Chumleys - NY Speakeasy Institution Near Death

[GateXC]

Came across this a short while ago. Doesn't look good for Chumleys as a wall of the building that houses it has collapsed and the FDNY may be tearing down the entire building.

If so this would be the death of a NY institution as it is extremely doubtful that it could ever be recreated.

http://www.curbed.com/archives/2007/04/05/breaking_curbedwire_chumleys_wall_collapse.php

 

[Girl Friday]

There used to be a Chumleys here in Dallas, it was a great place, some old guy always on stage playing sax, or something. Real jazz in other words.

The bartender was Chumley, the beers were cheap and the atmosphere was great (ie. a total dive), one night his girl friend said they were packing up and moving to New York... I wonder if this is the same guy.

 

[RedPop4]

If smokers congregated there, then it's a good thing it's going away.

 

[warbird]

lol

 

[MrBern]

Wow, thats really sad. We just took MattDeckard there a few weeks ago.

 

[MrBern]

incidentally from wikipedia:
Chumley's is a pub at 86 Bedford Street in New York City's West Village. It has a "secret" entrance on Barrow St with no exterior sign, giving it the air of a speakeasy. It is purported that the expression to "86 someone" (meaning to stop serving liquor] comes from the police informing Chumley's before raids by Prohibition agents to "86 everyone out the back door."

A plaque at the tavern, dated September 22, 2000, and placed by Friends of Libraries USA states that Chumley's has been placed on a Literary Landmarks Register and goes on to say:
A celebrated haven frequented by poets, novelists and playwrights, who helped define twentieth century American literature. These writers include Willa Cather, E.E. Cummings, Theodore Dreiser, William Faulkner, Ring Lardner, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Eugene O'Neill, John Dos Passos, and John Steinbeck.

 

[MrBern]

backdoorman

Senator Jack by the back alley entrance

No smokers, just law abiding citizens.

glad to see its not being torn down:
UPDATE 5:08PM: Turns out it was a chimney collapse inside Chumley's. Building most likely won't be coming down.

 

[vonwotan]

That really is sad. When I came home from boarding school I finished up at a school in the East Village. At least once or twice per week we would go to Chumleys to do homework in the old booths, and being familiar faces, had quite a few pitchers with the lobster specials (order one get the next for 1/2 price)...

 

[GateXC]

Update:

Apparently just a chimney collapsed. Building isn't going to come down. Thank goodness.

 

[MrBern]

http://eater.com/archives/2007/04/chumleys_safe_f.php

Construction was going on for the facade...but permits were in order.
However internal construction repairs were underway when the chimney collaped. No permit. Violations have been issued.

 

[rockyj]

I will miss it very much!

I had a couple of drinks there in my younger days[huh]