Old tavern. New purpose.
How a family brought North Albany’s City Line Tavern back to life as a neighborhood breakfast & lunch spot.
Breathing new life into a neighborhood icon.
Hi, we’re Richard and Shelley Albright. In 2013 we decided to purchase the old City Line Tavern in North Albany and bring it back to life.
As we worked on the project, we learned the City Line was something of an icon in the neighborhood — William Kennedy even wrote about it in his book O Albany! Hearing those stories helped us understand how important it was to honor the rich history of North Albany.
So the building has a new purpose. We serve breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, and we hope that through fresh, delicious food we can keep the old stories and memories alive — and create some new ones with our community.
The City Line, then & now.
The City Line Tavern
A corner tavern on Broadway near the Albany city line becomes a fixture of North Albany life.
Written into Albany history
Author William Kennedy mentions the City Line in O Albany!, his celebrated portrait of the city.
A new chapter
Richard & Shelley Albright purchase the building and begin restoring it.
City Line Cafe & Deli
Fresh breakfast & lunch, delivery and catering — with a 4.8-star rating from our neighbors.