The legislation was enacted in 1926, during the Harlem Renaissance, to prevent white and black people from dancing together. "There has been altogether too much running 'wild' in some of these night clubs," a City Council committee harrumphed at the time.
Over the years the law has been used to close clubs and bars deemed objectionable, especially during Mayor Rudy Giuliani's tenure in the 1990s. Today opponents say it is used to crack down on do-it-yourself clubs, and Muchmore said city officials sometimes deny club owners the liquor licenses they need to sustain a business if unauthorized dancing is uncovered.
Only about 100 businesses have a cabaret license in a city with about 25,000 restaurants and bars, according to city records. That suggests there's plenty of illegal dancing going on every night, but the de Blasio administration hasn't fined any clubs for violating the cabaret law for at least a year and a half.
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg tried to have the cabaret law abolished at least twice. A big reason it endures is that community boards worry that a repeal will mean more clubs playing loud music late at night with crowds spilling onto the streets. Such quality-of-life issues have caused City Council attorneys to drag their feet in drafting a bill, according to Espinal, who said he has been unable to introduce legislation abolishing the law. "There is major concern in regard to safety," he said.
7 comments:
City Hall is filled with corrupt self serving politicians who spend like drunken sailors, our infrastructure is on the verge of collapse, we have so many homeless people we don't know what to do with them, and our schools graduate students who can barely read and write. With all of these and many other major problems we are now supposed to turn our attention on whether or not it's ok to dance in a bar. It's all bread and circuses my friends.
As the Kinks Sang "Come Dancing".
Start fucking focusing on REAL quality of life issues, there are only about a thousand.
I agree that there are more serious problems in the city, but the cabaret law is beyond ridiculous and need to be annihilated. Only NIMBY's in certain parts of the city *cough*Greenwich Village*cough* would have a problem with that.
Absolutely needs to go. It's been strangling nightlife in this city since before I was old enough to drink. That it's remained unchanged decades later is astounding.
"Only about 100 businesses have a cabaret license"
Yeah some studios, some concert-rave joint in Maspeth and a couple mob occupied catering halls. The remaining 80% of them are strip clubs. Something has been very VERY wrong for a VERY LONG time. These city really needs to have Trump send the feds in. --perhaps the heat is on in racketeer city.
Remember the real reason this law was resuscitated back during "Guiliani Time", and it was to get rid of the stripper bars, with the exception of Flash Dancers by the Ed Sullivan Theater.
Right now the worst offenders of modern night life, meaning all these barsteraunts and fake speakeasies which are responsible for the majority of noise complaints rising 60% in the past 5 years would take advantage of the revocation of this rather stupid law. On the plus side, reopening strip joints will get a lot of subway gropers off the streets
Crappy, the article is not public. Maybe you should note that in a brief mention. Also, be careful, because sharing more than the public blurb may violate such a site's terms and conditions.
Post a Comment