Comments on: Liquor Licenses: The Trickle Up Theory

By: White Man in East Harlem

White Man in East Harlem — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:51:24 +0000

Sharon Quinn’s account of the NYPD revoking bodega liquor licenses sounds suspect to me. I don’t believe that’s the story.

What I would believe is that maybe these bodegas never had licenses to sell beer in the first place, but NYPD looked the other way for a long time? And now that more affluent people are moving in, people actually care about these kinds of things, and will complain about the laws not being enforced?

Just a theory… but yeah, NYPD can’t just tell a bodega owner they can’t sell beer anymore because the area is “undergoing an upgrade.” That would be ridiculous and the owner of the store should sue them if that’s what’s going on.

By: Vincent Raggs

Vincent Raggs — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:17:16 +0000

check out Raggs on 119th and park.
Undergoing a management and ownership transition currently,
but still open with cold beer and cocktails.

Forget the rumors or what you think you know in regards to this being a ‘cop bar’ , that was true ten years ago, now the number of off duty cops frequenting the place has dwindled significantly.
we have been getting an eclectic mix of ‘pilgrims’ slowly taking up stool time at the bar.

full disclosure: I am a bartender at this establishment

By: officer friendly

officer friendly — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:11:39 +0000

note to sharon quinn:
The NYPD has no right to revoke licenses in any way whatsoever.
Really.

By: illoquentgent

illoquentgent — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:15:33 +0000

hey hotness, a couple other spots you might wanna check out is perk’s on manhattan ave, billie’s black, melba’s (though that’s more restaurant than bar), moca on 8th ave n 119 is really cool…jus to add to your list.

By: theHotness Grrrl

theHotness Grrrl — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:27:33 +0000

I just blogged about this for Uptown and was sorta complaining by the lack of cool lounges and bars in Harlem. I never even thought that it was connected to a dearth of liquor licenses in the area. I guess all the churches makes it hard and that then would also explain why 12th Avenue (way out behind God’s back) is the new and upcoming hot ave:

http://blogs.uptownlife.net/nicolemoore/?p=3

By: illoquentgent

illoquentgent — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:20:23 +0000

I think it’s no secret that the liquor industry is crucial to nightlife in the city and Harlem should be no exception. Now that we are beginning to see an increase in eateries and bars/lounges it is important that the regulations don’t get too stringent as to strangle these startups. A case in point is Cafe Largo. I had not been going there as frequently as I had wanted because I honestly couldn’t sit and have a beer with my friends. There are times when I cannot afford to eat out every weekend and I just want a couple drinks. I spoke to Stacy Calcano, one of the owners, about 2 months ago and she told they had just received they’re license to sell alcohol. That baffled me! You’re telling me that this restaurant which was already in operation before the renovations/expansions and is also co-owned by former police officer couldn’t get the liquor license in less than a year. It wreaked of unfairness. Without going into details about that situation, she told me that it was purely bureaucratic stonewalling. In the mean time their business suffered for almost an entire year which I can only imagine seriously affected the investors’ confidence.

I think the community definitely should have a voice and a very important part in the decision making process but not to the point where it begins to change the fundamental characteristics of the “city that never sleeps”. All within reason of course. I’m not voting for opening a bar across the street from a high school or anything like that. Restaurants need the ability to sell alcohol as much as they need a chef to make the food. It sustains the economic health of a business while customers are getting acquainted with a new business and formulating an opinion about the food.