For Woodhaven’s Neir’s Tavern, the release of Monopoly: Queens Edition coincided with a special milestone: the iconic bar’s 195th anniversary.
On Saturday, Oct. 5, the tavern hosted a block party to celebrate both its inclusion in one of the most classic American board games and nearly two centuries of service to the Queens community. As one of the oldest taverns in the country, Neir’s has survived Prohibition, closures, the COVID-19 pandemic, and even a near-shutdown while continuing to welcome regulars from Woodhaven and beyond daily. With its rich history, including serving as the set for Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas and Ben Stiller’s Tower Heist, as well as being the ballroom where Mae West first danced as a child, Neir’s has cemented its place as a beloved Queens landmark.
Loycent Gordon, a former Fire Department lieutenant, purchased Neir’s in 2009 and led its restoration, which included refinishing the iconic mahogany bar and renaming the tavern in honor of its previous owners, the Neir family.
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Gordon sold sixty owner-signed copies of the board game at Saturday’s event.
“Neir’s Tavern wouldn’t have existed if it wasn’t for the ability to stay close with the changing neighborhood through its 195 years,” Gordon said. “The tavern reflects a microcosm of Woodhaven and the diversity of Queens, and as long as we continue to honor that and reflect and connect with it, Neir’s has a great chance of lasting another 195 years.”
Gordon, an immigrant from Jamaica, saw buying Neir’s as an opportunity to preserve a piece of the city’s history while giving back to the country that had become his home. His sense of duty also led him to join the fire department after 9/11.
“What if an immigrant could help save one of America’s oldest taverns?” Gordon said. “That was my push — to help, and then to learn how to run a restaurant. My goal was to repay the country that gave me an opportunity to live here, to succeed, to feed my family, to learn to read and write, and what better way than by saving one of its most iconic establishments?”
In 2020, Neir’s faced closure due to rising rent costs. However, after Gordon announced the impending shutdown, the community rallied in support. News spread from local to national outlets, eventually reaching former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who helped negotiate a deal to keep the tavern open. According to Gordon, Neir’s owes its survival to the support of the Queens community, who continue to contribute through initiatives like the tavern’s Ambassadors Club.
Neir’s serves up classic fare, including ice-cold beers, its signature Wise Guy cocktail — a twist on the traditional drink made with Uncle Nearest whiskey — and the popular Goodfella burger, topped with sautéed onions, pepper jack cheese, and the tavern’s famous Goodfella sauce. Locals often linger at the bar, striking up conversations with servers and eventually becoming regulars.
Gordon believes initiatives like Queens Monopoly will encourage more people to pay attention to small businesses in their communities.
“The Monopoly game is an iconic piece of American history, just like Neir’s Tavern is,” he said. “And so, they belong together — this was inevitable.”
