New York in Brendan Behan's Footsteps

March in New York means the St. Patrick's Day parade up 5th Avenue on the 17th and a whole host of events and parties the whole month long. We're going to get into the act ourselves in early April by visiting the Old New York haunts of the famous Irish author and playwright Brendan Behan.

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/e/4/d/600_434804621.jpeg

Behan (1923-1964) was the sensation of the Irish literary world of the 1950s with the publication of his autobiographical novel "Borstal Boy" and plays "The Quare Fellow" and "The Hostage". His works turned the world on to Irish wit and humor while exploring the themes of human freedom and liberation.

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/e/9/1/600_434804689.jpeg

Born and raised in Dublin, Behan loved New York and lived here off and on between 1960 and 1963. To Behan, New York was the "greatest show on earth, for everyone" and "my Lourdes, where I go for spiritual refreshment."

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/f/4/d/600_434804877.jpeg

A confirmed alcoholic, Behan also sought liquid refreshment in the pubs and bars of New York. Many of his favorite New York haunts are long gone, but some remain and we are going to visit some of these venues for this meetup.

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/f/c/0/600_434804992.jpeg

I'm still working out the full details but here are some places on the itinerary. There will be some walking but that's part of the experience as Behan was famous for wandering around New York and visiting pubs and bars as he went.

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/1/2/f/600_434805359.jpeg

Sardi's Restaurant (http://www.sardis.com/htmldocs/cms/): Sardi's has been a Theater District fixture since the 1920s. Being involved with the New York theater scene, this became one of Behan's New York hangouts. The after-party after the New York premiere of The Hostage was held here and Behan later participated in a roundtable discussion hosted by the New York Times here. Sardi's was also a frequent first stop for Behan and friends before visiting other nightclubs in the city.

Hurley's Saloon (http://www.hurleysnyc.com/): Behan made several appearances on the Jack Paar Show--forerunner to the Tonight Show--when he was in New York. Behan was not good in front of a TV camera, so he would typically loosen himself up with the drink before going on. The chatty, inebriated Behan was a big hit with US TV audiences. Hurley's, an old New York bar dating to 1870, that Rockefeller Center was literally built around, was likely where he went to drink pre-show in those days. The bar even had cue lights to let NBC TV employees know when they had to get back to their shows. Unfortunately, Hurley's lost its lease at its original Rockefeller Center location in 1999. The bar was relocated and re-created a few blocks away on W. 48th Street and is still owned by the same family that last owned the Rockefeller Center location. We will stop here and visit the original location on the walk.

The Cort Theatre (http://www.shubert.nyc/theatres/cort): Behan first arrived in New York in September 1960 for the Broadway opening of his play "The Hostage" at the Cort Theatre on West 48th. We'll stop here between bars. We'll also visit the site of the former Monte Rosa restaurant on the same block. This is where Behan fell off the wagon in October 1960.

The Algonquin Hotel (http://www.algonquinhotel.com/): This was Behan's first home in New York in 1960 and '61 and where he conducted his first media interviews. His drunken antics would later get him banned from the hotel. The Algonquin's famed Oak Room is no more, but we can visit the Blue Bar (http://www.algonquinhotel.com/blue-bar) and/or the Lobby Lounge (http://www.algonquinhotel.com/lobby). Behan was infamous for throwing back whiskeys in the latter.

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/2/e/0/600_434805792.jpeg

The Overlook (http://www.overlooknyc.com/): Behan was on the wagon when he first arrived in New York, but he loved the Irish pubs of 3rd Avenue and the camaraderie with his fellow Irish they offered. He would visit them regularly even when he was only drinking soda water, staying out 'til all hours of the night in them. The famous literary bar Costello's Saloon at the corner of 3rd and 44th was on his list of places to visit before he even came to New York and would soon become his favorite New York City watering hole. The Costello's that Behan frequented is long gone, but the bar moved half a block away on East 44th before closing about a decade ago. The Overlook now operates out of this space, but it's the closest we can get to the old Costello's.

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/3/8/a/600_434805962.jpeg

PJ Clarke's (http://pjclarkes.com/third-avenue/): PJ Clarke's has been a New York classic since the 1880s and it was another of Behan's favorite 3rd Avenue haunts in the early 1960s. It's one of the few bars to survive 3rd Avenue's transformation from gritty, blue-collar residential neighborhood under the 3rd Avenue El to the upscale, skyscraper-dominated area it is today. PJ Clarke's remains one of the best New York bars for celebrity sightings.

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/2/a/d/600_434805741.jpeg

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/0/3/5/600_434805109.jpeg

PS: Most of the photos on this page were taken during Behan's time in New York.