You Go, Bubble Lounge
Like Spider-Man, those with Gawker Comments posting abilities must realize that with great power comes great responsibility. And also reminds me that I can sometimes act like a jackass.
On Tuesday, Gawker posted about how four TriBeCa bars are in danger of losing their liquor licenses because a local yuppie couple is trying to leverage a law with the State Liquor Authority that the bars are within 200 feet of a mosque. While the mosque could care less, Janna Townsend (one of the pair) is quoted as saying in the New York Sun that she wants "this to be about quality of life in a neighborhood that is mixed use. There are businesses here and residents here. There needs to be a balance of uses. Those of us that need to sleep here should be able to sleep here."
Pretty lame. I commented in response to the post that "can we just sacrifice the Bubble Lounge to the yuppies to appease them? It's not like it's a good bar anyways..."
And then I got an e-mail from one of the owners:
The above warms the cockles of my dark black heart. This isn't about the bars (and the livelihoods of the people who earn a living there), this is about a lame couple trying to re-arrange the neighborhood to their own whims. Here's to hoping the Bubble Lounge -- and its brethren -- weather this one out.
From: XXX@aol.com
To: cfaile@gmail.com
Date: Mar 7, 2006 6:55 PM
Subject: Bubble Lounge-To be, or not to be?
Hi Chris!
My name is Eric Benn, I'm one of the
two owners of The Bubble Lounge NY and SF. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry
you feel that way about the Bubble Lounge and hope we didn't offended or
disappoint you if and when you visited us.
Either way, we would
certainly sacrifice the Bubble Lounge, which is only 192 feet from the mosque's
door (8'1" too close), if it could guarantee that all other four establishments
would remain in business. And the problem isn't even the mosque, it's our
post-prohibition paranoid laws and the unconstitutional violation of the
separation of church and state.
Imagine the battle ahead!
All
the best,
Eric Benn
Co-Owner
The Bubble Lounge
2 comments:
that's cool of them to reach out to you like that.
The Bubble Lounge has been around for a while (over ten years I believe?) and has helped shape the neighborhood, so Ms Nutcase/Townsend's arguments are all wrong. Good for her for liking where she lives but she obviously didn't do her homework..
Tanja
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