McHales Bows Out

And another watering hole is leaving. McHale's, one of the great old school pubs in midtown, has announced that it is going to close its doors on January 1 to make room for a 42-story high-rise. The bar, located on 46th and Eighth, has been open for more than fifty years, the last three of which it was paying rent on a "handshake deal" with the landlord (who just sold the six-story building for $30 million).

The bar has not only served actors and neighborhood workers (like us) for the past half century, but also been the location for bar scenes in movies like "Sleepers," "She's the One" and "Money Train" along with a Jerry Seinfeld AmEx commercial. Jimmy McHale, the owner who took over the bar from his father Jimmy McHale in '81, plans to have the majority of the bar destroyed with a few exceptions like the bar itself, which came from the 39-40 World's Fair. Now Gothamist has three months to pick another midtown bar to go to after work, any suggestions?

Photograph by Julie Stapen for the NYPost.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Garth Johnston in News on October 2, 2005 1:42 PM

Comments [rss]

blackcat

came from sunderland (uk) for my 40th b/day, but no luck in finding Mchales.Took 2hrs searching all over 8th & ended up at Mcghees, good night but not the same atmosphere as Mchales. It will be sorely missed from this end of the atlantic.

blackcat

came from sunderland (uk) for my 40th b/day, but no luck in finding Mchales.Took 2hrs searching all over 8th & ended up at Mcghees, good night but not the same atmosphere as Mchales. It will be sorely missed from this end of the atlantic.

john graham

Hi- I'm a Londoner and we vist your brilliant city of NY as often as we can, we will miss McHales from many thousands of miles away, only got to hear about this as we are visiting your city again soon and wanted the McHales experience again on this trip. Damn shame that its gone.

a. gorton

is walters bar still on 8th ave. - at 28th st.?

8th ave luxe is an oxymoron

It's gone.

Rocky of WBAI

A sad, sad thing. I'm just glad Lee Ryan isn't around to see it. RIP.

Best wishes to all who have served us there over the years.

AussieWebmaster

Hey Bloomberg get off your ass and do something about this.

Lashley

How freakin typical. I move to new york from philly looking for a good ol' bar to get my hockey fix... and it's being demolished. Anyone else know of a decent bar that will abide my request to watch the flyers over the knicks?

L.B.

Just wanted to correct at least one of the several mistakes made in the New York Post article about Mchale's. I'm a bartender there and I (as well as other employees and regulars) was so disappointed in the article.

It has never been announced by the owner of Mchale's that we will be closing on January 1st.

We don't yet know for sure our closing date, however it will not be Jan. 1.

Maybe some reporter can find a way of writing the story behind the story. The history of Mchale's and the fact that it is one of very few family owned places left in the city should really be told.

We are losing a true part of New York City. Mchale's owned by a "born and raised in" New Yorker will soon be replaced by yet another cookie cutter of a high rise. The kind that is taking away all of the character and uniqueness that used to define this city.

hell2heights

Aw shit. Hell's Kitchen is out of control now.Well, I guess I moved out of the neighborhood just in time. I'll miss those big-ass burgers of theirs.

rebeccaanne

That sucks.

What about Jimmy's on 44th and Bway?

at least you can bring in ribs from virgils and there's always the toys r us ferris wheel right across the street if you get really bored.

tien

not sure that money train should be a reason to keep the bar around.

andy

Rudy's on 44th and 9th. Free hot dogs!

Will

Fuck no! Like we need another fucking tower on 8th Ave. Bullshit. Gotta say I dont understand who these people are who moving into the new buildings, look at that peice of shit up the block at 8th and 53rd - this is partly Quinn's fault that ass hat! She was in on this fucking zoning for 8th ave. She better not get to be speaker.

McGee's - ok food, nothing near the character. Vynl is opening a bar on 9th! That should be good.

sorry about the swearing...that bar was the only thing that made walking that close to 42nd worth while.

shannon

McHales was the greatest. There is still Smith's on 44th and 8th.

Jack

This is just getting to be sick. Very sick.

When the real estate bubbles burst and fresh/new retail space is left empty with large "FOR RENT" signs on them, who will jump in to give this city back the character it deserves?

Phil

When I worked in midtown, a group of us from my office used to eat at McHale's every few weeks. Theirs is still one of my favorite burgers in NYC. It's a shame that another venerable institution has to go to make way for another skyscraper. You might as well drink at Applebee's after work, since after all the great old bars and restaurants are gone, only the suburban chains will be left.

drunkie

mcgee's -- 55th and broadway.

noooo

fuuuuuuck nooooo

NOOOOOOOO!!!

susan

This is really a sad one.

mike

Great.. another nice building demolished to be replaced by a slick piece of junk, affordable only by the very rich.

Joseph T.

NO! Not McHales! One of my favorite NYC establishments. Besides their bar scene, they have one of the best and biggest burger deals in town. This SUCKS! Forget CBGB, let's save McHales!