BREAKING CurbedWire: Chumley's Wall Collapse
Thursday, April 5, 2007, by Lockhart
[82-86 Bedford Street, 4:10pm. Chumley's entrance at far left, 'neath the red netting.]
WEST VILLAGE—Details thin at this point, but here's the word from a tipster on the scene: "CHUMLEY'S WALL COLLAPSES!!!! FDNY and OTHERS on site!" The building that holds the legendary watering hole, at 82-86 Bedford Street, was recently wrapped in netting—always a good sign. Developing hard...
UPDATE 5:08PM: Turns out it was a chimney collapse inside Chumley's. Building most likely won't be coming down. More inside.
UPDATE 2:09PM: Our friends at The Little Owl call to report, "It looks like Chumley's is getting torn down by the fire department." Curbed/Eater operatives en route to scene...
UPDATE 2:16PM: A Curbed commenter noted back in February, "The facade of 86 Bedford is buckling and, according to the owner's architect, 'in danger of collapsing.' They made a proposal at Monday's CB 2 meeting to replace the facade, Chumley's owner showed up with a posse of Brooklyn lawyers to protest, claiming it was all a ruse to temporarily evacuate the building in order to put Chumley's out of business."
UPDATE 2:20PM: Report from Curbed/Eater operative live on scene: "Wall collapse confirmed. FDNY moving cars out of the way now—looks like they're preparing to take the building down. If that happens, Chumley's will be over."
UPDATE 2:40 PM: Emergency workers have shut down Bedford Street between Grove and Barrow completely.
UPDATE 3:15 PM: Con Ed emergency workers are now on the scene; hard hats being distributed; building under examination.
UPDATE 3:49 PM: Crews continue to work around the building. Various engineering-type initiatives are underway. Also, the FDNY has moved the fire line tape back, such that Little Owl is now in the no fly zone.
UPDATE 4:10 PM: A tipster sends along the photo that's now at the very top of this post. Bonus color: "Overheard a nearby resident say there was a spring-fed stream that runs under the building and has eroded some of the original log base timbers that form part of the foundation."
UPDATE 4:17 PM: More color, from a special Eater correspondent: "The owner of the chumleys bldg is margaret streicker-porres. She's one of the village voices 'nyc's worst landlords.' Google her. She's a piece of work. She's been shopping this building to every restaurateur in town the past few months."
UPDATE 4:33 PM: Word from a FDNY press-conference-type-thing: a 10x12 wall inside Chumley's collapsed earlier this afternoon. The buildings department as well as FDNY and OEM are on the scene and determining if the building has to come down. Latest report is that there is "a small chance" they'll have to tear the building down.
UPDATE 5:08PM: Official word from the Dept. of Buildings: "Earlier today, Buildings inspectors and engineers were called to assess structural damage to the building at 86 Bedford Street in Manhattan. The chimney at 86 Bedford Street separated from the interior wall and collapsed into the bar area. There were no injuries. Two buildings have been temporarily vacated pending the completion of the
shoring work. The Red Cross is assisting with relocating the tenants. Buildings engineers have determined the building is not in danger of collapse. Demolition of the building is not being considered at this time. Buildings is working with the building owner and shoring company to stabilize the collapsed area. The building owner had been issued a permit to remove and replace the landmarked façade. The building owner had submitted an application to the Buildings Department to conduct construction work on the interior of the building. The Buildings Department has not issued a permit for that application. The Buildings Department is issuing three violations for working without a permit and unsafe construction practices."
I was at the CB 2 meeting about a month ago where architects representing the owners of 86 Bedford basically begged the the board to let them replace the facade immediately, claiming it was in danger of imminent collapse. The owner of Chumley's and a rent-controlled residential tenant voiced protests, claiming it was all a ruse to kick them out of their sweet leases. Looks like they were wrong.
I heard Chumley's was illegally serving alcoholic beverages. It must be kharma.
So sad. Evern though it's been over run by Banker Boys for the last few years and more than once I had a mouse run across my table during a meal it will be missed.
