Haunted places guide · Greenwich Village, New York City

One if by Land, Two if by Sea: The Ghosts of a West Village Restaurant

Plates fly, earrings come loose at the bar and a woman in black walks the stairs. Staff at this candlelit West Village restaurant say they share it with as many as twenty ghosts, and many of the stories lead back to Aaron Burr.

By The Haunted Rooms Team · Updated November 2026 · How we rate places

3.2/5Haunted Rooms Score
1767Carriage house built
1973Restaurant opened

Our nearest ghost hunt: Mid Orange CorrectionalMeet the ghosts

One if by Land, Two if by Sea is a romantic restaurant on Barrow Street in the West Village, famous for proposals, anniversaries and its candlelit dining rooms with a fireplace and a grand piano. It occupies what the restaurant describes as a landmarked carriage house built in 1767, and it opened in 1973.

It is also one of the city’s best-known haunted restaurants. Staff and managers have described a string of strange events over the years, and local tradition ties the building, and its ghosts, to Aaron Burr and his daughter Theodosia. Here is what is known about the building, what the staff say, and where the legend outruns the record.

One if by Land at a glance

3.2/5
Haunted Rooms Score
Haunted reputation4
History3
Ghost hunter access2
Open to the public
  • Address 17 Barrow Street, New York, NY 10014 (West Village)
  • Building A landmarked carriage house the restaurant dates to 1767
  • Restaurant opened 1973
  • Open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 PM
  • Most haunted spots The staircase, the bar and the upstairs dining room
  • Reported ghosts Aaron Burr, Theodosia Burr, a woman in black, many unnamed others
  • Ghost events Candlelit Halloween dinners; no ghost hunts

Our nearest ghost hunt: Mid Orange Correctional Visit / tours

History of the building

The restaurant says its home is a carriage house built in 1767, when Greenwich Village was still a country village north of the city. It stands on Barrow Street among the Village’s crooked old streets, and the building is protected as part of the neighborhood’s landmark district.

Local tradition says the carriage house once belonged to Aaron Burr, the third vice president of the United States, who killed Alexander Hamilton in their 1804 duel. It is a popular story, repeated in many ghost guides, but we have not found a record that proves Burr owned or used this building, so treat the link as legend.

The restaurant itself opened in 1973 and takes its name from the signal in Longfellow’s poem about Paul Revere’s ride. It became one of New York’s classic special-occasion restaurants, regularly named among the most romantic in the city. Gieto Nicaj is the owner today.

Burr’s family history feeds the ghost stories. His beloved daughter Theodosia, married into a South Carolina family, sailed for New York in the winter of 1812 to 1813 to see him and was never seen again. Her ship was probably lost at sea, though legends of pirates and shipwreck survivors grew up around her disappearance.

The ghosts of One if by Land, Two if by Sea

Up to twenty ghosts

Untapped New York reports that staff describe as many as twenty ghosts in the building. General manager Rosanne Martino has spoken of flying plates and unexplained drafts, and staff tell of picture frames tilting, lights flickering and machines switching on by themselves.

Aaron Burr and Theodosia

The two most famous names are Burr and his daughter. Theodosia is blamed for a long-running story at the bar: women say their earrings have been pulled off by an unseen hand. The legend says she keeps the promise she made to visit her father. It is a touching tale, and entirely legend.

The woman in black

A woman in a dark dress is said to walk down the staircase. Staff tradition says she died after falling on the stairs. We found no record of such a death.

Pushing on the stairs

The best-known staff story is of a maitre d’ who quit after being shoved on the stairs night after night by unseen hands. Staff say the ghosts seem more like practical jokers than anything malicious, and that some have tried to appease them by setting a place for them.

Where to look

  • The staircase: where the woman in black is seen and staff say they have been pushed.
  • The bar: where women report their earrings being tugged off.
  • The dining rooms: lit by candles and the fireplace, where plates are said to fly.

Visiting One if by Land, Two if by Sea

The restaurant is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 PM, and reservations are strongly recommended, especially for weekends and special occasions. It is a fine dining restaurant, so plan for a long, celebratory meal.

There are no ghost tours or ghost hunts here. The closest thing is the restaurant’s candlelit Halloween dinner, advertised as a hauntingly romantic evening, when the bar is decorated for the season. The easiest way to hear the stories is simply to ask your server.

Barrow Street is in the heart of the West Village, a short walk from the Christopher Street station on the 1 train and from 14 West 10th Street, the so-called House of Death.

  • Visiting Restaurant, open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 PM
  • Ghost hunting None

Tips for your visit

  • Book a table near the fireplace for the full candlelit effect.
  • Ask the staff for their own stories; most have one.
  • Sit at the bar for a drink if you want to test the earring legend.
  • Book the Halloween dinner early.
  • Walk to 14 West 10th Street afterwards, about ten minutes away.

Go ghost hunting nearby

Visiting a haunted place by day is one thing. Investigating one after dark is another. On a Haunted Rooms ghost hunt our team takes you through a historic building with professional ghost hunting equipment, runs EVP sessions and vigils, and gives you time to explore on your own. These are the nearest ones we run.

See all New York ghost hunts

More haunted places nearby

Visited one of these places? Tell us what happened

We collect first-hand accounts from visitors and add the best ones to our guides, with your first name and the date of your visit. We read every story before it’s published.

Frequently asked questions

Is One if by Land, Two if by Sea haunted?

Staff say so. Managers and servers have described flying plates, drafts, tilting pictures and being pushed on the stairs, and they speak of up to twenty ghosts. These are staff accounts, not documented events.

Did Aaron Burr own One if by Land, Two if by Sea?

Tradition says the carriage house belonged to Burr, but we have not found a record that proves it. The restaurant itself dates the building to 1767.

Who is the ghost at the bar?

Legend blames Theodosia Burr, Aaron Burr’s daughter, who was lost at sea in 1813, for tugging at women’s earrings.

Can you do a ghost tour at One if by Land?

No. It is a restaurant. Book dinner and ask the staff for their stories, or come for the Halloween dinner.

How do I get there?

It is at 17 Barrow Street in the West Village, a short walk from the Christopher Street station on the 1 train.

Sources

Facts on this page are checked against the official website, historic records and news coverage. Ghost stories are reported as staff, visitors and investigators tell them, and we say where records contradict a story.

Get new haunted places guides by email

New guides, haunted places to visit and ghost hunt dates near you. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

About the authors

The Haunted Rooms Team runs public ghost hunts and overnight investigations at historic venues across the United States. We research every place in our guides using official sites, historic registers, local archives and news coverage, and we report ghost stories as the stories they are. We review each guide regularly so you are not sent to a place that has closed, changed hands or banned visitors. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.