May 1, 2011 was a “day of infamy” for our neighborhood. We lost one of our favorite treasures, O’Neill’s of Maspeth, to a fast moving fire that destroyed the site.
How sad! There is no one in our community who doesn’t have a fond memory of visiting the restaurant, enjoying the great food and camaraderie and having the opportunity to talk to the living “neighborhood treasure,” Georgie O’Neill.
We not only witnessed the ravaging loss of a legendary restaurant but various charities that the O’Neill’s supported in the community also lost a great friend.
Knowing the O’Neill’s, this is just a temporary interruption to a career of always giving back to the neighborhood. Remember, a building is just bricks and mortar and at the end of the day it’s the Great Spirit brought to the table, literally, by generous caring people, the O’Neill’s of Maspeth. That spirit is alive and well as noted in the following statement posted on their Facebook page –
“O’Neill’s would like to thank everyone for their kind words and support, now and throughout all the years we have been here. Although we are very sad about what happened, we are looking forward to coming back bigger and better than before. Thanks again for everything.”
We all eagerly await O’Neill’s “bigger and better than before,” day and the JPCA is ready with any help we can give to support that goal. Good luck to the O’Neill family, be well, and hurry back. You have a job waiting for you, continuing your role as one of our most beloved restaurants for 83 years and counting!
(Read the O’Neill’s story posted on www.junipercivic.com which was published in the March 2011 Juniper Berry)