Dylan Thomas Walking Tour printable PDF to take with you.
86 Bedford Street
(between Grove Street and Barrow Street)
Walk north on Hudson and turn right on Grove and walk to Bedford. Turn right on Bedford to Barrow. Chumley’s is on the corner of Bedford and Barrow on the north-west side of the corner.
“Dressed to die, the sensual strut begun”Chumley’s is an authentic speakeasy from the Prohibition era. Its previous notoriety is confirmed by the fact that it still has no sign and, as well as its main entrance, it offers a “secret entrance” on 58 Barrow Street, through the backyard called Pamela’s Court. Chumley’s is New York’s second oldest literary bar (the White Horse Tavern is the first).
~from Thomas’ poem “Twenty-four Years”
Its walls are covered with the framed pictures of its clientele of legendary writers and samples of their book covers. Dylan Thomas is one of many honoured, along with other literary greats such as John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The poet and playwright Edna St. Vincent Millay lived upstairs for a while.
Note: Chumley’s was closed for renovation as we went to press 7/9/08.
