A single’s guide to summer in Astoria & Long Island City

There may be no better place to be single in the summer than the Astoria–Long Island City waterfront. Long days, great bars, sunset views of the skyline, and a young crowd that’s actually out and about. Here’s a guide to making the most of it — and, since good scenery isn’t the same as meeting someone, where to actually connect.

The beer gardens

Bohemian Hall is the classic — communal tables built for meeting strangers. Go with a friend or two, grab a shared table, and the summer does the rest. It’s the single best low-pressure setting in the neighborhood.

The waterfront at golden hour

Astoria Park under the Hell Gate Bridge and LIC’s Gantry Plaza State Park are unbeatable on a summer evening. Both draw picnickers, runners, and sunset-watchers — daytime, low-stakes settings where striking up a conversation feels natural.

Free culture & the parks

Some of the best single-summer moves in the neighborhood cost nothing. Socrates Sculpture Park runs free outdoor movie nights and art programming all summer — a genuinely great, low-pressure way to end up next to someone interesting. Astoria Park hosts free concerts and has the biggest public pool in the city. And the Kaufman Astoria / Museum of the Moving Image corridor pulls a curious, creative crowd. Free-and-recurring is the magic combination: you can go back every week without it feeling like a big night out.

Rooftops & night markets

LIC’s rooftop bars bring the after-work crowd with skyline views, and summer night markets and street festivals across Astoria pull big, mixed, social crowds. These are where the neighborhood shows up all at once.

Make it a summer plan

Summer is short and it slips away if you wing it. So don't — give yourself a loose rhythm. One recurring thing on a weeknight (a run club, a league, trivia at your local), one social thing on the weekend (beer garden, rooftop, a friend's cookout), and one new thing a month (a festival, a class, a Nonna singles night). Weeknights are underrated for meeting people, by the way — smaller crowds, more regulars, and everyone's a little more open than on a packed Saturday. Put it on the calendar and the summer does the rest.

Where to actually meet someone

Here’s the honest gap: a gorgeous rooftop full of people tells you nothing about who’s single or who fits you. That’s what our Astoria singles nights are for — everyone’s matched by compatibility before they arrive, so you know who’s worth talking to. Our first one is free; you can see it and RSVP here.

Create your free account and make it a summer you actually meet someone.