New Year's Eve had been crazy, what with the snow earlier that morning, so we were looking for a fun, relaxing place to welcome in 2010.  And with 2010 being Woodhaven's 175th Anniversary, what better place to ring in the New Year than one of the oldest taverns around -- and certainly the oldest place in Woodhaven -- Neir's (previous story here, official site here).  The crowd was already festive by the time we arrived.

The place looks fantastic -- as we stated in a previous story, it hasn't been through a renovation, it's been through a restoration.  The spot by the fireplace, and the old Nier's sign, was a popular spot all evening.

There's a big screen television at the back (won't that be great for the Super Bowl?)  And as you can see, it was a healthy crowd.  And as it got closer to midnight, more and more folks were dropping in.

It was open mike night, so if you sang, or played an instrument, you were welcome to get up on stage and perform.  I believe that this will be a recurring theme at Neir's. 

Of course, Mae West is all over the place -- as she used to perform there.  Are there any Mae West imitators here in Woodhaven?  They'd fit right in here :-)

It was a real friendly crowd -- just what you'd expect at a nice tavern -- and folks were happy to smile for the camera. 

I was still experimenting with our new camera and the panorama setting.  The instructions tell you that it won't work in the dark or when used by hand.  But I took this picture of my friend Bobby just that way and it came out pretty good. 

Here's a little video of the evening -- and a few special guests show up as a surprise :-)

Happy New Year From Woodhaven! 

If you have any comments, or would like to suggest other projects, drop us a line at info@projectwoodhaven.com or projectwoodhaven@aol.com