CHAMBER BROKERS AGREEMENT TO SAVE NEIR’S
Schleyer’s mother Christine, who first came to Neir’s in 1975, recounted that there was a bowling alley attached to the building. She also remembered the party room upstairs that was often used for birthdays, christenings and other celebrations. “We used to have Halloween parties up there in the 80s,” she said. “It was great.”
The establishment first opened in October 1829 as The Blue Pump Room. Sitting across from the popular Union Course racetrack, which drew over 70,000 people to the neighborhood, the pub became a gathering spot for bettors. In 1898, the tavern was purchased by Louis Neir, the bar’s current namesake, who added a bowling alley and ballroom to the property.
The watering hole stayed in the family until the late 1960s, when it was sold again and was renamed The Union Course Tavern. The name stuck until 2009, when it was sold yet again to Gordon, who led a restoration project for the bar’s interior and changed the name to Neir’s Tavern. In addition to being one of the oldest bars in continuous operation in New York City, Neir’s was known for providing the setting for scenes in the 1990 film Goodfellas, and later in the 2011 movie Tower Heist.
Patrons have long claimed that Bushwick-born actress and singer Mae West first performed at Neir’s, and that the bar was a favorite of Fred Trump, the current president’s father. In 2016, Gordon and the bar’s supporters rallied to have the pub landmarked, but were denied by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Last September, Neir’s Tavern celebrated its 190th birthday with a street fair. A committee of residents kicked off a 10-year countdown, hoping to reach the establishment’s 200th birthday in 2029. As Thursday wound down, Gordon believed he fell short of reaching the bar’s bicentennial.
Gordon reaches the mayor on air
On the morning of January 10, de Blasio was taking questions from callers on WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show” for his weekly “Ask the Mayor” segment when Gordon called in. He explained his situation on the air, and asked how de Blasio could help save the historic business.
De Blasio, having read an article about the situation, wondered aloud why the landlords would “jack up the rent” on an 190-year-old institution. “I think it’s really disrespectful of local communities and local culture,” he said. “So bluntly, the original sin so often is a greedy landlord.”
The mayor called on Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Gregg Bishop to contact Gordon and offer a variety of tools to help. That’s when Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, sprung into action. In an interview, Grech said he was “bothered to no end” when he saw the announcement that Neir’s Tavern was closing.
