Browsing this Thread:
1 Anonymous Users
Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
 
|
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.
Posted on: 2012/1/27 9:48
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
they've got a point. violin cases have been known to conceal machine guns.
Posted on: 2012/1/27 9:56
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
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.
Posted on: 2012/1/27 9:58
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
I'm glad other people picked up on the crime note.
The thought that this would lead to an increase is absurd.
Posted on: 2012/1/27 11:44
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
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.
Posted on: 2012/1/27 12:45
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
I can see the up tick in crime. As a professional musician I've seen many of my colleagues abuse narcotics and alcohol. Harass women. Double park to load and unload gear. Public urination.
But hey we always provide a good time.
Posted on: 2012/1/27 12:53
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
I have heard bands so bad they made me want to destroy stuff.
Posted on: 2012/1/27 12:55
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Just can't stay away
|
Its about time, Kudos to the council!!!
Posted on: 2012/1/27 14:54
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
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 Welcome (tourists) to Jersey City New Jersey! Robbers grab Jersey City teen by neck, take $400 in items: police http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... rab_jersey_city_teen.html ********* Jersey City man tries to grab gun from robber before chasing him in car: police report http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... y_man_tries_to_wrest.html ********** Four assault, shoot at Jersey City man to steal his boots: cops http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... lt_shoot_at_jersey_c.html *********** Robbers ask St. Peter's College student for time, then snatch cell phone: cops http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... sk_st_peters_college.html *********** (yes crime happens in DTJC too) 2 Jersey City men charged with early morning robbery, cops said http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... se_pair_who_allegedl.html All from today .. www.nj.com
Posted on: 2012/1/27 15:07
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
I don't get it - what is your motivation behind posting this?
Do you have a vested interest in preventing more people from visiting Jersey City? Or on the contrary, do you wish more people visited Jersey City, and are blaming the level of crime we have? It's unclear whether you're being cynical or not. Quote:
Posted on: 2012/1/27 16:05
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Not too shy to talk
 
|
I love some live jazz and piano, but I wonder if any current places (or even new ones?) are going to embrace or be able to host local or touring bands.
Then again, Automata Chino didn't last too long. Anyone know what killed that place?
Posted on: 2012/1/27 16:14
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
What is the "neighborhood commercial districts"?
Is it newark ave, grove st, Journal Sq, Central ave, Bergan ave or is it anywhere there is already a restaurant?
Posted on: 2012/1/27 16:38
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Ripple…Sorry but..you don’t find it bizarre that people are getting mugged and shot at 5:00 pm for cell phones, boots, and money ...and the city council passes an ordinance to allow live entertainment until 2:00 am in the morning to attract tourists???
These five events were reported on in ONE day. I wouldn’t let my closest enemies walk the streets of JC at 2:00 am!!! I’m all for live entertainment I particularly love live sax music. But JC City Council please sing a different tune and do something about the crime in JC first… it is out of control! Or are you setting us all up for a Titanic like exit.
Posted on: 2012/1/27 16:47
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
More music leads to more people on the sidewalks leads to safer streets.
In all my 7+ years here, I've never once felt afraid while walking around downtown, at all times of night, but I'm a relatively big guy and I'm pretty aware of my surroundings. Nor has anyone I know ever been mugged downtown, and I'm acquainted with a fairly large number of people. I know it happens, but this is very densely populated city and there will be incidents. So, I feel like your stated safety concerns are WAAAY overblown, and you either honestly feel this way or you have some sort of ulterior motive. Quote:
Posted on: 2012/1/27 17:23
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
I'm guessing the name.
Posted on: 2012/1/27 17:29
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Or you could move downtown.
Posted on: 2012/1/27 19:52
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Licensing, alcohol license.
Posted on: 2012/1/27 19:53
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Just can't stay away
|
 If any local restaurants are looking for musicians, bands or equipment, we know all 3. Been a long time coming. The noise restrictions definitely need to be enforced, but soundproofing isn't that hard, costs maybe a few thousand dollars, and I don't think the local bars are planning on booking Spinal Tap anytime soon anyway. Just having a pianist or guitarist playing in the corner will boost business for any restaurant. Don't hire your cousins kid just because he'll do it for free - you get what you pay for. Also give the musician a few months - building a reputation for providing good live music takes some time. It would be great if bars were judged by the quality of their music, not the number of their TVs. Mark.
Posted on: 2012/1/27 20:44
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
I love live music. But some places have no idea of what moderation is. A few years ago on one of our rare nights out my wife and I dropped into Hard Grove after hearing a live salsa band inside while walking by. It was INSANELY, VICIOUSLY loud! I mean, that's a small room, you don't need to amp the freakin drums and horns. There was no chance of talking to anyone without actually shouting in their ear. Remember, this isn't in a danceclub, it's in a restaurant! We simply couldn't stay long.
