Sick of late-night noise and packs of drunks prowling the streets, residents in the East Village and Lower East Side are launching a campaign in the New Year to put the skids on the flood of bars opening in their neighborhoods.
After watching dozens of new watering holes spring up over the past two years, residents say they plan to sue the State Liquor Authority – which they charge has continued to hand out licenses in an area already oversaturated with night life.
“Something has to be done to stop the deluge of bars, but the SLA does not listen to us – so taking legal action may be the only way,” said Anna Sawaryn of the Coalition to Save the East Village and a St. Marks Place resident. “We want to get something done now before summer comes around again.”
Manhattan Community Board 3, which covers the Lower East Side, says it has been logging between 15 and 30 new applications a month for both full liquor licenses and restaurant licenses that allow beer and wine to be served.
But while residents object to many applications at community board meetings, they cannot legally force the SLA to turn them down, said Community Board 3 District Manager Martha Danziger.
Residents complain that although there are laws to stop the oversaturation of bars – including rules that say you cannot have more than three bars within 500 feet of each other or 200 feet from a school or church – establishments can easily get around them.
Residents also charge that existing bars put tables on the sidewalk and turn bars into clubs without a cabaret license.
The State Liquor Authority told The Post that it values local opinion – but says its rules are based on local economic interest.
“We listen to their recommendations, we certainly give them all due consideration,” said spokesman Mark Anderson. “Anytime we get a complaint, we turn it over to our enforcement bureau.”
The SLA could not provide any figures of how many complaints had been logged or the number of licenses it had given out over the past two years in the area.
State Sen. Martin Connor – whose office has received more and more complaints from residents – says legislation might be the only way to tighten the rules.
“It is an issue that needs to be dealt with,” Connor said. “Licenses are being granted too easily without a real regard for community input.”
And the problem does not stop at loud noise and drunks.
Residents say they have lost a wealth of small businesses as lucrative bars have forced rents to rise.
“We have lost almost all the small stores and bodegas in our neighborhood,” said community activist Susan Howard, who has lived on Norfolk Street for 20 years. “The bar gold-rush mentality has made us lose all our diversity.”
Veteran Lower East Side bar owner David McWater, who is also vice president of the New York Nightlife Association, says rents have skyrocketed over the past few years.
“Ten years ago, I paid $14 per square foot on Avenue A, five years ago, it was $30 per square foot, and now it’s $80. The economic reality means that some businesses have pushed out others.”
SALOON CENTRAL
New bars/restaurants since 1997:
Under St. Marks* – 94 St. Marks
Crooked Tree* – 110 St. Marks
Noa’s** – 122 St. Marks
Friends 2* – 132 St. Marks
Simone** – 134 1st Ave.
Crif Dogs* – 113 St. Marks
Stingy Lulu’s** – 121 St. Marks
*Operating with wine-restaurant licenses
**Operating with full liquor licenses