RIP.
The irony is that by preventing the owners from replacing the facade, that property is now probably ten times more valuable.
#2. I hope you are kidding. Chumley's used to be a speakeasy. They've been a legal bar for years. It will be missed.
I met my first boyfriend at Chumleys and we used to come back every Easter to Chumley's to celebrate that fact. Guess that is over now. Our relationship still has strong walls though.
good maybe now i can buy it on the cheap! nice job, chumley.
i think grunt's on to the real karma...
i masturbated in the women's room at Chumley's once. Now thats all gone. Oh the horror.
I will miss the place. I had a drink with my friend on September 10th in Chumleys. He was a FDNY firefighter. Chumleys will be missed
my father used to drink there when he was a natty west village postgrad in the '50s, and he took me there when I first moved to the west village in the 90's. I am bummed - it totally would have survived the banking yahoos.
The vibes from the i-bankers totally destroyed the place, but I miss rubbing the bulldog, drinking a nice pint with friends, and petting those dogs.
Hey Alan....please stick to the upper east side
Say it aint so! Chumley's. 1st drank there on New Years Eve in the 80's: underage and with my brother's college friends on a bar crawl. There was buttery lighting A old dude kept saying he wanted to paint me. I was young enough to be flattered, not annoyed. It was magical. My mother's book covers are on the wall, unless that one collapsed too... The dogs were awesome... I went on to live in the nabe for about seven years. A great place during off hours. Very sad.
Are they saving the book covers?
oh, yeah, the west village.
ummmm, re: Alan's comment at #2 - I think that is what is commonly referred to as an inside joke. You know, they used to be a speakeasy - serving drinks illegally - geddit?
duh.
Just returned from the site. FDNY and OEM waiting for inspectors to possibly condemn the structure. The the Red Cross is on site helping tennants relocate.
I am so sad.
I can see Morty Bronstein and Ron Colby behind the bar.
I bet no-body remembers that.
And many happy days in Pamela Court in the 60's.
#12: unfortunately, the dogs were put to sleep about two months ago. Steve was massively bummed for about a month and I'm sure this doesn't help.
I'm sure the real estate agents are salivating as we speak. Anyone picture a gleeming 10 story glass structure on that corner? (kidding)
Anyone on the scene to tell us if it's really a no-hoper / total write off?
Bonus color: "Overheard a nearby resident say there was a spring-fed stream that runs under the building and has eroded some of the original log base timbers that form part of the foundation."
It's probably true. Beford Street had a stream running down the middle of it back until the '30s I believe. One of the reasons why the people in the community survived cholera outbreaks and stuff like that - they had a fresh water supply. Fiorella LaGuardia paved over everything - every street had to be able to fit a police car. It's one of the reasons why the sidewalk is so narrow (and the browstones have no stoops) on parts of Bedford compared to the actual street.
These are the kind of things you picked up back when Shopsin's was Shopsin's on the corner of Bedford and Morton.
#21 (Matt) ohhhh so sad about the dogs...RIP..great old souls. Wow, poor Steve. Well there are 2 more canine angels in heaven looking out for us!
Restoration!!!!! I hope the building doesnt have to be torn down. Those tenants are going to have to move though..that stinks! What a mess.
Sidebar:
I saw guys gutting Shopsins early this morning. The booths, and the basement. A guy on the street said a new restaurant was going in.
Sidebar:
I saw guys gutting Shopsins early this morning. The booths, and the basement. Later a trash truck was crushing it all up. A guy on the street said a new restaurant was going in.
Bad news. I left work early and I was checking this out after I heard the news at about 2:30.
I work for The Department of Design and Construction in Queens and my background is in engineering. I can say that that I'm absolutely sure that there is no way that the structure can be saved at this point.
Just be glad nobody was injured. This could have happen at any time, peak business hours tonight or whatever.
Sad to see the old place go though...
