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Beloved Chelsea Irish Pub McManus May Be Forced To Close
By
Scott Heins
Published Dec 13, 2016
Modified Dec 14, 2016
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courtesy Peter McManus Café
By
Scott Heins
Published Dec 13, 2016
Modified Dec 14, 2016
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[Update Below] New York City may be in danger of losing one of its oldest—and greatest—Irish bars. According to Jeremiah's Vanishing New York, longstanding Chelsea pub Peter McManus Cafe is being threatened by Renatus Group, a real estate company hoping to turn its 84-year-old location on 7th Avenue and 19th Street into something likely more profitable and certainly more depressing.
Vanishing NY cites a tipster, Marjorie, who claims "the air rights above the deli and bar apparently have been bought, and the two remaining residents of that circa 1903 building above the bar will have to move. So once again, the historic makes way for new construction."
Renatus Group purchased the building occupied by McManus in April for $10.5 million. At the time of the sale, Real Deal reported on the company's plans to "redevelop the buildings to significantly improve cash flow."
A bartender told Vanishing NY "[I]t's all uncertain."
But don't pour out your pint of Smithwick's for the Pub just yet—owner Justin McManus reassured Eater in an email that his family is talking things over with their new landlords, and "should be able to" stay open. "I'm meeting with the building manager this week, and if his intentions are still the same from the last time I spoke with [him], we should be able to come to an agreement," he told the food blog.
A Coalition to Save McManus Facebook group has been created, and currently boasts over 360 members. In March, we happily declared the pub one of the city's Most Authentic Irish Bars. Those (still working!) wooden payphone booths are a treasure and we'd hate to see them go.
[h/t Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]
[Update December 14th: Pub owner Justin McManus has confirmed to Eater the bar will remain open for at least another year.]
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Scott Heins
Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.
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