McSorley’s Old Ale House

McSorley’s Old Ale House is a true legend. The pub is the oldest in town (opened in 1854) and best of all, not much has changed since then. Old wooden floors covered with sawdust, old newspaper articles and a bartender like from a Hollywood movie make McSorley’s a very relaxed place.

This little pub is really unique in the East Village New York. Every time we are in New York, a visit is a must. It is the oldest Irish pub in New York – this one was founded in 1854 by John McSorley himself.There’s also a wooden chair above the bar that Abraham Lincoln is said to have sat on.

Even in the early afternoon, it’s a meeting place for locals, who stand outside the pub for a chat with the bartenders, or sit at the bar. The beer is also just awesome: there are only 2 kinds (light and dark), but the price is unbeatable: the pair costs 5 dollars, which is a rarity in New York.

Who was John McSorley?

John McSorley was a city-famous, hard-drinking man whose pub was already a huge success at the time. Women were not allowed, the men were supposed to concentrate on the essentials, namely drinking. In those days, one(s) was especially careful to behave decently in front of a lady. A gentleman should not be drunk in the presence of a woman. This is how the “no women allowed” rule came about.