The Mansion Celebrates 80th Birthday with Weekend Shindig

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The Mansion, a beloved Upper East Side diner, bona fide institution, and an official ‘Historic Business’ recognized by New York State (since last year), celebrated its 80th birthday on Saturday afternoon with a party inside the restaurant.

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Though it’s usually bustling during weekends with hungry brunch enthusiasts and young families—especially during the summer—the vibe at 1634 York Avenue (at the corner of 86th Street) this past Saturday was decidedly more relaxed despite a healthy crowd of both regular diners and event schmoozers comingling throughout the space. Customers of legal drinking age were immediately handed a plastic flute of champagne upon entry and instructed to “sit wherever.”

“The most important thing is to have a good time today,” the hostess, who preferred to remain anonymous, told a friend and I. A fellow patron who was sipping on a glass of champagne mentioned that since he was born in Yorkville in the mid-1960s, he literally can’t recall a time in his life that doesn’t include memories of the restaurant.

The festivities were held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to the aforementioned champagne, the event included live music and a complimentary slice of birthday cake. And although Frank Sinatra (and Sinatra-esque) tunes were of course piping in through the speakers (it wouldn’t really feel like the Mansion if Ol’ Blue Eyes couldn’t be heard), the space was decked out with balloons and other shiny birthday party decorations to add to the festive ambience.

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“The Mansion was founded in 1945 by John Philips, an immigrant from Cyprus who married his German waitress from the Upper East Side,” the business wrote in one of its pinned Instagram posts. “The Mansion started as a lunch counter and expanded to a full-service restaurant, acquiring the storefront to the left and right of it. In the 50s, the building was purchased, and since then, The Mansion family has lived and resided on the corner of 86th Street. We are currently moving into our fourth generation of operating this business.”

In addition to the newer generation taking over the diner, East Side Feed had spoken to the current owner, John Phillips, back in March about his business’s newest venture: taking over a former convenient store he used to rent out and turning it into a spot called, simply, The Candy Store. Though it will still offer some convenient store staples like lotto tickets and, of course, candy, the new store will also include homemade gelato brought in from Queens, as well as some other more upscale frozen desserts and sweets.

Although there was no definitive opening date set for The Candy Store, which is around the corner at 501 East 86th Street, a representative for the restaurant tells us they’re aiming for mid-July.

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