QUEENS — The clock is ticking on 2014 and, if you're still without a venue to welcome the new year, Forest Hills restaurants, bars and yoga centers offer a variety of choices.
Those who are looking for parties with DJs can hit Austin Public or Exo Cafe, both on Austin Street.
There is no cover charge at Austin Public, where partygoers can expect drinks and food specials as well as a free champagne toast at midnight.
Exo Cafe will be serving a four-course dinner with a midnight toast for $49.95.
Whiskey and beer aficionados can swing by Forest Hills Station House, on Continental Avenue. The main attraction of the party will be a “top shelf open bar,” where patrons will be served dozens of whiskey and beer brands, the owners said.
Artisanal hors d’oeuvres will be served along with gourmet buffet, which will include turducken.
There will also be a roast beef carving station and partygoers will get to cheer midnight with a rare beer. The event is currently sold out but those interested in attending should inquire at the door to see if there is any space (cost — $100 in advance; $120 at the door).
Banter Irish Bar and Kitchen on Queens Boulevard will serve a free Jameson toast in addition to a free champagne toast to those partying at the bar, said Michael Mansfield, one of the owners. There is no cover charge and one of the waitresses, Olivia Smith, who is also an opera singer, will sing "Auld Lang Syne," Mansfield said.
The pub is also serving a three-course meal in the dining room, but that event is currently sold out.
For those who want to celebrate the evening with a dinner, several restaurants will remain open, including Tazzina, on Metropolitan Avenue, which will offer a full menu plus lots of specials and free champagne, and Agora Taverna, on Austin Street, which will serve its regular menu until about 9 p.m.
After that patrons who made reservations will get to enjoy a Greek feast for $59.95, which will include Greek spreads and salads, fried calamari, meatballs, salmon and chicken kebab as well as baklava, the restaurant said.
Dirty Pierre’s, at Station Square, is also organizing a New Year’s Eve bash. For $10, partygoers will get to try a Southern style buffet with a free champagne toast at midnight. The party starts at 8 p.m. (buffet opens around 10 p.m.)
Locals who are looking for a peaceful way of greeting the New Year are invited to participate in a yoga class at BambooMoves Yoga on Queens Boulevard. A special class will be held on Jan. 1, from 10-11:30 a.m. Participants will be asked for a donation (minimum $5) and the proceeds will go to the “Growing Together” program, which seeks to bring Jewish and Arab teenagers together, the studio said.
Genesis Tree of Life Yoga and Wellness Center on Metropolitan Avenue invites residents for a walk on Jones Beach on New Year's Day. The group will gather at Jones Beach Parking Lot 6 around 9:50 a.m. and go for an hour-and-a-half long walk.
Those who don't have cars should ask about carpooling options at the center.
“Just breathing in the sea salt in the air of the ocean is very invigorating and gives you a real sense of life,” said the founder of the center, Rene David Alkalay.
The group will later return to Queens for a vegetarian lunch.
