After an incredible 57-year run, Neary’s will bid farewell on Friday, July 19th. With heartfelt appreciation and love, we look back on Neary’s remarkable journey on 57th Street (now Jimmy Neary Way!). It all began on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, 1967, when our beloved father, Jimmy Neary, and his partner, Brian Mulligan, first opened Neary’s doors. From the outset, our father recognized Sutton Place as the perfect location and his instincts proved absolutely correct.
Over the years, Neary’s has been blessed to welcome patrons from all walks of life—our cherished Sutton Place community, esteemed politicians, religious leaders, television personalities, renowned authors and photographers, sports legends, business leaders, and our dedicated law enforcement and military personnel. Our father’s infectious smile, captivating Irish charm, and heartfelt stories, coupled with his deep love of country, faith, and family defined his character. He adored his restaurant and cherished every customer, making sure everyone felt like family, whether a longtime regular or a first-time visitor.
We would like to express our deep appreciation for our outstanding bartenders, waitstaff, kitchen crew and coatroom staff both past and present. Their unwavering dedication and hard work ensured that our customers received the highest level of service every day. Additionally, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to several current staff members who have played integral roles in the fabric of Neary’s, specifically Liz Farrelly, Antonio Rosas, James White, Tommie Briody, Gus Alvarez, Saturnino Ponce and Laura Kervabon. We are especially grateful to Mary O’Connor, whose support has been invaluable over the years.
Neary’s holds countless cherished memories for our family, memories that we will forever hold dear. We hope it has provided our customers with equally wonderful moments. From the depths of our hearts, thank you for making Neary’s a truly magical place. We invite you to join us in raising a final toast to our father and to the 57 successful years of Neary’s before we move forward with great excitement for the next chapter in our lives.
Neary’s will always hold a special place in our family’s hearts. The success of Neary’s symbolizes the American dream achieved by our parents. Our Dad, from Sligo, and our Mom, Eileen, from Dublin, emigrated from Ireland to America where New York City welcomed them with open arms. “Jimmy Neary Way” will forever honor our father’s profound impact on this great city and 57th Street.
In closing, we are forever grateful for our extraordinary parents who taught us the values of hard work, respect, faith, generosity, gratitude and love of country. We feel their love and support today and always. Mom and Dad, we love and cherish you both.
With eternal gratitude,
The Neary family
Una & Tom, Patrick, Adriana, Briana, Sofia & Patrick, Ann Marie, Chip, Ryan, Danny & Matthew, Eileen, Tracy, Gavin & Christina, and our 4-legged baby, Riley
P.S. We would be remiss, and our father would not be happy, if we didn’t remind everyone to watch the Neil Leifer documentary on our father called “Neary’s: The Dream at the End of the Rainbow” on Amazon Prime.
Neary's opened on St. Patrick's Day 1967 and proudly remains one of the most well-known Irish restaurants in New York. The restaurant is often referred to as the "Irish 21". Jimmy Neary, who passed away in October 2021, was the ultimate host. He warmly greeted everyone at the front door with his great smile, Irish brogue and charming personality. Jimmy's daugher, Una, who worked alongside her father for 42+ years, is running the restaurant and carrying on her father's legacy. In addition to Una, Neary is blessed to have an amazing staff, including her sister Ann Marie, and Liz Farrelly, who is in her 56th year, and Mary O'Connor, who is in her 46th year. Neary's is a warm and welcoming place where everyone is welcome....
Neary's signature dishes include famous lamb chops, prime ribs of beef, corned beef & cabbage, calf's liver with bacon or onions, and broiled 1/2 chicken. In addition, there is a fine selection of fresh fish including broiled salmon, broiled filet of sole and broiled rainbow trout. Make sure to save room for the homemade rice pudding and a delicious Irish coffee.
We look forward to taking care of you and sharing our special home with you.
The Neary Family
Betsy Bober Polivy, founder of Manhattan Sideways (sideways.nyc), has published an amazing book entitled Walking Manhattan Sideways. It is Betsy’s journey of walking the side streets of Manhattan’s original grid and showcasing some of New York’s most wonderful businesses, including our own favorite restaurant, Neary’s. We are truly honored to be included in the book.
Thank you, Betsy! We wish you much success with your fabulous publication.