Pebble Bar to open at historic four-story townhouse at Rockefeller Center
Interior photos courtesy of Nicole Franzen, unless otherwise noted
A 19th-century townhouse once home to a beloved Irish saloon that refused to move during the construction of Rockefeller Center is getting a new life as a glamorous multi-level bar. Set to open on February 28, Pebble Bar will stretch across three floors at 67 West 49th Street, where the pub named Hurley’s served New Yorkers for over 100 years. Designed by Gachot Studios, Pebble Bar features a bar overlooking Sixth Avenue, a moody 35-seat dining room with a marble-lined oyster bar, and fourth-floor flexible event space and “secret” entrance.
In 1892, Patrick “Paddy” Daly and Daniel and Connie Hurley signed a long-term lease for the building, located on the corner of 49th Street and Sixth Avenue, and opened a ground-floor pub. Named “Hurley’s,” the bar managed to stay afloat during Prohibition as a speakeasy by moving the saloon to the back of the building with an unmarked entrance, according to Daytonian in Manhattan.
In the 1920s, John D. Rockefeller Jr. began acquiring land to create Rockefeller Center, including the building at 1240 Sixth Avenue, where Hurley’s was located. According to the developer, Rockefeller asked the Hurleys to make an offer and their response was $250 million, the same cost of the entire complex.
Instead, the 70-story RCA Building, aka 30 Rockefeller Center, was built around the townhouse, which was described by Jack Kerouac as being “the pebble at the hem of the shoe of the immense tall man which is the RCA Building.” (Hence, Pebble Bar.)
Hurley’s, which closed in 2000, became the go-to watering hole for media, music, and other notable figures, like Johnny Carson, John Belushi and other “SNL” cast members, Kerouac, and others.
Now over 20 years after the pub closed, a hospitality management team made up of Matt Kliegman, Carlos Quirarte, Noah Bernamoff, Julian Brizzi, and Matthew Charles, hopes to “rekindle” the spirit of the property with the opening of Pebble Bar.
The three-floor space was designed by Gachot Studios, the firm behind the interiors of the Brooklyn Tower and Marc Jacob’s West Village townhouse. Described as boasting a “harmonic mash-up of iconic, decade-defining styles” in a press release, Pebble Bar features a second floor with a glass-and-brass bar overlooking Sixth Avenue and a standing room area with dark stone tables.
On the third floor, there’s a 35-seat dark blue dining room with stone and wood tables, brass lamps, and a curved leather banquette. There’s also a marble-lined oyster bar on this level.
“Johnny’s,” will be the fourth-floor event space that can host up to 50 guests and is accessible via a “secret” entrance in Rockefeller Center. Decked out with vintage chairs and custom-designed Gachot sofas and rugs, the space can handle a variety of events, from DJs and live music to panel discussions and intimate soirees.
According to the New York Times, investors include producer Mark Ronson, actors Nicholas Braun, Justin Theroux, and Jason Sudeikis, and SNL cast member and comedian Pete Davidson.
Photo: Max Flatow
The food menu includes bar snacks, a raw bar, and seafood mains, with classic cocktails, locally brewed beer, and wine from sustainable and family-owned vineyards as drink options.
Pebble Bar is open from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. You can make a reservation via Resy; walk-ins are encouraged.
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Interior photos courtesy of Nicole Franzen, unless otherwise noted
