Chumley's
86
Bedford StreetThere was a subway station across the
street from the Duplex, so we actually made it into a subway
station this time. While we were waiting for the train, we made friends
with a woman waiting at the station. We came very close to convincing her to join us on our
bar quest, and it sounded like she really wanted to, but some type of commitment
(nephew's birthday party, I kind of remember her having a
present with her) kept her from joining us. We asked her for
ideas for a good place for pub food uptown. She told us that if we
wanted pub food, we should go to Chumley's, which was located right here.
Chumley's was the topic of a recent discussion on poker
night, when we were trying to figure out where the term "86"
came from. Some thought it was a CB radio term, others thought Chumley's was a possible source: located at
86 Bedford Street, it was notorious for kicking people out. We
asked a few bar patrons who though that explanation was plausible, but
didn't get any definite confirmation.
Chumleys has been a Greenwich Village institution for decades, first as
a speakeasy and then as a legitimate drinking establishment. I hear
this place has secret entrances, but we just came right in the front door.
We had a beer at Chumleys. And then another. And
another. I remember drinking beers with dog names in them, like
Labrador and Great Dane. And lots of pictures of firemen on the
walls.
Do you think we're done at Chumleys? Hell no! Read on for
more.
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