Subterranean New York - The 21 Club

Subterranean New York-The historical and landmark New York City Restaurant, The 21 Club located in midtown Manhattan near the Broadway theater district. The actual address is 21 West 52^nd Street, New York, New York 10019, between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas (6^th Avenue).

One of the first things that make The 21 Club stand out is the jockeys’ statues guarding the front. 21 Club was once home to wealthy horse owners and breeders of New York City. They donated jockeys with the colors of their private horse stables. They represent some of the most prominent horse farms in the country. According to the 21 Club website, Jay Van Urk, was the first to donate a jockey out of appreciation for the great service extended to him. Van Urk was a regular along with the Vanderbilts, Mellons, Galbreaths and Ogden Mills Phipps, who all added their jockeys.

Construction on what is now The 21 Club began in 1871 as part of a row of three other brownstones – 17-21. Today brownstones are in great demand, and can cost great than 10 million dollars due to location. By the 1920’s, the 18^th Amendment ushered in the Prohibition Era. By 1928 cousins Jack Kriendler and Charlie Berns were in the speakeasy business, and moved their operation to the present day 21 Club location. After a year of renovation, Jack and Charlie’s '21' Club was opened, using the wrought iron gate from their last speakeasy to adorn the entrance.

What makes The 21 Club part of Subterranean New York is its cellars. One evening in 1930, New York City Daily Mirror (now defunct) gossip columnist Walter Winchell is barred from The 21 Club. As payback, Winchell writes a column implying The 21 is a speakeasy that’s never been raided by Prohibition agents. The very next day, the Club is raided. Almost immediately, Jack and Charlie hire architect Frank Buchanan to construct a intricate system to hide and destroy liquor in case of future raids, including the notorious ‘21’ Wine Cellar, now considered one of the world’s most desirable private dining rooms. For more information on the exact construction read "Architecture and Construction History: The '21' Club" by Mr. Adam Gauntlett BA MA MSc RICS.

In 1931 Jack Kriendler procured 19 West 52^nd Street, and renovated its lower floor to become an addition to '21' in 1935. As a matter of record, The 21 Club’s “Wine Cellar” is actually at the 19 West 52^nd Street address. So when asked by Prohibition agents, the precursor of the Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco and Firearms, if there was liquor premise, the employees did not lie by saying no. The best hidden secret in New York was that Wine Cellar, built to be invisible. In a cellar stocked with food items sits a veiled 2 ½ ton door that looks like part of the foundation wall between the two buildings 19-21. The door can only be opened by inserting a 18inch meat skewer through the correct crack in the cellar wall. When the door opens, there are approximately 2000 cases of wine stored.

See for yourself. There is a link to a video gallery of the hidden secrets of the Subterranean 21 Club of New York City. Check out the other fun facts about The 21 Club.