Tiny’s & The Bar Upstairs

Welcome to Tiny’s – a three-story landmark townhouse dating back to the 1800s that today houses a family run restaurant & bar. Interestingly enough, the now flamingo-pink facade in the heart of New York City’s TriBeCa neighborhood has always been a beacon of small business.

From boot makers to scale repair shops, many have merchandised the street-level storefront while residing in the former upstairs residence on West Broadway. Located approximately in the center of the block,  the house’s previously peaked roof would have likely been pierced by two dormers.

One of the first few residents to peak through those windows was James Gallagher who dealt in “findings” or “notions” – vague terminology today, but back then this specifically centered around sales of sewing supplies like needles, thimble & thread.

But the ones who left a lasting impression were George & Margaret Mudeking who moved into the upper floors in 1861. A self described “cigar merchant”, George turned the ground floor into a “grocery” – both more-or-less misleading terms as he actually ran a saloon out of the space – until one day six years later.

It was business as usual when George opened the doors of his “grocery”, but ultimately found himself behind bars that day. Turns out it was election day and George had violated a law prohibiting anyone to “publicly keep, sell, give away or dispose of any strong or spiritous liquors” less than a quarter mile from a polling place. Poor George.

Fast forward to 2011, the Abrmcyk siblings – Ana, Matt & Jack – took advantage of that law no longer being in effect and opened Tiny’s and the Bar Upstairs. They preserved the tin ceilings and restored the raw elements of the interior – including the spiral staircase behind a secret door which lead to the former residence. With no need to hide their true identity as past residents had, the trio have served as a neighborhood staple for over a decade and continue to do so as they adapt to the new normal of today.