SUTTON PLACE, Manhattan (PIX11) -- The end of an era on 57th street. Neary's Irish Restaurant in Sutton Place is closing Friday night after 57 years in business.
The Neary family decided to sell the three-story building to two brothers and restaurateurs. The original owner, Jimmy Neary, died in October 2021. He immigrated to New York from Ireland in the 1950s, opened the restaurant in 1967 and bought the building in 1986.
Long-time employee Mary O'Connor told PIX11 News that Jimmy Neary is the true American immigration story.
"Came from Ireland, no education, no formal education, with very little money in his pocket, and ended up buying a building and being one of our most successful restaurateurs in New York City," she said.
Jimmy's daughter, Una Neary, told PIX11 News it wasn't an easy decision to sell.
"I love the fact that they were brothers, and there was a family connection, and they wanted a restaurant, which was very important to me. It was a very big decision, it was bittersweet, it wasn't easy, but it was the right decision, and we also wanted to go out on top," Neary said.
The restaurant's walls are lined with photos of famous patrons, including former President Bill Clinton, Astronaut John Glenn, members of the Kennedy family and former Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
Bloomberg stopped by the restaurant Thursday night to greet the Neary family. Bloomberg told PIX11 News that he had been a customer for nearly 40 years.
"Jimmy was a wonderful guy, and his daughters are great. Cities go through this, there's a lot of new restaurants being started, 40 years from now, people will say the same thing," he said.
While the awning of 358 East 57th Street will change, the corner of 57th Street and First Avenue will still bear the name "Jimmy Neary Way."
Neary family friend James Breslin told PIX11 News he hopes people Google Neary's names for years to come and learn a bit about New York City History.
"It's not goodbye; we are moving on," Breslin added.
