacco license AND can prove that more than 10% of your sales comes from tobacco.
There is no "Muslim provision" in the law, although Peter Vallone would like there to be so he can tweed Astoria some more.
90% of the hookah bars in the city are operating illegally.
...and most of he patrons of these establishments are hipsters or teenagers.
they're smoking WEED people! they call it hookahloopa for a reason!!
hook: on the pot
ah: enjoying it
loopa: your in a daze
So,i can't smoke a cigarette in a bar ,but you can soke in a hookh establishment? Can i pimp women in a storefront and call it a hooka store and get away wiyh it?
A towel is not a hat!
THIS IS GIGI AND I WANT TO INVITE ANYONE TO COME AND SEE OUR LOUNGE. BEFORE I OPENED, I CONTACTED THE METRO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE 112 PRECINCT AND INFORMED THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS THAT WE HAVE OPENED AND INVITED THEM TO COME AND CHECK US OUT ANYTIME.WE HAVE HAD AT LEAST 15 POLICE OFFICERS FROM 112 PRECINCT IN OUR STORE CHECKING OUT THE BUSINESS....I AM ALSO SURE WE HAD A FEW UNDERCOVER COPS AT OUR LOUNGE AND WE WELCOME THAT.(I ACTUALLY CARDED A CUSTOMER THAT LOOKED OVER 25 AND SHE WOUND UP BEING A POLICE WOMAN JUST COMING IN TO HOOKAH WITH SOME FRIENDS)..THERE IS NOTHING "LOOPY" ABOUT OUR BUSINESS. EVERYONE WHO ENTERS IS CARDED STRICTLY. I HAVE TURN AWAY AT LEAST 3 GROUPS A WEEK THAT TRY TO GET IN WITHOUT A VALID 18 ID.FORTUNATELY, WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY,THIS HAPPENS LESS FREQUENTLY SINCE THESE "KIDS" POST,CALL, OR TEXT EACH OTHER SAYING THAT WE ARE STRICT CARDERS OF EVERYONE FOR 18.SOME OF THESE KIDS GET UPSET WHEN I TELL THEM THEY CANT GET IN IF THEY DONT HAVE A VALID ID FOR 18 AND THEY TELL ME THEY ARE USED TO GOING TO OTHER HOOKAH LOUNGES THAT DONT CARD AND DONT UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE SO STRICT...I TELL THEM THAT LETTING THEM IN IS LIKE SELLING SOMEONE UNDER 18 A PACK OF CIGARETTES...ITS ILLEGAL..THATS NOT THE BUSINESS WE ARE RUNNING.. I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE A FUN GROUP HERE VOICING YOUR OPINIONS.I WISH THIS IS HONESTLY THE FIRST TIME I POST ANYTHING..I DONT NORMALLY LIKE TO DEFEND MYSELF SINCE I DONT THINK I NEED TO. BUT, IF HAVING RACEY NAMES FOR SOME OF MY TOBACCO OFFENDS ANYONE..SORRY..BUT IM NOT GOING TO CHANGE THEM. I THINK THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY GO INTO ANY RESTAURANT WITH A BAR AND ORDER A "SEX ON THE BEACH" DRINK AND STILL NOT WORRY ABOUT THE REPUTATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT...WOW THAT NAME WAS AROUND EVEN WHEN I WAS 21...WE WELCOME ANYONE TO COME AND CHECK US OUT..WE ARE A FRIENDLY FAMILY RUN PLACE THAT RESPECTS THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ABIDES BY THE LAW. THIS IS A FUN ALTERNATIVE TO DINNER AND A MOVIE..LOTS OF COUPLES COME AFTER DINNER AT OUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS ON METRO, AND COME IN TO HOOKAH N LOUNGE IN OUR COMFORTABLE PILLOWED BOOTHS AND ARE ABLE TO TALK AND LISTEN TO MUSIC (PLAYED AT A LEVEL WHERE YOU CAN STILL HEAR YOURSELF SPEAK)..WE HAVE GROUPS OF "GIRLS NIGHT OUT MOMS" THAT COME IN AND GET A BIG BOOTH AND JUST HANG OUT, TALKING AND LAUGHING...AND WE EVEN HAVE SOME BUSINESSMEN MEET OVER A HOOKAH...WE ARE GEARED TO AN OLDER CROWD, NOT THE ASTORIA GOING TEENS..WE ARE ALSO NOT CLOSE TO THE SUBWAY SO MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS COME BY CAR OR ARE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD...I'VE HAD SO MANY MIDDLE AGED COUPLES COME IN AND ASK IF THEY COULD JUST COME IN AND CHECK IT OUT CUZ THEIR KIDS GO TO HOOKAH AND THEY NEVER SAW IT BEFORE...I SHOW THEM AROUND AND THEY WIND UP STAYING FOR A HOOKAH..THEN I HEAR THEM CALLING THEIR SON/DAUGHTER AND TELLING THEM THEY ARE "HOOKAH-ING" AND GETTING THEIR PICTURE ON OUR FACEBOOK ! ITS CATERED TO A MORE MATURE CROWD..EVEN IF YOU'RE 18. THE MUSIC IS MODERATE, THE MOOD IS ELEGANT BUT FUN. I HOPE YOU MAKE THE TRIP JUST TO WALK IN AND SEE WHAT YOU ARE COMMENTING ABOUT..YOU DONT HAVE TO SMOKE, JUST CHECK OUT THE PLACE, THE CROWD, AND SEE FOR YOURSELF...I HATE TO BE LUMPED INTO THE ASTORIA LOUNGES..WE ARE NOT IN ASTORIA..I HAVE HONESTLY NEVER BEEN TO ANOTHER HOOKAH LOUNGE OTHER THAN MY UNCLES IN SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA. I LOVE FOREST HILLS..MY FAMILY AND I HAVE ALWAYS VOLUNTEERED IN THE COMMUNITY AND HELPED MAINTAIN ITS STABILITY..WE ARE NOT RUNNING FOR ANY OFFICE OR TRYING TO WIN ANY POPULARITY CONTEST..I HAVE LIVED HERE IN FOREST HILLS FOR OVER 35 YEARS AND MY AIM IS TO PRESERVE THE COMMUNITY NOT DESTROY IT.
