15. Marie’s Crisis Cafe (est. 1972)
The site of Thomas Paine’s 1809 death is now being filled with showtunes. Every night, Marie’s Crisis Cafe is filled with jovial Broadway enthusiasts who sing into the night for ten hours. The pianist claims to have memorized fifteen thousand songs. It’s also home to a WPA mural that depicts the French and American revolutions.
It has existed in its current iteration since 1972, and before that was a speakeasy/restaurant originally opened in 1929 by Marie DuMont, a French national for whom the bar was named. She sold the building to the Grant family, who have operated it since 1972 and has been welcoming members of the LGBTQIA+ community long before the rest of society caught up.
Additional reporting by Laura Itzkowitz, Benjamin Waldman, Cybele Mayes-Osterman, and Michelle Young.
Next, read about 15 of the oldest restaurants in NYC!