The site of the old Scruffy Murphy's bar, on Fourth Avenue between 68th Street and Bay Ridge Avenue, has been rented. Alpine Realty advises that it will be a Chinese restaurant.
I wish the new neighbors well, but one thing this area certainly has plenty of is Chinese restaurants. This place will have an underperforming Japanese place next door and a Chinese takeout across the street.
I think its only chance at success will be if it goes a bit upscale, with eat-in waiter service. If they go the Mister Tang's route, they'll do well. It its another Fu Lai Kitchen ( my favorite cheap takeout, on Third Avenue) , they will be toast, since we already have Fu Lai and lots of places like it.
We miss Sean and Scruffy Murphy's, a typical friendly Irish place with live bands on couple of days a week. Believe that he went back to Ireland.
This is an old photo from 2006. See the faded green paint around the edges of the property? That's from the old "Curran's" bar an "old man's bar" that had been at the site for many decades.
I think that there used to be four bars in this one block area if you add the two sides of Fourth Avenue: Lion Rampant and Curran's on the west side, a bar on 68th/Fourth swcorner, and going way back, Rob Roy bar on Bay Ridge Avenue/Fourth, where the pizzeria is now. Make that five--of course there was Joe Majors' bar/restaurant just to the north of where Scruffy's was.
There used to be four/five bars, and now there are none. By some standards that is progress --no more drunks making noise when the bars close at four am, none of the casual drug dealing that was known to go on Lion Rampant, but...some of the life of the neighborhood has gone.
To Sean, wherever you are, Happy New Year. To the new neighbors- good luck!
9 comments:
I am happy that at least the Vortex where the subway is now is gone. I used to see people walk out on my way to work and see several of the girls from the local high school hanging out.
There were various bars on that corner over the years. For some reason, I never went inside any of them. Did visit the other places when I was "thirsty" though.
The photo doesn't display when I look at the blog.
hmm
it was displayed before. If its not resolved soon, I will edit the post and re insert the photo
I would rather see something else be put there beside yet another Chinese Restaurant, enough is enough. Scruffy Murphy's did have a scruffy undertone, but couldn't something more productive be there inside. By the way what happened to the Greek Restaurant that was supposed to reopen on 68th and 4th?
I will ask Kirk ( grey-haired gent that owns the building, and often seen outside of it) next time I see him. As far as I know, all systems are go, but slowly.
I'm hungry for a good gyro, so I will stop by the first day it is open.
Sean is alive and kickin' and still running around the Ridge!
I think often, and fondly of old times there...and Sean.
Owns my building on 85th st.
Post a Comment