Subway Inn in NYC #Bar

Subway Inn, the storied dive bar which first opened in 1932, has moved for a third time, to 1154 Second Avenue near East 60th Street — though it’s temporarily closed because it has been waiting for New York State Liquor Authority approval for a liquor license since June.

The third location in its more than 80-year history, the Midtown East bar originally opened in 1932, with Marcelo Salinas, who died in 2016, and his wife, Patricia, who ran the place for at least 40 years. Along the way, their son, Steven, took the helm.

It all started in 2014, when the bar struggled to stay in its original location, staging a battle that included a petition of thousands of people, including singer Tony Bennett supporting the bar. Subway Inn lost in its fight against its landlord, World-Wide Real Estate Group. Once the bar closed, it was demolished along with properties from 143 to 161 E. 60th Street; a Chinese-backed company bought the stretch for $300 million.

Once it closed, Subway Inn took its neon sign along with the booth shared by Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, and moved several blocks east, to 1140 Second Avenue, at East 60th Street.

Fast forward to 2021 and the family had to move the bar yet again, at which point in June of 2022, members from Community Board 8 allegedly attempted to block the liquor license application. Once the bar navigated that conflict, they face another delay in liquor license approval for the new location, which is not uncommon as of late, where licenses can now take up to a year to approve.