Although not as good as it used to be and over run by a different crowd, it was still a place that made the Village 'the Village.' I used to ge for a burger with friends every now and then. I'll miss it - and hope if they have to take it down that they put something sensitvely designed in its place.
This stinks... First the Dogs now the building... my Great Grandfather is on one of the walls there. I will miss the Saturday afternoon Bloody Mary there... I do know, however, Chumley's is very important to FDNY as most of the employees are off duty firemen... So hopefully they will exhaust everything prior to taking it down...
Re #20 - I sure do, Bobbie! And re #3- it seems not much had changed...I vividly remember Morty and the guys jumping up on the tables when a mouse (or was it a rat?) went scurrying by! Ah, the good old days. So sad.
Sidebar & patty cake- The new place will be called Mike's. No futher info yet. I hope it's real food at real prices. Too may "Ditch Plains" and "Blue Ribbon" type places around. Sure would like to see something like Chat & Chew go in there.
I just saw Greydon Carter on Barrow Street. I think he was with a street vendor selling $55 Mac and Cheese to the overworked firemen on the scene... He had a pen in his hand too...
Talk about blowing this all out of proportion. Between this site and Gawker, you'd think the whole building was coming down earlier today. Now it's just a freakin' chimney? I mean, come on. Another reminder that blogs, though entertaining, still don't do a good enough job of actually providing real news.
I still saw Greydon Carter... Maybe he was looking for fireplace equipment for the Waverly... I think he was at the White Horse too, with matches in his hand... I swear I saw him Matt...
Maybe the legendary Chumley's ghost had something to do with this. The bar's jukebox was said to have been haunted and would start/stop of its own accord.
matt - have you ever watched a 'real news' station cover breaking events? Reporting events as they unfold ALWAYS leads to misinformation. Don't blame the blogs.
Was Greydon in his underwear and swearing at people that were making noise in his neighborhood AGAIN????
Has he NO shame? I'm opening a Kraft Mac and Cheese stand outside of his restaurant next weekend. 50 cents for a heaping ladel full!!!!
I am still trying to figure out how to serve it on a stick.
mgp - Isn't crappy TV news the reason why people are turning more and more to blogs? I don't think it makes for a good defense to compare ANYTHING to TV news.
Still, as crappy as it is, I have never seen TV news say goodbye to a landmark without any facts whatsoever the way Gawker did today. Of course, Gawker can hide behind its snarky exterior but a lot of people read on the site that "Chumley's, the venerable West Village watering hole, is being demolished by the FDNY even as you read this" today and took it as factual. It was not. It was, as seems clear now, total b.s. And it's still there, with no correction. At least this site eventually updated the earlier rumors with an actual statement of fact.
Matt, this site is only factually correct when it is shilling some development... otherwise that advertising money might stop flowin' in!
Blogs are better...you dont have to listen or look at those spokes HOLEs they hire... and on CURBED...they have printed the official statements...so you know..you take what you want and leave the rest. Live TV is on the fly too..during the village shooting there were initial reports of the shooting happening in a bar on Bleeker...its all in a days work..scooping, taking editorial risks. With blogs..you have the man on the street, the memoirs of neighbors and all the rest. Plus, dont you have your tv on in the bg when you blog? MULTI-TASK dude!
You guys are too nostaligic. All I can remember is the fact the the beer tasted like it came out of taps that hadn't been cleaned since it was a speadkeasy. Serious it was a sty in there and the beer was always sub-par. I say demo the whole friggin thing.
were all the firemen drinking there before hand? how many city employees does it take to have a conversation around an accident scene? min = 785
On February 28th Barrow Street just east of 7th Avenue collapsed. DEP found a broken water main. The dirt under the street went into the hole in the water main and about 60 yards of dirt disappeared from under the street. Once the street thawed, it collapsed. DEP said there are a lot of Civil War-era sewer mains in that area. Wonder if something similar happened here.
Addressing #45 by Anon Y. Mouse....
I assume you don't go to funerals, either.
And probably failed sensitivity training and history.
Not nice, your remark.
