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One If by Land, Two If by Sea
(Photo: Shanna Ravindra) |
Edgar Allan Poe
Il Buco, 47 Bond St., nr. Bowery; 212-533-1932
The wine cellar at 47 Bond Street may have inspired the author to write his classic story "The Cask of Amontillado," and the tale goes that Poe, who used to live on the second floor, still haunts the bar (and helps himself to the occasional drink).
Mark Twain
14 W. 10th St., nr. Fifth Ave.
This building is closed to the public, but perhaps that's for the best. Known as the "House of Death," more than 20 people have died inside, and some believe that a few of their ghosts still remain. Twain is the building's most famous former inhabitant, and though he died elsewhere, former residents have reported seeing his ghost, wearing a white suit and carrying a cat. One resident even claimed to have heard Twain's ghost speak, saying, "My name is Clemens, and I has a problem here I gotta settle."
Aaron Burr
One If by Land, Two If by Sea, 17 Barrow St., nr. Seventh Ave. South; 212-255-8649
Legend has it that some 20 ghosts inhabit this West Village restaurant, but the best-known rumored specter is Aaron Burr, the former vice president who famously shot Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Burr owned the building in its previous life as a carriage house, and the story goes that Burr and his daughter Theodosia still haunt patrons and staff.
Dylan Thomas
White Horse Tavern, 567 Hudson St., at 11th St.; 212-989-3956
Thomas frequented this West Village bar in life, and he maybe visits in death as well. The poet claimed to have downed 18 whiskeys in one night in 1953, and died several days later. After his death, employees would sometimes find a beer glass or shot glass on his favorite table, believing that Thomas's (always friendly) ghost had left them there after finishing a few more drinks. (His spirit apparently gets around: Several years back, a guest at the Chelsea Hotel claimed to have seen Thomas's head floating in midair in her room, his face grimacing at her in the middle of the night.)
Dorothy Parker
The Algonquin, 59 W. 44th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-840-6800
Some believe that Parker still returns to the hotel, famous for its literary Round Table, and a few years back, a psychic medium confirmed that something was going on. His evidence? "Intense" energy and "cold spots."