Bourbon St. meets St. Mark’s

In the French Quarter of New Orleans, one can drink alcohol in public from plastic “go cups.” Now in the East Village, at least in front of E La Nave Va restaurant on St. Mark’s Pl., young revelers can also be spotted drinking alcohol in public — but from glass beer bottles and martini glasses — a side effect of Mayor Bloomberg’s new anti-smoking law. The photo at right was taken last Thursday night in front of the restaurant, and resembles one taken on June 7 that also showed drinkers from the restaurant overflowing the sidewalk. When the June 7 photo was raised at a recent Community Board 3 State Liquor Authority meeting, one bar owner reportedly contended it was because a movie was filming on the block that night. Told of that comment, John Penley, who had spotted the booze-quaffing crowd outside and pointed it out to photographer Bob Arihood, responded: “There were no cameras out there. That’s [nonsense].”