On Chumleys

There's a great bar here in Manhattan called Chumley's which sits on Bedford Street in the Village. it has no sign out front, and yet everyone knows where it is. There's nothing too grandiose about it. They serve great beer and food, and the walls are nicely decorated with pictures of writers. Part of its allure stems from the fact that it was an old speakeasy, that is, a place where people came to drink back when Prohibition outlawed the sale and consumption of alcohol. I bring up Chumley's because if you are someone planning to visit New York in the near future, you ought to check it out. The address is 86 Bedford, as in "Straighten up or we'll 86 ya!" because, yes, that is where the expression came from. Or so the legend goes.

Anyway, I give Chumley's a big thumbs up. I was there last night with some friends and was reminded that I should have mentioned Chumley's back when we did our New York City CityScapes feature. So there you go, now you know.