Landmark Tavern

Car shopping in Manhattan is always interesting. The entire strip of 11th Avenue is overcome with car dealers from high 40’s up to the 50’s. The showrooms are tiny and all the cars are shoved in the garage behind the building. The smell is not exactly intoxicating. Outside of the city, the showrooms are sprawling and the process is made to be as enjoyable as it possibly can be. In the city, you feel cramped. Also, I feel like I am making a decision to buy an appliance instead of a car. Not very appealing unless you are a big car fan.

I never really cared about cars. To me, it was just a necessity to get you one from location to the other. We have always leased cars under the premise that it is better to buy things that appreciate and lease things that depreciate. Now, we are rethinking this decision considering the amount of mileage that we put on our cars is miniscule. We leased a second car 3 years ago that doesn’t even have 8,000 mile on it. That particular car’s lease is up. So, off to 11th avenue.

I admit, I have driven some really nice cars and some really junky cars over the years. It is much more fun to drive a car that hugs the road and can hit into high gear quickly. My only priority this year was really a car that we could drive on the beach. The last few cars we bought were purchased over the internet. The automobile was literally dropped off in my driveway with the key. That is pretty sweet. Also, you can use ebay to buy and sell your car now. Perhaps we should buy it from the leasee and then turn around and sell it to the highest bidder. When I have only put on 8000 miles on a 3 year old car, that could be optimal. Nothing like making a little profit on the transcaction.

My kids were losing their mind on 11th avenue. Lunch was in order. Landmark Tavern was just blocks away. I have not been to the Landmark Tavern in years! I do remember they have good ale on tap and yummy hot irish soda bread. I admit the journey back was not as good as the last time we were there but it is always good to share a bit of Old New York with the kids.

The Landmark Tavern was build about 140 years ago before there was 12th Avenue. I believe the docks came right up to the pub. There was a need for an Irish pub with all the immigrants and so the Landmark Tavern was built. The owners lived up stairs on the top 2 floors of this brownstone building. There is still a woodburning oven inside which unfortunately was just told to cease using by the city 2 weeks ago. New codes. Bummer. But the ceilings, floorboards etc. have not changed much in the past 140 some odd years.

We stuck with burgers so I can’t say much there but they did offer corn beef and cabbage and some typical Irish stews and sausages which were probably delicious. The beers on tap and the single malt scotch list is solid. The Irish soda bread was as good as I remembered. They will give you a recipe if you ask for it. I have one from years ago.

I can’t say that I’d run back there but I’m glad we took our kids. It is a slice of New York that is absolutely worth trying if you happen to be shopping for cars or just in the neighborhood.