Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
After 60 Years In Hell's Kitchen, Smith's Bar Is Closing This Week
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 28, 2014
Modified Oct 28, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 28, 2014
Modified Oct 28, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
(via Yelp)
Smith's Bar, an old school dive bar with some fine neon signage out front, is closing down after 60 years in business. Located in Hell's Kitchen, at the corner 8th Avenue and 44th Street, the bar is one of the last haunts harkening back to the Old Days.
No one attached to the establishment is commenting, and there are no updates on their Facebook page, but according to Vanishing New York , an employee confirmed they will close their doors this Thursday, though offered no reason as to why. A tipster, however, noted "lease issues."
Smith's opened in 1954, though Vanishing notes "they were bought by a chain of anonymous pubs" in the 1990s (they also own the nearby bar Social), and things were never really the same. But in 2005, the NY Times paid tribute to its old school divey charm and Irish barmen, declaring, "the cavernous bar area of Smith's seems untouched by the wave of renewal that has brought the likes of Red Lobster and Bubba Gump to nearby Times Square. That a place like Smith's still exists in Midtown is a testament to the bipolar nature of New Yorkers, who are obsessed with the new and trendy and yet fiercely protective of old haunts and habits."
Tagged
bar
closing time
hell's kitchen
RIP
smith's
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .