Playwright Tavern Celtic Pub

 bar, commercial building, Irish pub

4-story mercantile building originally completed as two separate structures in 1890. The larger, 4-story building is clad in beige brick with bright red-painted trim, and the 3-story building at the west end (now joined) is faced in bright-red cast-iron. The building is occupied by The Playwright Tavern (opened in 1995), except for the ground floor of the 4-story section, which has a separate storefront of black-painted iron, brick and glass, divided into many small, square panes.

On the east facade facing the avenue, the ground-floor storefront continues, and the 2nd floor has a set of five French doors flanked by paneled pilasters; transoms top each of the doors, all of which are painted red, along with the pilasters. A bronze-and-black signboard above the doors reads "PLAYWRIGHT RESTAURANT". A black iron balcony with decorative railing fronts the 2nd floor, and there is a projecting, vertical sign with red neon letters mounted at the north end, reading "PLAYWRIGHT TAVERN". The upper floors are obscured behind a billboard.

On the north facade of the 4-story section on 49th Street the upper floors have two main bays. At the 2nd & 3rd floors they have triple-windows opening onto small iron balconies. These also have transom and paneled side pilasters, with wall lanterns at the 2nd floor. All the trim is painted bright red, as is the brick at the base of the 2nd floor. The 3rd & 4th floors at the east bay are obscured by a sign mounted on the facade. The west bay at the 4th floor has a large opening outlined in red brick, filled in by 3-over-2 panels of red metal panels. A wide, bronze-and-black colored sign between the 2nd & 3rd floors reads "PLAYWRIGHT RESTAURANT", and a smaller sign between the 3rd & 4th floors at the west bay reads "PARTY ROOM AVAILABLE". Another wide sign above the 4th floor opening also reads "PLAYWRIGHT RESTAURANT". At the west end of the 4-story section is an entrance framed by fluted, red columns. Above the entrance is a vertical column of red-painted stone and brick, over which is mounted a vertical, projecting, black metal sign with red neon lettering reading "PLAYWRIGHT TAVERN". The 4-story facade is capped by a stone coping that steps up in places; the large sign at the east end extends up over the roof line.

The 3-story section at the west has another recessed entrance between fluted red columns; in between the two entrances are three narrow windows with ornamental round-arched tops, separated by slender columns. Both entrances are covered by rounded, black canvas canopies, above which are mounted projecting, green shamrock signs that read "CELTIC PUB". The lower two floors project out slightly from the rest of the facade. The 2nd floor has four double-windows that open from the middle-out, with transoms above, all framed in red. A red-bordered black signboard reading "THE PLAYWRIGHT" caps the projecting 2-story base. The 3rd floor has a band of four large windows, with a small glass door inserted in one of them, fronted by an iron railing. Fluted pilasters flank the 3rd floor, with three fluted brackets at the top carrying a red-bordered, black band across the top. A sign on the roof of the 3-story section has red neon lettering reading "PLAYWRIGHT RESTAURANT". The ground floor at the east end is occupied by Burger Man Food Court.