My sister used to hang out with the jazz musician crowd, and I learned one of the things that makes a musician a pro, even if he plays a horn or drums, is being able to play to the room, not always at full volume. I don't think there's a venue in JC besides the Loews that requires amping the drumkit and horns. They're designed to be loud, I guess most of us aren't old enough to remember big bands, but they played large dancehalls with little amping of anything but the vocals and guitar. Until musicians and proprietors learn that more isn't always better, the whole music thing will remain a problem, regardless of the law.
Posted on: 2012/1/28 12:16
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
i'm so glad they finally did this. after years of listening to neighbors next door and upstairs from bars worked at complain about the noise just from our in house stereo...enjoy!
Posted on: 2012/1/28 12:28
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
This could be a mixed blessing. Live music is great. Loud music is surely evidence of a lack of talent. If the caliber or art in downtown JC is any indication of the caliber of live music we'll get here then we can expect a lot of loud music. This will of course be followed by a lot of complaints by constituents.
I don't think the music will increase crime. But Ripple's naivety is glaring. I'm also a strongly built guy, but I have actually observed and once deterred an attempted mugging only a few steps away from me at approximately 7:30 pm on evening a few years back, on Jersey Ave between 5th and 6th. Of course as strongly built as I am, there isn't too much I can do with a gun waving in my face or the threat of a gun in my side or against several people assaulting me. More importantly there are a lot of people in town who aren't so strongly built who at least in theory may be targets to crime. There is crime downtown and through out all of JC, too much crime. We shouldn't ignore that as we enjoy a new outlet. Also, I don't know how many venues can accommodate both a full on band and enough patrons to drive liquor revenue. I guess we'll just have to just see what happens.
Posted on: 2012/1/28 14:16
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Why is a full on band so required anyway? I've seen amazing solo & duo acts. One of the high points of my musical life was seeing Davis Crosby in a Berkeley wooden church in 1980 playing solo, and some with just one friend accompanying (I remember a stunning 2 guitar acoustic jam on Wooden Ships). At one point he turned off the mikes, stuck his hands in his pockets and sang an acapella chantey. It was a mesmerizingly raw experience.
Posted on: 2012/1/28 15:35
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Just can't stay away
|
"Live music" doesn't automatically equal "120 decibel heavy metal band". If a restaurant wants to entertain customers trying to eat dinner, a solo guitar, jazz duo/trio, violinist, harpist, etc is what they'll do. The new ordinance doesn't make it mandatory that you have to have a rock band in your establishment until 2am. If the music is too loud, people won't eat there and they'll learn pretty fast. If the music is appropriate and GOOD, I bet they'll suddenly start selling a lot more desserts - there'll be a reason to stay longer!
Mark.
Posted on: 2012/1/28 15:49
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
This. The volume at Hard Grove is the one thing that gave me pause about this ordinance.
Posted on: 2012/1/28 16:51
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Could very well be a case of "give them an inch and they take a mile". I would hope that places like 9C Cafe, Hamilton Park Inn, White Star and the new PJ Ryan's would definitely not be allowed to have live music as they are way too close to residential properties. I'm sure there are other places that I haven't mentioned that are just too close to people's homes to ever be allowed to have live music. Remember, it's not just about the volume of music but the patrons spilling into the streets at closing time. These things should never be allowed near people's homes.
Posted on: 2012/1/28 22:36
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
If one doesn't like loud noises, they don't have to live near bars.
Posted on: 2012/1/28 22:48
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
That is the problem. Once you bring in amplified instruments as a horn player you feel you need some help. You always try to play to the room of course. But I'll be honest, around the 4th set its just getting through it. I think its a good idea, just the establishments will have to take precautions in soundproofing.
Posted on: 2012/1/28 23:38
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Posted on: 2012/1/29 10:53
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
Sadly, certain types of music does attract many people who are prone to violence. I think the Powerhouse had to stop hosting parties because there were TWO SEPARATE incidents where someone decided to fire a gun.
I hope there is a provision that a bar/restaurant's license for live music can be revoked if there are incidences of violence, ande hopefully, the city will ignore it when the owner says he/she is not responsible for the violence.
Posted on: 2012/1/29 16:43
|
|||
|
||||
Re: Late-night live music is now allowed in Bars & Restaurants |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home away from home
|
somehow, i doubt going to see a country or jazz trio or quartet would result in violence...bring on the noise.
Posted on: 2012/1/29 16:49
|
|||
|
||||