Oktoberfest actually starts in Munich 16 days before the first Sunday in October. And that's a good clue for anyone who wants to know when New York starts feeling more like Germany.

You'll be perfectly at home with people dressed in traditional German garb, drowning in genuine Bavarian Beer and chewing on succulent sausages.

Let's start with a listing of all the best German Beer Gardens and restaurants which go nuts over Oktoberfest with specials and parties. The most famous of the lot is Zum Schneider.

This Bavarian bierhaus with it's wooden picnic tables and pretzel bowls offers a refreshing change from the usual tame bars in the east village.

Besides, it's not just a property - Zum Schneider has a phenomenal and loyal band of regulars and a community which comes together regularly for events and outings. Let's just that Oktoberfest in Zum Schneider is the right place at the right time, if you're in NYC.

 Some more lively German establishments in New York where the beer and bratwurst are equally potent include:-

Loreley Restaurant and Biergarten - 7 Rivington Street, New York NY 10002; (212) 253-7077; www.loreleynyc.com/

Klee - 200 9th Ave # 1 New York, NY 10011; (212) 633-8033; www.kleebrasserie.com/

August Restaurant - 359 Bleecker St New York, NY 10014; (212) 929-8727; www.augustny.com/

Lederhosen NYC - 39 Grove St New York, NY 10014; (212) 206-7691; www.lederhosennyc.com/

Heidelberg Restaurant - 1648 2nd Ave New York, NY 10028; (212) 628-2332; www.heidelbergrestaurant.com/

One of the biggest Okotberfest events in NYC is the 52nd Annual German-American Steuben Parade, which takes place on Sept 19, 2009 at 12 noon.

Last year, over one hundred thousand spectators celebrated the parade on Fifth Avenue, all the way from 67th to 86th street.

The parade features 25 groups from Germany, among them some of the best marching bands, carnival groups and Trachten. And also German-American groups from across the U.S.

The themes for this year's parade include the 60th Anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany as well as the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

After the parade on Sept 19, the crowd shifts to the Steuben Parade Oktoberfest at Summerstage in Central Park.

Another hot-spot is the Long Island Oompah Fest at Plattduetsche Park Picnic Grounds, with Alpine rock bands from Germany providing live entertainment to fo with fresh German food straight off the grill.

Nothing quite as heavenly as Potato Pancakes downed with freshly drafted beer.

There's plenty more events scheduled all the way through the next 16 days. You can see them all listed at the Germany in NYC website - the official organization representing the German community in New York City.

And if you're in need of some travel planning help, you can search through this list of hotels in New York, and/or visit nycgo.com - the official tourism webite for New York City.

Photos by Toast to Life (creative commons).