McSorley's Old Ale House

New York · United States · Pub

"Be Good or Be Gone" – in New York's oldest Irish saloon Houdini's handcuffs still hang from the bar rail, and founder John McSorley is said to keep watch over the sawdust.

Since the mid-1800s, McSorley's on East 7th Street has served its ale in double mugs under the motto "Be Good or Be Gone". The interior is a frozen moment: sawdust on the floor, Houdini's handcuffs locked to the bar rail, and dusty wishbones hung over the bar by soldiers heading off to the First World War – those who never returned never took them down. Founder John McSorley is said to still make his rounds; staff closing alone hear footsteps on the stairs and catch the scent of an old pipe. A ghostly cat, regulars insist, brushes along the floor where the saloon's famous cats always slept. Women were only admitted in 1970 – and some claim, half-seriously, that the old Irishman's disapproving sighs can still be heard.

FAQ

Where is McSorley's Old Ale House located?

McSorley's Old Ale House is in New York, United States.

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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.

Image: Leonard J. DeFrancisci · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons