Neighbors pay homage to The Old Pink following fire, demolition
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Teary eyes surrounded the demolition site of The Old Pink, which has been a popular bar in Allentown for over three decades. The bar was destroyed in a fire early Monday morning.
Hundreds of neighbors gathered at the corner of Allen and Mariner Streets for a candlelight vigil Monday night to cherish and remember the bar.
Neighbors brought with them electric candles, flashlights, flowers and stories to read aloud to the crowd and reminisce on great times, using the time to say goodbye to what they call an “old friend.”
“I have been going here for a long time,” Andrea Moore, a regular at The Old Pink, said. “I’ve bartended on this street. It’s a really special place for me. Like, I have a picture of it hanging in my house. It’s the background on my phone. It’s a really important place. I met a lot of people here.”
The mood was somber even earlier in the day, as demolition of The Old Pink began around 2 p.m. after officials confirmed that the building could not be saved and that it was too far gone.
A temporary altar was also made to remember the establishment, which opened its doors as its current iteration in 1990.
From living across the street to your first steak sandwich, regulars said all were welcome at The Old Pink.
“My mom came here and she told me, ‘I’m going to buy you your first steak sandwich,’ and when I came to her with one of those mother-son issues, like I need that motherly advice, we went and got my first steak sandwich,” David Saunders said.
Other neighbors said 223 Allen St. will never be the same.
“I literally lived right across the street, I could throw a rock at The Pink every morning, and it just became a part of our life, like it’s a place where it doesn’t matter who you are, you fit in,” Anthony DiBlasio said.
To remember the building forever, people also took bricks home as keepsakes.
To help owner Molly Brinkworth and her staff navigate this hardship, the community also started a GoFundMe, which has reached just over $13,000.
The next steps for The Old Pink are not known, but neighbors said they hope it will eventually be rebuilt because as they say, it is a staple of Buffalo.
Latest Local News
Lewiston man claims Niagara Falls industrial plant produced radioactive waste that resulted in wife’s death
Graphic designers create t-shirts to remember The Old Pink
Cobblestone District fire causes $1.1M in damage
FeedMore WNY delivers meals, checks on residents in Niagara County during intense heat
Jamestown woman sentenced to nine years for involvement in drug trafficking ring
Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
