McSorley's Old Ale House

McSorley's Old Ale House is the oldest Irish saloon in New York City. Opened in the mid-19th century at 15 East 7th Street, in what is now the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, it was one of the last of the "Men Only" pubs, admitting women only after legally being forced to do so in 1970. The aged artwork, newspaper articles covering the walls, sawdust floors, and the Irish waiters and bartenders give McSorley's an atmosphere reminiscent of "Olde New York". No piece of memorabilia has been removed from the walls since 1910, and there are many items of historical paraphernalia in the bar, such as a pair of Houdini's handcuffs, which are connected to the bar rail. There are also wishbones hanging above the bar; supposedly they were hung there by boys going off to World War I, to be removed when they returned, so the wishbones that are left are from those who never returned. Two of McSorley's mottos are "Be Good or Be Gone", and "We were here before you were born". Before the 1970 ruling, the motto was "Good Ale, Raw Onions and No Ladies"; the raw onions can still be ordered as part of McSorley's cheese platter. McSorley's is one of the longest continuously operating ale houses in the city as during Prohibition it served a "near beer" with too little alcohol to be illegal. In 2005, New York magazine named it one of the city's "Top 5 Historic Bars".