There is an adage that firemen use, the truckies not the engine guys, What we don't break we take.
If some one is foolish to believe that a bunch of crapolla memorabilia that is left over from some partial demo is worth risking your life for by guys working to save peoples lives day in and day out, they are fools.
Chumley's was a landmark. If it lives on so much the better.
the building is in a Landmark District so that demo requires approval of both the Landmarks Commission and the Dept of Buildings, not the FDNY - they are not engineers or architects
and, the Dept of Buildings has very experienced engineers on staff to examine buildings AND they understand that extra effort should be put into saving Landmarks
When I lived at 81, everyday I would direct people to Chumley's because you had to know where it was. My name is carved on a table there -- I wonder if we'll ever sit there again.
We've been going to Chumley's since November, 1963. We lost The Blue Mill -- now Chumley's. We are very sad.
Haha! A whole day of nerve-wracking, breaking news from CURBED!!!
Part of the chimney collapsed.
Nothing more, nothing less. Business as usual.
Chumley's will live on. (As if it ever wasn't.)
52 suckers as usual.
I especially loved: DEVELOPING HARD!
chumleys bldg is owned by margaret streicker-porres, one of village voice's 10 worst landlords in nyc. look her up. talk about bad karma!
if there is sufficient damage, there may be no recourse but to demolish the building, despite landmarks. they could, however, insist on preserving the front wall, re-building the rest behind it. not sure how this scenario could affect chumley's lease, rent, or licenses.
The Attorney General should investigate MARGARET STREICKER PORRES use of chimney collapses to remove tenants. She has brought it to a new level.
The same thing happened to the building next door to Chumley's last May. It's all very convenient that this has happened to two of the four buildings she owns there. Condos, anyone?
I can still see Donald Netter at the door playing bouncer and Jerry Wallach behind the bar - lots of good times had by all - there goes our yout
I'll miss you big guy. The burgers, those smelly old hounds lounging on a Saturday afternoon.
Someone better yell "86 it" before the whole place comes crashing down.
Save the kegs!!
It was the pantheon of the literary greats, the near greats, the journeymen writers and the unknowns. In response to requests from those who were laboring to write, Chumley even designed and put up a dust jacket that reserved a space so that their future dust jackets could be put up on the wall too. Chumley's got its first TV set for the McCarthy hearings. The Hollywood 10 hung out there. It was a meeting place for the IWW. My father's picture is on the wall in the corner to the right coming in from Pamela's court, on the wall next to Hemingway. We were happy to be part of the 60th anniversary party. Chumley's was and is the greatest literary hangout in the country. We wish Chumley's the best.
Somebody better call Frankie Dee in Nutley.
#60 (Ed),
86 it! Hopefully, Chumleys will survive, but if this is curtains, then it will live in the idiom it coined. Not bad for an ex watering hole with no sign.
Margert streicker the landlord is still at her tricks the west 22 street tenants now,the city needs to seize all her buildings and put her a out of buisness once and for all
Actually not only is there a stream but also a roaring lava current. That's why its always so steamy in the area due to the water and lava coming together.
I lived at 8th and MacDougal in the late 1950's and went to Chumley's about once a week. That was when one of the Santini boys owned it. I think his frist name was Ray.
It was a good place to meet girls who liked to read and drink. Some of them worked for book publishers. Ironically, about 40 years later I became a best selling author.
Looks like Cedar is gone too. Nothing left but bones and scaffolding.
BTW Jack -- 8th and MacDougal? It must have been a loooooong time ago!
Just came across this news(?). Jack, Yes it was Ray Santini that owned it back in the 50's & 60's. Then by someone who's name I can't remember; and then by Mike Kley & Bill Bigelow. Bill sold to Steve.
I still have some of the old book covers that had been removed from the walls.
Would like to know what has happened since the collapse; can't seem to find anything recently.
Wouldn't mind an update.
LOt of memories in that old place. And yes the jukebox was haunted- by the ghost of Mrs. Chumley, who didn't like any music after the 70's apparently!
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