McSorley's operated as an all-male establishment for the first 115 years of its life. Then in 1970 Faith Seidenberg and her brave female friend attempted to come in for a drink but were ejected from McSorley's onto the frosty January sidewalk, much to the raucous delight of the male patrons and waiters at the time. Faith Seidenberg decided enough was enough. A lawyer by trade, she sued McSorley's to compel them to admit female patrons. She won the landmark case, but she never went back to the bar again. Ms Seidenberg died at her New York home in January this year, but her efforts will always be remembered.
McSorley's, like Ms Seidenberg, is an unforgettable New York character. The staff there are always ready with a smile and a tall story. To wet your whistle, your only choices are light beer or dark beer. Either choice is a great one of course, and you're rewarded with two little beer steins of frothy, cold goodness. You can also buy a couple of food items, which is particularly useful as the beers go down very easily.
You'd think that McSorley's would be a tourist trap but it's really not. I've only ever seen a handful of tourists in there over the past few years; usually it's just locals and the crazy St Patrick's Day crowds (who admittedly come from all over). When I completed the New York half-marathon in 2012 I hobbled to McSorley's for a cleansing ale (or four, if my memory serves). And there is something wonderful about coming here on a wet, wintry day, hiding from the cold in the warm, dimly-lit pub.
But even if you go to McSorley's on your own, you'll never be bored. You need only browse all around the walls, behind the bar, and even on the ceiling for some historical treats and treasures. There is a bust of JFK, framed photographs of the neighbourhood through the ages, and lots of black and white images of old time New York. Of a more macabre nature though are the wishbones suspended over a light fixture. Legend has it that American soldiers in WW1 left the wishbones there after a satisfying chicken lunch, pledging to take them down when they came back from the war. They have remained there, untouched, ever since.
McSorley's is a beautiful time capsule of New York, and as long as you obey the sign over the bar, "Be good or be gone", your memories will always be good ones. Cheers!
