P. J. Clarke's

The story

A 47-story skyscraper was built around P. J. Clarke's rather than through it. The saloon at 915 Third Avenue dates to 1884, making it one of New York's oldest continuously operating restaurants. Patrick J. Clarke, an Irish immigrant, was hired by a Mr. Duneen in the early 1900s and eventually bought the place outright, giving it his name. The Lavezzo brothers later sold the building for $1.5 million and signed a 99-year lease, ensuring the low-slung holdout would outlast its towering neighbor. The Cadillac hamburger remains its calling card.