Hookah Lounge Hype
Whether you call it hookah, nargille, shisha or anything else, one thing is for sure; Puffing from a water pipe is no longer solely a habit enjoyed by your crazy Syrian grandmother. Hookah culture has been slowly developing in New York City, especially around Brooklyn and the East Village, as more and more hookah lounges and bars are opening up.
The city’s 2003 ban on indoor smoking has led more and more people to hookah bars, where they can enjoy a few puffs without getting dirty looks or kicked out of the establishment. What makes hookah bars an exception to the rule is that according to the city’s smoking ban, if cigar and hookah establishments can prove they receive at least ten percent of their gross annual revenue from tobacco sales , they are exempt from the ban and open for business. There is another loophole for any smoking establishments that were already in existence as such before December 31, 2001.
Now what makes one hookah lounge better than another?
Some say it’s atmosphere, some say it’s how well the hookah hits, and some say it’s the flavor list that keeps patrons coming back. And then some, like Ashlyn Kettner, who might be from Canada but after spending a year in Israel knows a little something about good hookah bars, thinks the key is a combination of all the above. “The atmosphere is only one part of what makes a certain hooka bar better than another,” says Kettner. “One of my favorite hookah bars has a very bland set-up but what brings me back every time is their incredible flavor choices.”
And some hooka bars are known for their outrageous flavors that keep the customers loyal. Some lounges, like Bianky’s Lounge, located in Gravesend, Brooklyn, have a more standard flavor list that stays true to its Middle Eastern roots. Flavors such as mint, rose and fruit flavors are the norm at most hooka lounges. Others, for a price, offer special hookas, smoked out of fresh fruit and flavored with wine or vodka, which although might not be authentic to it’s Middle Eastern roots (Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol) it makes for an interesting alternative to the standard offerings.
i always hear people talking about this hookah business. I wonder though, how this has become so popular and what it does health-wise. I figure it’s not toxic like smoking cigarettes, but if that’s the case, then there should be weed bars.
well, maybe, as Taneish says, there should be ‘weed bars.’ now that’ll be controversial!
It’s actually been tested that hookah can be just as bad for you as smoking cigarettes. However, people don’t smoke hookah nearly as much as they smoke cigarettes and that is why there isn’t much public attention on the risks of smoking hookah. But once in a while can’t hurt! Especially when you live in Jerusalem. (Zollies anyone?)