Liedy’s is part of a series of tidbits from the chapters of my book Bars, Taverns and Dives New Yorkers Love, published by Rizzoli. You can order it from Powell’s, Amazon, Rizzoli, and Barnes & Noble. Signed prints of all the bars in the book are available here.
The Two Faces of Liedy’s
Liedy’s Shore Inn is a quiet place during the day, a pleasant spot to enjoy a relaxing beer with friends and maybe watch a game on TV. On nights when a band is playing, everything changes and Liedy’s flips from a sleepy neighborhood bar to a rowdy middle-aged dance party. Live bands pound out classic rock covers, the place is packed, drinks flow, and everyone’s moving, laughing, yelling, loving it. It’s like a 40-year class reunion (with a few younger folks crashing the party), the old gang slamming beers, cutting loose, and carrying on, hard, backed by the soundtrack of youth, with the inevitable flirting, razzing, and bullshitting that goes with it.
People drift out front, some with their drinks, smoking, howling, mopping their brows. Guys in trucks and cars pull up to the curb, like Wooderson in Dazed and Confused, chatting up the ladies, breaking balls. Don’t bother calling the cops. Some are already here, along with firefighters, teachers, and sanitation workers. It’s a Staten Island scene.
Our friend Tony, who grew up nearby, looked around Liedy’s wistfully during the thirst-driven crush at the bar between sets, smiled, and said, “I remember when all Staten Island bars used to have live music.” On Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, this one still does, with Larry Liedy himself occasionally on guitar.
When to Go: Friday or Saturday night, for the party.
Where to Sit: You’re not going to sit, hombre, you’re going to dance. If you must sit and cool off, grab a lawn chair in front, unless the regulars beat you to ‘em.
What to Drink: Beer. Whiskey. Repeat.
Next up:
Lee’s Tavern of Staten Island: an unassuming neighborhood corner joint which serves one of the best dang pizzas in NYC, and another chapter of my book Bars, Taverns and Dives New Yorkers Love, which you can order right here. Limited-edition signed prints of the bars are available here.