NOVEMBER 2 0 1 9 I BOROMAG.COM 21
in Queens, taking their great employees
and friends along with them was the obvious
choice. O'Sullivan and Chrystal are
first-time business owners themselves
but bring their extensive restaurant experience
to the table.
“We wanted the neighborhood to
have one bar that you can go to that
you can get a really good cocktail, watch
a sports game, and try any number of
the dishes that we have, and just a fun,
laid-back atmosphere and a good time,”
O’Sullivan said.
The bar is named after an interesting
piece of Astoria history — the River
Crest Sanitarium, which was located
on Ditmars Boulevard and 26th Street
from 1896 to 1962, when it was demolished.
The ramp and gatepost that led
to the sanitarium’s rear entrance still exist
today on 26th Street, but the ramp
now leads to a fenced-off dead end as
the land is currently home to St. John’s
Preparatory. The sanitarium tended to
those with chronic and mental illnesses,
but celebrities of the era and people
of affluent backgrounds often went
to River Crest as a retreat because of
the lavish property and sprawling landscape.
The bar pays homage to this interesting
piece of history with artwork,
like a glamorous woman with electroshock
wires adorned on her head, and
a bathroom that features a large vintage
advertisement for the sanitarium
across the wall above the sinks.
/BOROMAG.COM
