The Ear Inn is a mythical place, built upon history and a mountain of oyster shells eaten by Dutchmen. True.
The Ear is drenched in history, from the building itself to the museum-like displays of artifacts found in and around it over the years. People love the joint—locals and tourists. There’s live music every Sunday, satisfying home cooking, and cool bartenders. I kind of had to include this one in my book Great Good Places of New York, to be published by Rizzoli in spring of 2018. It’s that good.
The Ear Inn: a Brief History
The place was built in 1817 by James Brown, the African-American aide to George Washington, and it stood just five feet from the Hudson River, until landfill during the 1800’s pushed the shoreline a couple blocks west. Or maybe it was built the late 1770s with charred timber salvaged from the great Fire of 1776. Or around 1790. Facts are few, records are missing, and for its first couple centuries, New York cared more about tomorrow than yesterday. Until that is, the 1960s when the Landmarks Preservation Commission was established, sparing the Ear and a lot of other old structures from the wrecking ball.
Talk to the boss, Martin Sheridan, and he’ll fill you in on what he knows, which is plenty. Business records indicate it was James Brown’s tobacco warehouse in 1817. Recent excavations of the foundation brought up busted Champagne bottles and heaps of oyster shells tossed by Dutch picnickers, from when the lot was a sandy hill with a view of the Jersey woods, and the Dutch needed a break from the hustle and bustle of New Amsterdam, a mile to the south.
Longtime patron Sheridan bought the Ear in 1979, saving it from a committee of owners who “did everything they could to discourage business.” Old dockworkers still drank there in those days (though they called in the Green Door), but as they faded away, the area began to change and an artier crowd filled in, then a richer crowd, then more tourists. Business picked up and remains steady, offering a friendly vibe for regulars and visitors alike, right there at the intersection of the tony West Village, Tribeca and SoHo neighborhoods.
The Ear Inn remains a link to post-Revolutionary War New York, when the city’s population was smaller than today’s Appleton, Wisconsin, and the waves of the Hudson pounded a few feet from the front door.
The Ear Inn prints and original art for sale
Buy a limited edition, signed and numbered handmade print of the Ear Inn (as seen at the top) at tebeau.com. Size is 16″ by 20″ and they ship for free in a sturdy flat mailer!
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