City Beautiful BLOG

The Origins – James Brown’s House

This respectable establishment began its existence around the 1770s as a private house. It belonged to James Brown, an African-American aide to George Washington during the Revolutionary War, who lived there running a tobacco shop and an apothecary. This fashionable townhouse was located just down the street from Richmond Hill – a bucolic estate that served as George Washington’s headquarters during the Revolutionary War and later housed John Adams, American second president, and Aaron Burr, vice-president to Jefferson.

Local Tavern

The records show that a place transformed into a tavern around 1835 and, sometime later in the century, was bought by an Irish immigrant named Thomas Cloke, who brewed beer, ran the tavern, and sold beer and whiskey to sailors and longshoremen.

What happened during Prohibition

During Prohibition, the ground floor became a speakeasy while the upstairs apartment served as a boarding house, smuggler’s den, brothel, and a doctor’s office.

Not much changed after Prohibition, and the tavern owners didn’t even bother to give it a name. The tavern continued to provide all the life’s necessities for sailors, aka food, drink, gambling, and good cheer, under the nickname “The Green Door.”

How Ear Inn got its name

The bar got its present name in the 1970s when new owners took over but wanted to avoid the Landmark Commission’s lengthy approval of a new sign. Instead, they just covered the round parts of the “BAR” sign, turning it into “EAR.”

Mickey, the Sailor – a Resident Ghost

Like most old New York bars, the Ear Inn has its resident ghosts. Its most famous ghost is Mickey, the Sailor. In his day, while on shore, Mickey spent much of his time on one of the bar stools in Ear Inn. What happened one fateful night when Mickey died is unclear, but it started with Mickey entering the bar. Desperate for a drink, he assumed his regular place at the bar and drank himself to death. It’s possible he stumbled onto the street and got hit by a passing car, but it’s also likely that the Grim Reaper harvested the thirsty sailor right here on a bar stool. Mickey’s ghost refused to vacate the premises and haunts the bar to this day. It is a fact confirmed by many bar patrons that their full glasses become almost empty as soon as they hit the counter, proving that Mickey is here and is still as thirsty as ever!

Live Music in Ear Inn

Three nights a week, the bar is blessed with live music from some of the most talented people in the game. Sunday nights are special when The EarRegulars, led by Jon-Erik Kellso on trumpet, take the stage from 8 to 11 pm.