CB2 To Nip Liquor Licenses in the Bud (Light)
Park Slope’s Union Hall isn’t the only bar experiencing backlash from neighbors tired of overhearing peoples’ drunk conversations. Community Board 2 District Manager Robert Perris told us his board plans to stop issuing new liquor licenses in certain areas where residents feel over-saturated with noisy bars. As a compromise, the board would suggest either a…
Park Slope’s Union Hall isn’t the only bar experiencing backlash from neighbors tired of overhearing peoples’ drunk conversations. Community Board 2 District Manager Robert Perris told us his board plans to stop issuing new liquor licenses in certain areas where residents feel over-saturated with noisy bars. As a compromise, the board would suggest either a beer and wine license or an early closing time. The two “over-saturation” examples Perris gave were Atlantic Avenue near Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights (Brazen Head, Floyd, Last Exit, Magnetic Field, Montero’s, Waterfront Ale House) and the intersection of Fulton Street and Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene (Frank’s Lounge, Moe’s, Stonehome Wine Bar). Perris said the focus right now would be on suggesting beer and wine licenses as an alternative. “The relationship is clearer that the alcohol is part of the dining experience and not sort of the focus by itself.” And if the applicant is absent at hearings, or otherwise “appears to us that they are intentionally or unintentially unwilling to have a conversation with us,” the community board may recommend that the state not approve the liquor license request as standard protocol. The board is expected to vote on the official protocol change tonight. Editor’s Note: To clarify, the above are measures that have been discussed, but nothing has been decided on. The issue will be discussed at the board meeting tonight.
Community Board Moving to Nuke Union Hall [Brownstoner]
Photo by Bryan Bruchman.
I have to jump in here. I live about Monteros and I LOVE the place. They are a real neighborhood place, and their patrons do not make too much noise. However, on my way home from work one evening at about 11PM I watched a man in front of Floyd bend over to pick something up off the floor and fall directly on his forehead in front of me. I almost tripped over him. The noise is head made when he hit the pavement was alarming, and his friends nearby laughed. This is the kind of prehistoric behavior that usually leads to upset neighbors, and the puking on doorsteps (which by the way NEVER with maybe the exception of New Year’s happens at Monteros) is just wrong. I have never really had a problem walking past MF or Chip Shop or Pete’s so I think we are talking about a particular population here. Finally, I just want to add that the law is different everywhere, but there IS a responsibility on the bartenders part NOT to serve already drunk people. I have had to cut drunk people off, and it is not fun, but BOTH parties have to be responsible.
Smoke more weeed!
To10:46 PM:
If you don’t own a bar how can you even understand or “mouth off” about what cutting out 3+ hours of business a night would do to us?
Regardless, Union Hall won the war last night, so that is that!!!
-Bar Owner
“those kill-joys … need to stop micromanaging others’ lives” — isn’t that what the City Charter and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law CHARGES them with doing?
Sorry @ 1:03, I couldn’t disagree more. As someone who was here when there were only a couple of bars, I can tell you that many people started flowing into these neighborhoods after the bars and restaurants started opening. Mind you, that hasn’t been great for me as I’m just about priced out at this point, and that doesn’t make me happy as someone who has been here well over a decade.
And to the other poster, shutting down the taps at midnight is completely unreasonable. Bars weren’t in business selling cigarettes before, so your analogy doesn’t work here. And please stop with this attitude that you care more about the neighborhood more than the people who frequent these bars or own them. Did you know the owners of Last Exit and Magnetic Field grew up in the neighborhood? They aren’t transplants, and they certainly can’t be accused by anyone who knows them of not caring about the quality of life in the area.
It sounds to me like you want all of the conveniences of the city without the drawbacks, one of which is noise from bars on commercial strips. It’s always strange to me that people choose to live an urban environment and then complain about the vagaries that come along with it.
I also live pretty much under the BQE in Williamsburg. My two bedroom apt is pretty much half what it should be. When I open my windows, there is a constant hum of cars that go by, and the trucks make alot more noise. Should I call 311 and see if they can shut down the BQE? I think the 10s of 1000s of people who use it everyday should be inconvenienced so i can get an extra 5 minutes of sleep.
I mean, i saw it before i moved in, but i had no idea what happened there!!
Having lived in that area of Brooklyn for many years, i can tell you that the betterment of the neighborhood did not come about because of bars. there were always lots of antique stores, some art galleries and great food places, with maybe one or 2 bars. those businesses, and the proximity to Manhattan and public transportation are what improved the neighborhood. Not the coming of the bars. As for telling someone to put up or shut up since they chose to live on a commercial strip- Atlantic Ave. is a commercial strip within a residential neighborhood (2 residential neighborhoods in fact.) It was residential first, and most of the businesses were geared toward residential services and goods. there were neighborhood bars but nightlife as it seems to have evolved today is an outcome of the neighborhoods improving, not the other way around.
when bars and nightclubs open in strictly commercial areas, then yes, they can improve it (or at least change it to a more citizen friendly area) but in places like the Heights and the Slope, trendy bars and restaurants were not the vanguard, they came after because they followed the more monied clientèle. And I guess it comes to what you really mean when you say “improved the neighborhood.” Loud music, loud people and drunks are not improvements in my book.
@ 5:29 – Why on earth would I lie about when I moved here? My recollection about when Last Exit opened and what might have been there before may be off by a year in either direction but what difference does that make? I don’t remember anything of note being in that spot when we moved in. Then again, it was 11 years ago. I’m pushing 40 so pardon me if my memory isn’t what it used to be. How does the exact date of when Last Exit opened matter at all? I have dinner in Pete’s once or twice a month and have for as long as I can remember. If they were ever across the street, I definitely don’t remember it. Maybe that’s because they were good neighbors and didn’t make a lot of noise? (as they still are and still don’t) The Last Exit space is pretty tiny and there’s no kitchen so if Pete’s was there I assume it was a bar-only and not a bar/restaurant as it currently is. So again, if it was just a bar, it was a pretty quiet bar that I never had any reason to pay attention to.
I have no wish for any of these places to be shut down and I’m glad Atlantic Ave is abuzz in ways we could only hope for when we bought this apartment. Any business that wants to be on this stretch of Atlantic is welcome with open arms IF they are willing to be good neighbors. If they don’t care about the people who live and work around them, then THEY should be the ones to leave, not those of us who think about people other than ourselves. All most of us want is a compromise between the “F-You” attitude some of these bars have and the “Shut them down” demands from the unreasonable fringe. We can all peacefully coexist if there are compromises but the residents can’t be the only ones who give in every time.
FWIW, I completely agree about the smoking ban being partially responsible. There were fewer reasons for drunken idiots to be outside screaming at each other when they could smoke at the bar. I disagree that stopping the tap from flowing at 12 or 1am would put these bars out of business. The same was said of the smoking ban, in fact, and clearly that didn’t happen. All that’s really needed, however, is for bar owners and bartenders to stop ignoring the issue and actually make an an effort to keep their customers from pissing off the neighbors.
As for Union Hall, I don’t live near it so I have no idea what’s going on there or what should be done about it. Unlike many of you, I won’t mouth off about issues that I don’t have specific knowledge of.
5:56, the bar owner has made 2 good points…UH has violated no laws and…..bars do help change a neighborhood for the better once it has hit bottom…8th avenue in Hell’s Kitchen is a great example as well. That said, Smiths is still the best over there.