Ear Inn at The James Brown House

A designated landmark of New York City, the James Brown House was first built for its namesake, a black man who served as an aide to George Washington during the Revolution. Throughout the centuries since, the building has been used as a dining room, bar, smuggler’s den, boarding house, brothel, and Prohibition speakeasy. Today it is home to the Ear Inn, a popular bar named after the music magazine which was published on the building’s upper floor in the ‘70s. Patrons of The Ear say that they have seen many ghosts here, most commonly the apparition of a sailor named Mickey.