From what I read earlier, the decibel limits in the ordinance are so low that every restaurant that is open, with or without music, will be in violation. Hence, enforcement will be selective. Business as usual, except now the city gets to collect new fees.

I'm glad other people picked up on the crime note.
The thought that this would lead to an increase is absurd.

How in the world would an increase in live music lead to an increase in crime? It will probably have the opposite effect. More vibrant streets lead to less crime.

Quote:

they've got a point. violin cases have been known to conceal machine guns.

Jersey City allowing late-night live music in restaurants in commercial districts

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012, 3:00 AM
By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal

Bar Majestic in Jersey City is planning three nights of live music.

Jersey City restaurants located in neighborhood commercial districts will now be allowed to have live music as late as 2 a.m. on weekends, thanks to an ordinance the City Council adopted this week.

Restaurants can host live music played until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 1 a.m. from Sundays to Thursdays. Previously, restaurants wanting live entertainment had to apply for zoning variances.

The news thrills local restaurateurs. Carmen Mendiola, owner of Hard Grove CafŽ on Grove Street, praised the council Wednesday night, saying the measure was ?too long in coming.?

Mendiola said she now hopes to host a live jazz combo or a piano player, which she hopes will attract customers headed elsewhere.

?A lot of people, they don?t have a place to sit down and have fun and listen to music,? she said. ?So what do they do? They hop on a train and go to Hoboken, they go to New York.?

Bar Majestic is already planning three nights of music on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, owner Joseph Castro said last night.

?It broadens our menu in what we can offer,? Castro said about bringing music to his establishment. ?People are hungry for it, for more entertainment. The ordinance held us back, but now we can make a viable option for nightlife, like a different Hoboken.?

The new regulations, adopted 7-0 by the council, are revisions to the city?s entertainment ordinance. The city pushed for the revisions in order to promote small businesses and create a ?vibrant? environment that attracts tourists, said city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill.

The handful of residents who spoke on the ordinance at Wednesday?s meeting were mostly in support, though two women said they fear an increase in crime as a result of permitting live entertainment well into the early-morning hours. The city does not believe that will happen, Morrill said.

?Certainly the city will monitor the implementation over the course of the next year and make modifications if necessary,? she said.

Two council members abstained from voting: Council President Peter Brennan, because he owns an entertainment license, and Ward C Councilwoman Nidia Lopez, because a family member may purchase one.

Journal staff writer Stephanie Musat contributed to this story.