Neary’s, the great Irish pub that has been a beloved watering hole for 57 years, is closing.
A letter went out today — see below — informing its regulars and friends around the world.
Jimmy Neary died in 2021. His daughter and employees have been running the place ever since. But as any restaurateur could tell you these days, staying open in New York is an impossible challenge.
When Elaine’s closed in 2011, after Elaine Kaufman died, Jimmy welcomed our crowd without question. Thanks to the New York Times’s Peter Khoury, we had Elaine’s reunions every December at Neary’s. Jimmy –and then daughter Una — were incredibly welcoming. Elaine’s bartender, Duffy, moved over there and stayed until his retirement last summer.
What was Neary’s like? It was like Cheers, the fictional TV bar. Everyone knew your name. It was where you could make friends in an instant. The food was never great, but it wasn’t bad, and after Jimmy died it actually got a little bit better.
Time is marching on in New York. All the great places are gone, or on the verge of closing. They heyday of authentic is almost over. You can still find it here and there. I have become a person who goes into places and says, “Do you know what used to be here?” The new tenants don’t, and don’t care.
Thank you, Jimmy, and everyone at Neary’s for letting our little group of Elaine’s survivors carry on our tradition for more than a decade. You will be sorely missed.
Here’s the Letter:
Forever Grateful
Dear Neary’s family and friends,
After an incredible 57-year run, Neary’s will bid farewell on Friday, July 19th. With heartfelt appreciation and love, we look back on Neary’s remarkable journey on 57th Street (now Jimmy Neary Way!). It all began on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, 1967, when our beloved father, Jimmy Neary, and his partner, Brian Mulligan, first opened Neary’s doors. From the outset, our father recognized Sutton Place as the perfect location and his instincts proved absolutely correct.
Over the years, Neary’s has been blessed to welcome patrons from all walks of life—our cherished Sutton Place community, esteemed politicians, religious leaders, television personalities, renowned authors and photographers, sports legends, business leaders, and our dedicated law enforcement and military personnel. Our father’s infectious smile, captivating Irish charm, and heartfelt stories, coupled with his deep love of country, faith, and family defined his character. He adored his restaurant and cherished every customer, making sure everyone felt
like family, whether a longtime regular or a first-time visitor.
We would like to express our deep appreciation for our outstanding bartenders, waitstaff, kitchen crew and coatroom staff both past and present. Their unwavering dedication and hard work ensured that our customers received the highest level of service every day. Additionally, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to several current staff members who have played integral roles in the fabric of Neary’s, specifically Liz Farrelly, Antonio Rosas, James White, Tommie Briody, Gus Alvarez, Saturnino Ponce and Laura Kervabon. We are especially grateful to Mary O’Connor, whose support has been invaluable over the years.
Neary’s holds countless cherished memories for our family, memories that we will forever hold
dear. We hope it has provided our customers with equally wonderful moments. From the depths of our hearts, thank you for making Neary’s a truly magical place. We invite you to join us in raising a final toast to our father and to the 57 successful years of Neary’s before we move forward with great excitement for the next chapter in our lives.
Neary’s will always hold a special place in our family’s hearts. The success of Neary’s
symbolizes the American dream achieved by our parents. Our Dad, from Sligo, and our Mom, Eileen, from Dublin, emigrated from Ireland to America where New York City welcomed them with open arms. “Jimmy Neary Way” will forever honor our father’s profound impact on this great city and 57th Street.
In closing, we are forever grateful for our extraordinary parents who taught us the values of hard work, respect, faith, generosity, gratitude and love of country. We feel their love and support today and always. Mom and Dad, we love and cherish you both.
With eternal gratitude,
The Neary family
Una & Tom, Patrick, Adriana, Briana, Sofia & Patrick, Ann Marie, Chip, Ryan, Danny &
Matthew, Eileen, Tracy, Gavin & Christina, and our 4-legged baby, Riley
P.S. We would be remiss, and our father would not be happy, if we didn’t remind everyone to watch the Neil Leifer documentary on our father called “Neary’s: The Dream at the End of the Rainbow” on Amazon Prime.
