Restaurants And Bars Score a Friend in City Hall

As of 10 p.m. Tuesday night, a new city agency exists solely dedicated to partying. Mayor Bill de Blasio officially signed the Office of Nightlife into existence at a showy press conference — Ramones drummer Marky Ramone was in attendance — at the House of Yes in Bushwick, the Post reports.

The Office of Nightlife was formed to help navigate concerns between residents, bars, and restaurants, as well as serve as advocates on behalf of restaurants and clubs in regard to permitting and other regulations. It’s been a long time coming, with Bushwick and East New York councilman Rafael Espinal advocating for the bill for months.

An immediate objective of the office is to tackle the outdated cabaret law, a holdover from 1926 that only allows dancing in venues that carry a difficult-to-obtain cabaret license. Approximately 100 venues in all of New York City possess one. Last week, De Blasio office representative Lindsay Greene told Brooklyn Eagle, “We feel there are better ways than the current Cabaret Law to create a strong and healthy nightlife economy while also ensuring the safety and security of everyone participating in that economy.”

The director position to head this office may be NYC’s hottest new job with a salary of around $130,000. That person will lead a 12-person advisory board to help businesses with permitting, review neighborhood complaints, and more.

• De Blasio’s newest city agency: Office of Nightlife [NYP]
• New City Office Would Help Keep Bars Open [ENY]
• De Blasio Admin: Racist, homophobic anti-dancing law has got to go [Brooklyn Eagle]