A gentleman came in our room a few days ago, used to play in this room in Manhattan years ago. He remembered the location, but couldn't remember the name. I believe he said you had to go up some stairs, so I assume it was on the 2nd or 3rd floor. I told him I'd try to find out the name of the room by the next time he comes in. Anyone here know the name of that pool room, how many tables, and roughly when it closed for business? Thanks
What Pool Room was located on 79th St and Broadway, NYC ?
- Thread starter ChrisinNC
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I don't know what room was at 79th and Broadway, but the West Side Amsterdam Billiards used to be near 79th and Amsterdam. You went up one flight of stairs to get to the room.
Yes, that would be Amsterdam Billiards, which was located on Amsterdam Avenue between 76th and 77th. Moved to East Greenwich Village in about 2006. Well worth a visit, found on 11th Street between 3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue.
I'm pretty sure there was no pool room on 79th and Broadway.
I'm pretty sure there was no pool room on 79th and Broadway.
Sounds right, but this guy made it sound like it was at least 30-40 years ago. When did Amsterdam open in that location or was there another poolroom there before them? It appears that Amsterdam Billiards first opened in 1989?
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Mcgirrs was in the mid 40s near broadway, also was pool hall below the arcade at 42 st. And broadway in times square. Both closed by early 80s. The 60s and early 70s still had many pool halls scattered around nyc - could have been any of those near 79st. On the west side in an upstairs location.
Do you think he was mixing up various hall locations? This is completely wrong neighborhood/address, but description could be any number of old pool halls including Julians. I had a small construction crew in NYC (residential/upper east side) and we played at Julians, mid 80's. Sometime in the 90's went back into Brooklyn with a brother to retrieve 300 lb forging hammer (9,000 lbs actual wt) - interesting thing was the seller of the hammer had ephemera & one of Julian's billiard tables in his loft upstairs from when they closed.
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Julian's was a 2nd floor room on 14th Street, right off of Union Square. Local landmarks would've been Luchows down the block, Con Ed across the street.
@OP, ask if your friend remembers who was the house pro or some of the regulars. For example, if he played at Julians, he would've met George Mikula. If it was on the 2nd floor with wood floors and a cage, it was Julians. Carpeted on ground floor, it was Chelsea. "-)
@OP, ask if your friend remembers who was the house pro or some of the regulars. For example, if he played at Julians, he would've met George Mikula. If it was on the 2nd floor with wood floors and a cage, it was Julians. Carpeted on ground floor, it was Chelsea. "-)
Might be, you did have to walk up a flight of stairs to enter Julian's.
The poolroom was on b’way between 79 and 80 streets...on 2nd flr.
and east side of b’way. Abe Rosen might have managed the room..Rebel,
Spanish Eddie and Flacco played there.....Stu,you should ask Flacco.
....The name of the room may have been “Guys&Dolls....it was there in late 60s
to early 80s.VR
Im not sure Flacco is seen too much anymore-Last 2 times i saw him, he was taking pictures and walking his dog in Tompkins SQ Pk. He was on FB though 2 yrs or so ago though. Prolly still there.
I have heard of Guys and Dolls, so that could be the one, but that's before my time. I moved into Manhattan in 1985, and before that, I only played in the poolrooms of Queens.
Also, I haven't seen Flaco in a long time.
Howard F. "Mickey Mouse"
New member
I played in that room. It was managed by Aby Rosen. It was on the East side of Broadway at 79th St. There was a long straight stairway with a couple of landings that took you to the second floor. My vague recollection is that there were a couple of 10' billiard tables near the entrance and the rest of the room had old Brunswick 9' pool tables. I want to say that it was called Guys and Dolls but I really can't be certain. I do remember that there was 5, 10, and 20 dollar action in that room. I played there back in the late 60's. Although racial tensions were high in that area of the city, I kept very much to myself and never had any confrontations with the younger black players who made up the majority of the customers. It was a uniquely strange time in our nation's history. I've asked several of the older pool players and hustlers about their knowledge of the place and none of them remember it. I'm just guessing it's because they played in the rooms where most of the players were white.
