I interviewed Eddie Curtis a longtime bartender at O’Sullivan’s Irish bar. Located on the corner of 89th street and 3rd avenue has been a staple to the Brooklyn community for decades now.  Unfortunately, the owner, Frank O’Sullivan recently passed away in October from cancer.  The bar was bought by his grandfather Denis O’Sullivan in 1934 following the prohibition and the ending of his career as a police sergeant.  Denis emigrated from Ireland in 1905 before joining the NYPD.  His bar continues to remain on the exact same corner today.  While looking through the NYC department of records, I found a picture of the storefront in the 1980’s.

The department of records also gave me other viable information on the building itself.  From this information I learned that the structure was built in 1923.  I attempted to find what business existed before the bar but could not find records dating back that far.  However, whatever the business was, clearly did not have as much success on this corner as O’Sullivans has had.

Eddie began working at the bar in 1990.  Before working at O’Sullivan’s he worked at another bar in Brooklyn in a Scandinavian neighborhood with many bars.  As the neighborhood changed to a more Chinese area, there became less and less bars. He went to work at O’Sullivan’s for five weeks and wound up staying for 25 years.  He currently resides in Bay Ridge. He jokes by saying, “Four years of college and I can make a great Bloody Mary, my mother was so proud.”

Eddie continuously expressed the importance of family to the business as well as the neighborhood demographic:

Denis’ grandson, Frank O’Sullivan, took co-ownership of the bar.  Frank started working at the bar while in High School but had never planned on it being a full-time job.  He actually wanted to work on Wall Street.  His father needed help at the bar, and it turned into him staying. Frank’s life was saved at one point by one of the bars customers who donated their kidney to him!  Before this donation, Frank was on dialysis for three years.

In 1977 Frank’s sister Kathleen met a patron named Richard O’Donnell that Frank kept insisting upon.  Three years later they were married and Richard became co-owner with Frank.  Richard still remains in charge of the bar.

Not only has the same family owned the bar for 82 years now, but the the future generations of original visiting families continue to make an appearance in the bar even today.  Eddie stated, “This business has been in the O’Sullivan family for 82 years. Frank’s grandfather started it, his father continues it, and Richie O’Donnell, his partner and bother and law, had it until Frank passed away and Richie still runs it now…..For 82 years it’s been right here, same family, same name.”  Because the factor of family was stressed, I decided to look further into the neighborhood family demographic over the years in Bay Ridge.

I tracked the family structure density as far back as I could (1970) based on census data, I also researched the year 2000 census data as well as the most present census data available from 2014.  Below are the following images the maps produced.  As you can see, family households were always very abundant within Bay Ridge.  This constant family life definitely aids in a close knit community as well as good business to the bar located in the middle of the neighborhood. At left and right are maps of the data I was able to find on the family demographics of Bay Ridge over the years, using socialexplorer.com.

I was also curious to see the ethnic demographics of the neighborhood.  Seeing as this is an irish owned bar I was curious as to the Irish clientele to the owner over the years.  I wanted to know if there was an abundance of Irish families that has aided in  the success of the business over many years.

I was unable to find “Irish” exclusively but I was able to look up the “white” demographic dating all the way back to 1930 (because the bar opened in ’34).  What I found for 1930 I was shocked by.  The ENTIRE neighborhood was white.  Over time there were some changes making the area more interracial however, the Bay Ridge neighborhood continued to stay predominantly white which I believe definitely benefitted the business of the bar.  Throughout the years the family of the bar gained a trust with their clientele and the families continued to come back to the location over time. It also helped that the owners and workers lived in the neighborhood as well.  Being a part of their community both as a family in everyday life as well as local business owners helped them to get the customers they needed to keep the bar open for so long.  Below are maps of the data on race demographics of Bay Ridge that I was able to find by using census’ over the years:

~1930~

~1970~

~2000~

~2014~

Just to show a visual as to how the area has changed I found images dating back to 1895 and 1912 displaying what the area looked like not too far from the bar.  The pictures were taken on 3rd avenue and 75th street just about 15 blocks away from where O’Sullivan’s is.  I found it interesting to see the now busy area of family life and consumerism look so bare besides the one large building at the corner.  Now there are stores right next to each other ranging for blocks on third avenue as well as some stores even on top of each other! It was also strange to see the unpaved roads during the time.  There were even pictures of Third Avenue showing horse and buggies going down the road! Something we are most definitely not used to seeing nowadays.

~1895~

Photo Credit: OldNYCPhotos.com

~1912~

Photo Credit: OldNYCPhotos.com

~1980~

Photo Credit: New York City Department of Records

~Present Day~

photo taken by Monica Huzinec

The bar participates annually in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade as well as membership of the Third Avenue Merchant’s Association.  As a part of this Merchant’s Association the bar owner’s attend regular meetings speaking about their businesses as well as take part in holiday celebrations such as hanging lights on Third Avenue. Another association they are a part of is the Brooklym-Queens Tavern Association which unlike the Third Avenue Merchant’s Association is  exclusive to bars. The Tavern Association does not meet as often but they discuss any police changes regarding alcohol and bars that have taken place within the past year.  Government Agency’s such as the board of health prove to be a hassle at times.  The bar must make sure everything is always clean and in good condition to continue getting the grade of an “A”.

I found it very interesting to really learn the history of a place I had been visiting practically my whole life.  Before this interview, it was just a bar and restaurant that my family had visited a lot.  Now I am able to understand and appreciate more  of the history of this small green awning-ed place on the corner of 89th street and 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge.

photo taken by Monica Huzinecphoto taken by Monica Huzinec

References

“Total Occupied Households: Husband-Wife Family, 1970.” Map. Social Explorer. Social Explorer, n.d. Web. May, 4, 2016.. (based on Data from US Census Bureau)

“Family Households, 2000.” Map. Social Explorer. Social Explorer, n.d. Web. May, 4, 2016.. (based on Data from US Census Bureau)

“Households: Family Households, 2014.” Map. Social Explorer. Social Explorer, n.d. Web. May, 4, 2016.. (based on Data from US Census Bureau)

“White, 1930.” Map. Social Explorer. Social Explorer, n.d. Web. May, 4, 2016.. (based on Data from US Census Bureau)

“White, 1970.” Map. Social Explorer. Social Explorer, n.d. Web. May, 4, 2016.. (based on Data from US Census Bureau)

“White Alone, 2000.” Map. Social Explorer. Social Explorer, n.d. Web. May, 4, 2016.. (based on Data from US Census Bureau)

“Total Population: White Alone, 2014.” Map. Social Explorer. Social Explorer, n.d. Web. May, 4, 2016.. (based on Data from US Census Bureau)

3rd Avenue Looking North from 75th Street Bay Ridge Brooklyn 1895. Digital image. Oldnycphotos.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2016.

79th Street and Third Avenue. Digital image. Oldnycphotos.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2016.

Huzinec, Monica M. “Oral History #1.” Web log post. Macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/mhcwednesdaypm2016. N.p., 5 Mar. 2016. Web. 30 May 2016.

Huzinec, Monica M. “Looking Forward, Looking Back: Bay Ridge Third Avenue.” Web log post. Macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/mhcwednesdaypm2016. N.p., 4 May 2016. Web. 30 May 2016.