New York City Bartenders & Patrons

The Times has a good story today about firefighter bars in the city. Apparently, the two firefighters who died last week downtown both tended bar on the side: Firefighter Joseph Graffagnino at the Salty Dog on Third Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn; and Firefighter Robert Beddia at Chumley's, which is now closed.

It is an interesting article, and ticks off a number of places in the city that are either part-owned by FDNY members, or else have firemen as bartenders working part-time. The article mentions Walker’s, a restaurant and bar on North Moore Street in TriBeCa, and Farrell’s Bar & Grill in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn. I also learned why there are no cop bartenders:

While the police also have a long-established bar culture, officers are prohibited, by their department and the New York State Liquor Authority, from working in establishments that serve alcohol. There is no such rule for firefighters. Firefighters do not need special permission to take bartending jobs, and are allowed to work within the districts covered by their engine or ladder companies, though they are expected to cooperate if, say, their bar or club becomes overcrowded and the Fire Department is called.

A couple others they forgot to mention are the Ear Inn, which is near the NYC Fire Department Museum, and Firehouse, on the Upper West Side.

Labels: bars