'Jimmy Breslin Way' Dedicated In Midtown Manhattan

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The street corner where the late Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Jimmy Breslin ate his lunch and filed his stories now bears his name.

City officials, members of the news media and Breslin's family gathered on 42nd street between Second and Third avenues to unveil a street sign reading "Jimmy Breslin Way." The block houses the Daily News building, the organization where Breslin worked the longest. During his storied career, Breslin also wrote for the Herald Tribune, Newsday and authored more than a dozen books.

When Breslin died in 2017 at the age of 88 the street was dubbed Jimmy Breslin Way on a temporary basis, but the city moved to make the honor permanent.

"It's important to remember that Jimmy Breslin had such a permanent impact on journalism in NYC to only fitting to be here today to honor with permanent tribute," local City Councilman Keith Powers said at a ceremony to unveil the honor.

"He was a New York Legend and a force who dedicated his life to use journalism as a means to accomplish a more just society."

It was at the Daily News, where Breslin worked for 18 years, that he won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary and the George Polk Award, two of journalism's most prestigious honors. Breslin's contemporaries in the news media spoke about the columnist's drive to uncover political corruption, police brutality and tell the stories of working class New Yorkers.

Breslin's sons Kevin and James praised the honor and hailed it as an important reminder of the value of journalism.

"This sign is a reminder that news is honest and real and people should never forget that and my father lived every day of his life for that," Kevin Breslin said.

Breslin was born Oct. 17, 1928, in Jamaica, Queens. His parents, he once said, were "a saint and an alcoholic." His mother, a substitute English teacher, worked for years as a case worker and then manager in the city's welfare agency. His father, the alcoholic, left the family when Jimmy was 6.

He went to John Adams High School and then spent some time at Long Island University before eventually dropping out since he was already working at The Long Island Press, covering cops and then sports.

Read Patch's full Jimmy Breslin obituary here.

Photo courtesy City Councilman Keith Powers