A July greeting to all the New Hanoians out there. It's been a fun couple of weeks, dodging torrential downpours and hitting the weekend events. Stones 1 showed the TNH community a fine time on the riverside, and C.A.M.A. did their thing to entertain the music hungry masses. July promises to have its own slew of affairs to get to, and we will, of course, be doing our part to add to it:

Free Beer and Live Music at the July Meet Up

Friday, the 18th of July, the New Hanoian masses will be descending on The Loft Bar & Restaurant. Located on Ba Trieu Street south from Hoan Kiem as you approach the Vincom Towers, this two floor bar is quietly making a name for itself. The first floor is a classic drinking establishment set up with the bar along one wall and high tables along the other. The back corner boasts a small stage where a live band from the Philippines cranks out retro rock and pop numbers three times a day. Upstairs is a more sedate space centered around a pool table and dart boards...as well as another bar. In about two weeks, we'll be gathering on this second floor for three hours (8pm~11pm) of free beer & soft drinks, live music, food specials, and a few other surprises that owners Kay and Ishmael have in store. If you show up early, the happy hour brews will be flowing, and at 8pm sharp, the Meet Up will start taking place upstairs. Head that way to get your free brew, and then you're free to enjoy the whole space. We'll be upstairs ready to greet you.

On to other news, we had quite a month of reviews from all of you. More than 300 were written, and some of those authors simply deserve to get some recognition.

An Urban Escape for loominpapa at Green Mango

The first winner of this month's User Contribution Prizes goes to a long time site contributor. He's been on the site for well over a year now, and writing reviews ever since. The 30+ he wrote this month have taken him up to 76 overall, and that's enough to get loominpapa and a special somebody a chance to enjoy Green Mango's take on the Urban Escape. The lucky couple will start their escape with a full dinner spread in Green Mango's unique dining space located behind the Green Mango Hotel. Semi-outdoors and in the central part of that Old Quarter block just off of Hang Quat Street, you can hardly recall the bustle just a hundred meters away. After a full evening of dinner and drinks from their menu of refined Asian and European treats, they will be off to their room to enjoy all the luxuries one would expect from a first rate boutique hotel. After sleeping in plenty late in the morning, they'll be back downstairs in the morning to finish off recharging their batteries with a relaxing brunch while they lounge around and decide when they're ready to once again face the challenges of Hanoi. Start to finish, their Urban Escape will come compliments of Green Mango and loominpapa's massive contributions to the New Hanoian community.

Letsgoeverywhere and Friends Getting the Weekend Started at The Loft

Our second prize also goes to a user who has been registered on the site for nearly a year now, but who just got into the reviewing game very recently. Reviews, though, aren't the whole story. While letsgoeverywhere put together a fine month on the review pages, she's been a stalwart of the Ask A.N.H. pages for months now. For her efforts in putting together a fabulous month on the site, we're sending her and three friends to The Loft Bar & Restaurant for a great start to their weekend. On the Friday of their choice, the foursome will be dropping in for lunch, a reminder that the weekend is only a few short hours away. When the work day is wrapped up, they're back to the bar for some happy hour drinks and live music. When their appetites have been sufficiently whetted, it will be to the calm upstairs for dinner, drinks, and perhaps a little after dinner entertainment on the pool table or dart boards. The Loft will be providing their full range of get-the-hell-away-from-work temptations to help them unwind and get back to enjoying their own time. A lucky three better be thanking letsgoeverywhere for her work here on the site. I know we appreciate it.

Sex and the City Film Screening for Charity

Finally, we want to get the word out for a fundraising affair that is also taking place at the Green Mango a week from this Saturday. On the 12th of July, starting at 7:30pm, there will be a screening of the Sex and The City Movie, the proceeds of which will go to the TUNA Clinic- a local mental health community clinic for women and children. Tickets are 100K which gets you a free cosmo and finger food prior to the movie (arrive 7:30pm for the movie starting 8:30pm). Buy tickets prior from Green Mango (recommended as limited seating available) - or you can get them on the night. Men will get free entry and free beer from 7:30-8:30. Early arrivals will be treated to the acoustic stylings of Ryan Garvey and the music and party will continue after the screening. In addition to the door charge, a variety of raffles will be on offer to help raise funds throughout the evening. Go enjoy the film, win some prizes, and support a worthy local charity.

Have fun,
The Staff of the New Hanoian