Manhattan's iconic Subway Inn bar announces it's closing: 'An incredibly difficult decision'

The bar's move to a third location was fraught with problems it could not overcome, the tavern announced

You have to respect the Subway Inn’s indefatigable will to live. The iconic Manhattan bar moved twice in the past decade, after being booted from its long-time perch on East 60th Street in 2014. And each time, they brought along that beautiful neon sign.

But it’s finally last call: The operators of the bar announced on Facebook Monday evening that the Subway Inn will be shuttered for good on Dec. 28.

You can feel the anguish in these words:

"We understand how much this place has meant to so many of you, and please know that this is not a decision we arrived at lightly. The memories we’ve shared, the community we’ve built, and the support we’ve received from each and every one of you have made this journey unforgettable, but unfortunately, the realities we face today have led us to this conclusion.”

The post detailed difficulties they called unexpected after this star-crossed move to the third location: “Bureaucratic obstacles” with the New York State Liquor Authority that dragged on over eight months, a lack of awareness among the public about their new home, which inevitably resulted in a fatal decline in patronage.

“The lack of urgency and support from those who should have been helping small businesses rebuild after the devastation of the pandemic made the situation feel even more daunting.

For a long time, we felt like we were taking three steps back for every step forward. The road to recovery seemed insurmountable, and our hopes of reviving the Subway Inn quickly began to fade. When we did finally open, the community wasn’t even aware that we were back in business. The excitement and momentum that we had anticipated just never materialized.

They also cited what they see as a fundamental shift in the feel of the city and in the state of nightlife in recent years. It’s not the city of old, where watering holes like the Subway Inn were as common as Starbucks is today and the bars were elbow-to-elbow with drinking folk. It hasn’t been that city for a good long while, of course, but something does seem off, the hoped-for return to normal after the pandemic never quite materializing.

Throughout the last few years, we’ve seen a shift in the way people live, work, and spend their time. The rhythms of the city that once sustained places like Subway Inn no longer feel the same. The vibrant nightlife and bustling atmosphere we relied on have gradually given way to quieter, more introspective times. With fewer people frequenting the bar and restaurant industry in general, our ability to keep up with operational costs and overheads became unsustainable. Despite our best efforts to adapt and innovate, the financial toll became impossible to ignore.

The Subway Inn opened in 1937 and sat for decades across Bloomingdale’s until 2014, when it was pushed out for a development that still hasn’t happened, its original home now a sad, weed-choked lot.

The original inn had an irreplaceable character and history, and was said to have been a haunt of notable 20th century personages like the once married Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio.

I’d always think of a fictional character, the sloppy sportswriter Oscar Madison, as played by Jack Klugman on ABC’s “The Odd Couple,” whenever I’d walk by or drop in, which I did a few times. I could totally see Oscar’s grumpy, rumpled self stopping here for some liquid courage before returning to his vast Park Avenue apartment and the imperious if hilarious harangues delivered by his roommate, Felix Unger, as played by Tony Randall.

“Oscar. Oscar. Oscar. Were you at the Subway Inn again? For shame! You have a column to write tonight and my opera group is coming over later to watch me rehearse my aria.”

If you know, you know.

Anyway, after leaving its original home, the Subway Inn moved to East 60th and Second Avenue, opening around the time the Second Avenue Subway was being built, so that seemed fortuitous. Real estate pressures forced it out if its second home, and now it’s settled in its latest home just up the street.

I’ll highlight these lines I wrote last year:

Each time, they’ve taken along the iconic neon sign. That must be its lucky charm — and this is its third home. Third time’s the charm?

Long may its neon sizzle!

Sad.

The announcement ended on a note of hope, and one that we can hang on to, ever so lightly, given the many lives of the Subway Inn, with a Rasputin-like ability to return for one more round just when you thought it was last call.

“We are not giving up hope entirely. We are actively searching for a new location to call home. We still believe in the spirit of Subway Inn and the deep connection we have to this community. It may take time, but we are committed to rebuilding and finding a way to return. We will keep fighting, keep looking, and keep dreaming of a day when we can serve you again, with a renewed sense of purpose and strength.

Cheers to you, Subway Inn.

And, before you ask, they will save the sign, and perhaps we’ll see it again if and when the Subway Inn makes its fourth — and hopefully forever — stop.

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