Starting near the top of Manhattan is the Old Blue Bell Tavern. Built sometime between 1725 and 1730 as a simple home, this location grew into an inn serving travelers who were entering and leaving New York's city limits. Due to its luscious garden space the Old Blue Bell Tavern became well known for its music and puppet shows. One of the Blue Bell's most famous visitors was George Washington who stayed the night of November 22, 1783 to plan the evacuation of British Soldiers three days later. Over time, Blue Bell began losing its customers and saw various ownership changes. The tavern and inn stood for nearly two centuries until its dismantling in 1915.

Moving further down the island is the Buck Horn Tavern located at 22nd and Broadway. Established in the early 18th century by the Horn Family, this tavern was located in an idyllic green area of Manhattan and frequented by travelers visiting from upstate, Boston, and the northern Manhattan farms. As the city began to expand northward, Buck Horn Tavern became the official political meeting place for New York City's 12th Ward. Unfortunately, a fire broke out in the early hours of September 6, 1842, which destroyed the tavern and its attached stables.

As we make our way further south we come to the Gotham Inn. The history of the tavern is long and partially unsure. Believed to have been built in the mid-late 18th century, the property at 298 Bowery had many owners and uses over the years. Mainly a hotel, farmhouse, and tavern (but once illegally operating as a brothel), the inn was a place of rest and relaxation. In 1844, a volunteer firefighter named Henry B. Venn took ownership and renamed the business Gotham House. His business soon became the official meeting house for local firefighters. The Gotham House (or Inn) held a prosperous career until it was torn down in 1878 to make four-story row homes.

Moving towards the west side of Manhattan we arrive at the Stone Bridge Tavern, which stood just outside New York City's boundaries at Canal Street and Broadway. Little is known about this tavern except its namesake stone bridge was built during the Revolutionary War and most likely by British Soldiers. Between 1819 and 1819, the canal under the bridge was drained and paved over to create the Canal Street we all know today in order to support the expansion of the city.

Just a few blocks south of the Stone Bridge Tavern grew one of the city's most popular attractions of the 18th and 19th centuries: a pleasure garden. These luxurious spaces allowed revelers to enjoy co-ed company, alcoholic drinks, and the latest crazes such as ice cream. Contoit's Garden, located on Broadway between Franklin and Leonard Streets, would have provided its visitors a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of the ever-expanding city. By 1900, all pleasure gardens lost their favor with cheaper attractions readily available to the public such as Central Park, Brighton Beach, and Coney Island.

Moving across town we arrive at the Bulls Head Tavern which was located in the Bowery neighborhood between Bayard and Pump (now Canal) Streets. Built around 1750, the Bulls Head became the unofficial meeting place for the city's butchers, tradesmen, and ranchers due to the area's surrounding tanneries, slaughter houses, and livestock yards. Typically home to a rougher crowd engaging in bear baiting and gambling, the Bulls Head's status skyrocketed on November 25, 1783 when George Washington used the tavern as his official headquarters while gathering his troops for the final victory march of the American Revolution. As wealthy New Yorkers moved into the Bowery they pushed for the tavern, and its clientele, to be removed. Owner Henry Astor agreed to relocate to E 24th Street and 3rd Avenue. The Bulls Head stood there until it finally closed in the 1830s.

Our final stop takes us into the heart of the Financial District at the corner of Thames and Temple Streets, the latter of which no longer exists. Old Reynold's Beer House was a popular tavern by local politicians, merchants, and visiting Englishmen. Well known for its steak, the beer house operated by a man named William Reynolds, became a regular haunt for the city's leadership despite its relaxed and unassuming aesthetic. It is unknown when Old Reynold's Beer House officially closed.