July 13, 2016 Staff Report
Astoria has Pokemon fever.
Pokemon Go, the hugely popular smart-phone game that allows players to walk around the real world catching virtual Pokemon, has garnered plenty of fans in Astoria and even sparked a new bar crawl set for this weekend.
The Pokemon Go bar crawl will start at Sweet Afton (30-09 34th St.) at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
Players will drop a lure at the bar, which is used in the game to attract different Pokemon.
Attendees will also visit Judy and Punch (34-08 30th Ave.), Dominie’s (34-07 30th Ave.) and Diamond Dogs (34-04 31st Ave.), according to the event page.
Players in Astoria and Long Island City have also gathered on Facebook to discuss popular local spots for catching Pokemon, such as Astoria Park.
“Put together group walks, take on a gym, drop a lure at a Pokéstop at a set time,” a post about the page reads. “Have fun, be safe, invite your neighbors, make new friends!”
Members have discussed setting up meetups, where those in the group can go play Pokemon Go together.
The page has 176 members as of this writing.