Construction has begun on a new Korean restaurant at 67 Murray St. Its liquor license was debated at a recent community meeting.
BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC | Tribeca residents were as united as a Greek chorus last week in voicing concerns about the hours of operation for bars and restaurants, karaoke rooms and the congregation of (possibly) inebriated patrons outside of establishments and on their streets.
The tension started at the beginning of the crowded Tribeca Committee meeting, which focused mainly on liquor licenses, on Wed., Sept. 10 and didn’t stop. Tribeca residents vented frustration about past and present neighborhood joints — and were wary of new establishments.
First up was Sazon at 105 Reade St. Owner Genaro Morales wanted to add his wife’s name to their license, but the discussion quickly turned to noise and congregation complaints. Sazon’s neighbors have lodged several complaints since it opened in May of 2009.
“I have videos on my phone with the excessive noise that are dated,” said Frank Massino, who lives across the street from Sazon. When he calls to complain, he says, “they recognize the number, they don’t pick up the phone.”
“The weekends are punctuated by frequent disruption, noise and shouting, and we’ve even had fights there, which the police have been called to,” said another Reade St. resident Bob Moore. “The situation hasn’t materially changed over the year.”
Morales said that there was another bar nearby, Ward III, but Massino disputed that it was the source of the noise, and for a moment they talked over one another.
“There’s a bar next to us, that there’s people outside all the time. If you check you’re phone, you don’t have them on your phone, do you?” Morales asked Massino.
“We need to see some improvements,” said Noah Pfefferblit, the community board’s district manager. The issue of when Sazon was closing their windows was also brought up. Sazon’s liquor license has a stipulation written by C.B. 1 requiring the windows to be closed by 7 p.m.
The Sazon owners stressed that there are signs outside to encourage courteous behavior towards the neighbors.
“We cannot keep our windows open on a nice night because of the noise,” said Massino. “On evenings when Sazon is closed the street changes. Period.”
In the end, C.B. 1’s Tribeca Committee recommended approving the name addition to the license. Morales tried to make amends by giving Massino his business card.
Next, was Joseph Crotty, who was applying for a liquor license for an upscale Irish bar on 20 Warren St., which used to house the club 20/20. He said he wanted to keep the pub open until 2 a.m. during the week and 3 a.m. during the weekend to cater to late-shift workers such as nurses and cops.
For side streets, the committee said, the closing hours should be midnight during the week and 1 a.m. on weekends.
Crotty said that there will be no problems and asked several times for later hours. Each time a chorus of a resounding “no” was heard from the Tribeca residents at the meeting.
“I wouldn’t have signed a lease if I knew there were such restrictions,” said Crotty.
“I live at 25 Murray and our windows are on Warren,” said Michael Steinberg, who doesn’t want be in the same situation as Sazon’s neighbors. “We can ease into it and see what happens.”
“It was a zoo every night,” said David Weiss, referring to 20/20. “To have this to happen all over again is just terrifying.”
Crotty got the closing hours of midnight and 1 a.m., but the hours can be revisited six months from the bar’s opening. Community board resolutions are advisory, but the State Liquor Authority does consider them before making decisions on licenses.
Haus owner Paul Horowitz wanted an extension of hours: noon on Sat. and Sun. for brunch, and Tues. and Wed. until 4 a.m. instead of 2 a.m.
“We’re been keeping a very tight ship,” said Horowitz. “We’re trying to be good citizens in the neighborhood.”
Haus has only been opened for three months in the former Canal Room space at 285 W. Broadway. Although there have been no complaints so far, there was another issue: dancing.
“My problem — and you know it I think — is what you told us initially is there would not be dancing, but that you wanted a cabaret license in case someone was moved by the music and got up and danced,” said committee member Jeff Ehrlich. “The articles you sent me that praised your place, called it a dance palace.”
“We do not have a designated dance floor,” said Horowitz, who may apply for a cabaret license.
“What you told was one thing, what you’ve been doing is something else,” said Ehrlich.
“We’re having a hard time. It’s really hard to make money,” said Horowitz, referring to the high rent in Tribeca and operating costs.
The committee approved earlier hours for brunch, but said Horowitz would have to come back later for an extension of the late hours.
For over 45 minutes, the liquor license for a new Korean BBQ restaurant that will inhabit the former space of Lilly O’Brien’s and Bradys Tavern at 67 Murray St. was discussed.
The 74-seat venue will have tables that will allow patrons to cook their own meat, a bar and seven karaoke rooms in the cellar. One of owners, Andy Lau, also co-owns BonChon Chicken at 104 John St. and lives on that street as well.
Committee member Adam Malitz spoke to the character of the owners and praised BonChon.
Initially asking for 3 a.m., the partners of the new venture acquiesced to midnight and 1 a.m. with the provision that different closing hours could be on the table at a later time.
Dennis Spates, who has lived at 67 Murray St. for 22 years, was asked by his neighbors at 67, 69, and 71 Murray St. to speak on their behalf.
“We had a horrendous experience with Bradys Tavern and then with Lilly O’Brien’s,” said Spates. “I welcome the new restaurant and hopefully you’ll be good neighbors. We hope that you’ll beautify that space that has been an eyesore for a long time.”
With 14 liquor licenses on Murray St. from Broadway to Greenwich St., Spates said the street “gradually and alarmingly, it’s become Bourbon St.”
Spates listed concerns about the karaoke rooms, the hours, the smoke exhaust that may emanate from the restaurant, the signage, the maintenance of the sidewalk and the noise.
“When Bradys and Lilly O’Brien’s had their musical events, the building shook,” he said.
Tamara Downey, who lives at 71 Murray St., brought five letters from her neighbors who are worried about late closing times and the exhaust that will be expelled.
Construction has begun on the restaurant, which is slated to open in March. The owners said the karaoke rooms will be soundproof and that they — not the patrons — will have control of the volume.
“We never had anyone come in with seven karaoke machines. It’s a completely unique situation,” said committee member Marc Ameruso. “I don’t see how I can vote in favor of this without having more substantial information in how these machines are going to affect — not your customers — the neighbors.”
Lau has been before C.B. 1 before and said applying for a liquor license for BonChon in the Financial District had been easier. “It was a different experience,” said Lau later in a phone interview.
Because Tribeca has the most active nightlife of the Board 1 neighborhoods, its committee tends to scrutinize liquor licenses more skeptically.
Ultimately, the Tribeca Committee wanted a lot more information about the designs of the karaoke rooms and the restaurant itself, and the owners will come back to the next meeting.
“It’s a flood that you can’t stop,” said Bob Townley, a committee member. “I’m not optimistic about the streets of Tribeca. Who owns the space? Capitalism.”
