The title of oldest bar in New York City is as hotly debated as who has the best bagel or when the Second Avenue subway line is finally going to open. And, like the best bagels and that interminable construction project, the answer isn’t easy.
McSorley’s Old Ale House in the East Village, with its marquee proclaiming “established in 1854,” has long claimed the title. But other bars are saying McSorley’s is telling a drunken history — and the real answer may be way more complicated than just digging through historical records.
Huffington Post’s Christian Nilsson set out to find the answer and released a video this week in which he tries to track down the true oldest bar among the city’s 1,700. The main contenders are McSorley’s, Neir’s Tavern in Woodhaven, Queens — which claims an 1829 founding date — and Fraunces Tavern in the Financial District, where George Washington allegedly gave a farewell toast to his troops after the Revolutionary War.
Spoiler alert: There may not be a real answer to the question. The problem is some bars closed for Prohibition or were renamed, while others claim to be continuously operational.
“The point is all of these bars can be ruled out, depending on the guidelines,” Nilsson concludes. “But each are a part of NYC history and should be recognized as such.”
But the video is well worth watching just to see how hotly contested the issue is among bar owners and how far back Nilsson dives into the city’s historical records to look for the answer. The important thing is our bars may not be all that old compared to the pre-Revolutionary War era pubs of Boston.
But at least they stay open until 4 a.m., so we have a lot more time to argue about it over beers.