McSorley's Old Ale House - New York City
I'd read about McSorley's and had seen some paintings of it when studying the works of the "Ashcan School" movement, which was an artistic movement in the United States during the early 20th century, best known for works portraying scenes of daily life in New York , often in the city's poorer neighborhoods.
After finding out that the establishment still existed, I had determined that the next time I made it to New York, I would drop by and see it for myself.
On a recent trip to New York City, I took a little 'walking tour' from Brooklyn, to the financial district on Lower Manhattan, up through Chinatown, Little Italy and all the way back up to mid-town Manhattan. On the way, I looked up McSorley's.
It was about 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. and it hadn't opened up yet, but I saw an older fellow sitting on one of the barrels outside in front. I approached him and asked if he was the owner and he indicated that he wasn't. I noticed that the front door was unlocked and asked if anyone was inside. He held the door open and asked another fellow behind the bar,"Hey Pappy, there's a guy out here who wants to come inside for a few minutes, would that be OK?" "Sure" came the reply from the far end of the bar.
"Pappy," the fellow behind the bar had been there for over 45 years. He quoted to me the motto of McSorely's that had been around for many,many years,"We were here before you were born." Pappy gave me the run of the place and I snapped off a few photos. They can be seen on the following page. We had a short but interesting chat, I then thanked him and excused myself as he was busy getting things ready for the lunch crowd. Below is a very short history of McSorley's. If you're ever in New York, make a point of dropping by this small, obscure and wonderful "time machine" and soak up some amazing history.
McSorley's Old Ale House, generally known as McSorley's, is the oldest "Irish" tavern in New York City. Located at 15 East 7th Street in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, it was one of the last of the "Men Only" pubs, only admitting women after legally being forced to do so in 1970.
The aged artwork, newspaper articles covering the walls, sawdust floors, and the Irish waiters and bartenders give McSorley's an atmosphere that many consider reminiscent of "Olde New York." No piece of memorabilia has been removed from the walls since 1910, and there are many items of "historical" paraphernalia in the bar, such as Houdini's handcuffs, which are connected to the bar rail. There are also wishbones hanging above the bar; supposedly they were hung there by boys going off to World War I, to be removed when they returned, so the wishbones that are left are from those that never returned.
Two of McSorley's mottos are "Be Good or Be Gone", and "We were here before you were born". Prior to the 1970 ruling, the motto was "Good Ale, Raw Onions and No Ladies"; the raw onions can still be had as part of McSorley's cheese platter.
In 2017 McSorley's added Feltman's of Coney Island Hot Dogs to their menu, the first time the menu was altered in over 50 years. Feltman's owner, Michael Quinn, was a long time employee at McSorley's. During the late 1800's Feltman's Restaurant at Coney Island was a popular destination for the McSorley family.
Notable people who have visited McSorley's include Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, Peter Cooper, Boss Tweed, and Woody Guthrie. Literary figures like Hunter S. Thompson, Brendan Behan, Paul Blackburn, LeRoi Jones, Gilbert Sorrentino, Dustin Hoffman, and George Jean Nathan.
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I'd read about McSorley's and had seen some paintings of it when studying the works of the "Ashcan School" movement, which was an artistic movement in the United States during the early 20th century, best known for works portraying scenes of daily life in New York , often in the city's poorer neighborhoods.
After finding out that the establishment still existed, I had determined that the next time I made it to New York, I would drop by and see it for myself.
On a recent trip to New York City, I took a little 'walking tour' from Brooklyn, to the financial district on Lower Manhattan, up through Chinatown, Little Italy and all the way back up to mid-town Manhattan. On the way, I looked up McSorley's.
It was about 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. and it hadn't opened up yet, but I saw an older fellow sitting on one of the barrels outside in front. I approached him and asked if he was the owner and he indicated that he wasn't. I noticed that the front door was unlocked and asked if anyone was inside. He held the door open and asked another fellow behind the bar,"Hey Pappy, there's a guy out here who wants to come inside for a few minutes, would that be OK?" "Sure" came the reply from the far end of the bar.
"Pappy," the fellow behind the bar had been there for over 45 years. He quoted to me the motto of McSorely's that had been around for many,many years,"We were here before you were born." Pappy gave me the run of the place and I snapped off a few photos. They can be seen on the following page. We had a short but interesting chat, I then thanked him and excused myself as he was busy getting things ready for the lunch crowd. Below is a very short history of McSorley's. If you're ever in New York, make a point of dropping by this small, obscure and wonderful "time machine" and soak up some amazing history.
McSorley's Old Ale House, generally known as McSorley's, is the oldest "Irish" tavern in New York City. Located at 15 East 7th Street in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, it was one of the last of the "Men Only" pubs, only admitting women after legally being forced to do so in 1970.
The aged artwork, newspaper articles covering the walls, sawdust floors, and the Irish waiters and bartenders give McSorley's an atmosphere that many consider reminiscent of "Olde New York." No piece of memorabilia has been removed from the walls since 1910, and there are many items of "historical" paraphernalia in the bar, such as Houdini's handcuffs, which are connected to the bar rail. There are also wishbones hanging above the bar; supposedly they were hung there by boys going off to World War I, to be removed when they returned, so the wishbones that are left are from those that never returned.
Two of McSorley's mottos are "Be Good or Be Gone", and "We were here before you were born". Prior to the 1970 ruling, the motto was "Good Ale, Raw Onions and No Ladies"; the raw onions can still be had as part of McSorley's cheese platter.
In 2017 McSorley's added Feltman's of Coney Island Hot Dogs to their menu, the first time the menu was altered in over 50 years. Feltman's owner, Michael Quinn, was a long time employee at McSorley's. During the late 1800's Feltman's Restaurant at Coney Island was a popular destination for the McSorley family.
Notable people who have visited McSorley's include Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, Peter Cooper, Boss Tweed, and Woody Guthrie. Literary figures like Hunter S. Thompson, Brendan Behan, Paul Blackburn, LeRoi Jones, Gilbert Sorrentino, Dustin Hoffman, and George Jean Nathan.
Next Page