PS. SORRY MY CAPS LOCK IS LOCKED AND MY KIDS ARE USING THE "GOOD" COMPUTER..
PSS.WE ARE THE 10% THAT IS LEGALLY SELLING TOBACCO
PSSS. I LOVED THE TRYLON AND WAS SO SORRY TO SEE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND HISTORIC BUILDING DESTROYED LIKE THAT...I HAD MY FIRST DATE THERE :)
I've been there and was carded. I took it as a compliment (I'm 28). The woman there is really nice and the place is nothing like the Astoria bars. It's a lot more laid back.I'm glad they opened, i hated going to Astoria, never getting a parking spot, and sitting next to 15 year olds ! I don't get what the big deal is. They have a few sexy names, so what ?
This is why.
LOL 112 Precinct Community Affairs! Please, GiGi, don't make me laugh!
lmao, hey gigi are you on hookahloopa now? wow way to much to say. i thought the shit relaxes the person i think you need another hit...
Not all hookah places are the same.This place is Nothing like that one in the article.It's legit and really upscale.I'm sure 112 has checked it out.
I'm sure the 112 has checked it out.////////////////// The 112 couldn't find a jew in boro park!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a few co-workers who go here fairly regularly. They say it's nice and business has been picking up recently. I'll have to check it out some time soon.
Insure this a gender and sexual preference equality place - provide male and female hookers. Insure they are legal, check healty clean and accept no payment except paypal in Neveda. Ban smoking and drinking. Insure minimum age requirement is adheered to.
Ban hookah smoking. Its an ugly habit.
Gigi fills emails with a constant stream of real estate spam.
I think developers are all scum.
What a waste of time. The place will be closed before Labor Day. There is nothing sadder than a middle aged person (the older lady owner) trying to act like a teenager with the sexual innuendo used for the names and the interior decorating that looks like something out of a bad bordello. Crushed velvet banquettes....PLEEZE. We went to Dee's where we had a great meal and then we stopped in to the lounge because we read about it in one of the many online postings on, MY SPACE/Yelp/Facebook etc. Afterwards we realized that all the posting seems to have been done by the owners. Nice try, it would be better if you let you customers praise you. Also the younger male owner/worker just stands there and stares at the girls....CREEPY again. Needless to say, we made a quick turnaround and headed back to Austin Street. Any suggestions for our next girls night out. And not the Tap Room please.
You probably got kicked out because you're under 18..
You people are pathetic.. Go out and mingle..
Leave these nice people alone, not like you fakers out there..
Like plastics..
Like Plastics? which one of the idiotically named blends were you smoking? Learn the language before you try and express an opinion.
Start collecting your foodstamps..
Such a low life. We're paying tax for lazy people like you..
Get a job..
You meant to say, "we're paying taxes", but you probably have never even seen a 1040 form since you are an illegal alien. Put down the pipe, pick up a book!!
Here are the people your wife is sleeping with, Tim.
http://foresthillsrealestate.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/terrace_realty_sothebys_thieves.jpg
Other senior citizens.
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