Rent hike kills 190-year-old Woodhaven tavern

Neir’s Tavern’s celebrated its 190th birthday last year. The tavern is set to close for good on January 12. Photo courtesy of Loy Gordon.

By Victoria Merlino

A 190-year-old Woodhaven bar that survived the Civil War and the Great Depression — not to mention Prohibition — is set to close for good Sunday, done in by New York City's exorbitant commercial rents.

Neir’s Tavern is set to close because owner Loy Gordon said he could no longer afford to operate the bar, which opened when Andrew Jackson was president. 

“Due to increase personal obligations I’m unable to put in the time necessary to overcome increase business challenges I’m faced,” Gordon wrote in an email Thursday. “Everyday I pray I would find a way to dedicate more time to overcome these challenges until yesterday I had to face the truth.”

“Neirs Tavern is losing money and I don’t have the time to help to overcome it. I want to be a good father and husband,” he wrote.

Gordon could not immediately be reached for comment by the Eagle. He told Eater that the bar’s landlords wanted a more than $2,000-per-month rent increase for the space, bringing rent up to $5,400 a month. 

Queens Tourism Council Director Rob MacKay said Gordon did all he could do to keep the place open.

“[Gordon] kept it going for an extra six or seven years. It was dead and he came and saved it,” MacKay said. “We’ve lost one of the many reasons why Queens is such a special place.”

The tavern has existed under different names since 1829, becoming Neir’s when Louis Neir purchased it in 1898. The bar has since had a sparkling history, at one point boasting a bowling alley and serving as a speakeasy during Prohibition. Neir’s has also spent its share of time in the limelight: 1990’s Oscar-nominated “Goodfellas” and 2011’s “Tower Heist” both filmed scenes there. 

“Neir’s is something that’s unique just like the borough,” MacKay said. “You had veterans of the Civil War, Veterans of World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam — great American people who have been there and it’s really sad.” 

Gordon, an FDNY lieutenant, purchased the tavern in 2009 with some friends to help save it from closure. In 2015, he attempted to landmark the tavern to secure its legacy in Woodhaven, to no avail. 

Neir’s celebrated its 190th birthday in October with a block party. 

“This party is a reminder to all that Neir’s is still a community gathering place for those who believe in the value of supporting historic community businesses,” Gordon said at the time. “Without people actually coming in — instead of putting us on their To-Do list — we wouldn’t be here today.”