quote:

> Date:
> Tuesday, July 8, 2008
> Time:
> 6:30pm - 8:30pm
> Location:
> Westin Hotel @ Minetta Room
> Street:
> 270 W. 43rd Street
> City/Town:
> New York, NY
>
> View Map
> Contact Info Email:
> ryannewyork@gmail.com
> Description
> This Tuesday, you have a real opportunity to stand up for New York
> City nightlife, which has been increasingly under attack from a small
> group of residents. These groups are fighting to end the city's legacy
> as a global nightlife destination, attempting to allow fewer licenses
> to be issued, closing bars early, and even shutting down some venues.
>
> The historic Roxy nightclub is attempting to reopen, and their ability
> to obtain a liquor license may be blocked by Chelsea's fringe
> anti-nightlife activists. On Tuesday, you can attend Community Board
> Four's Business Licenses & Permits Meeting and ask the Board to
> preserve New York's outstanding nightlife.
>
> Roxy could practically be designated a landmark, defined in New York
> City as a structure at least thirty years old that possesses "...a
> special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or value
> as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of
> the city, state, or nation," according to the Landmarks Preservation
> Commission. Roxy first opened in the 1970s as a roller disco, and was
> known as the 'Studio 54 of roller rinks,' whose guest list included
> the 1980 US Mens Hockey Team, which had just won an Olympic Gold Medal
> for the United States. In 1982, Roxy transformed into one of the
> birthplaces of hip hop, showcasing hip hop pioneers as illustrious as
> Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash. My own memories are more
> recent; I was a regular attendee of Roxy Saturdays, the John
> Blair-sponsored gay night where icons like Madonna and Cher would
> occasionally perform. Even beyond its cultural and historical
> importance, though, Roxy was an absolute success story as a clubgoing
> destination; it remains a beloved fixture in New York's nightlife and
> has earned the right to reopen in the neighborhood that it has
> fostered for over thirty years.
>
> Beyond The Roxy's license problem, there is a disturbing trend first
> reported last April in The New York Sun. "In most parts of Manhattan,
> bar and club owners say, it has become nearly impossible to open new
> nightlife establishments that are permitted to serve alcohol until 4
> am." The "City That Never Sleeps" is under attack from those residents
> who move into neighborhoods that have been revitalized in large part
> by their vibrant nightlife, only to attempt gut that very nightlife
> and turn the neighborhoods into the equivalent of suburban bedroom
> communities. Unless we act now, we could see our 4am nightspots
> dwindle off. Make your voice heard Tuesday.
>
> This is more than a lifestyle concern; nightclubs and the businesses
> that serve them bring over $10 billion in economic activity to New
> York City and employ over 100,000 people. On Tuesday, tell the Board
> that failure to grant full liquor licenses will effect thousands of
> your friends and neighbors.
>
> The fight won't be over Tuesday, though: please mark your calendars
> for Wednesday, July 23rd, when the full board will meet to debate its
> final recommendation to the State Liquor Authority. We need hundreds
> of people, gay and otherwise, to come and show power in action. The
> anti-nightlife frenzy of Community Board Four is destroying the
> quality of life for thousands of people in our community. Let's
> exercise our democratic rights and reopen Roxy.
>
> I hope you'll join me at both meetings. Bring a friend. Bring five.
> The future of New York City nightlife is in your hands. And hey, we
> can all go out for some drinks afterwards. Hopefully we can find a
> place nearby still open.
>
> Meeting Details:
>
> Community Board 4, Business Licenses & Permits Meeting, Tuesday, July
> 8th @ 6:30PM at The Westin Hotel (270 W. 43rd St.) in The Minetta
> Room.
>
> Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008, 6:30 p.m, Roosevelt Hospital, 1000 Tenth
> Av. (b. 58th / 59th)
>
> Always,
>
> Ryan J. Davis
> ryannewyork@Gmail.com