Kwanza Hall proposes extending bar hours to 4 am (Atlanta, Smyrna: live, mall)

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by aries4118

My proposal:

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: 4am

Wednesday, Thursday: 6am

Friday, Saturday: 8am



Special Afterhours Clubs...

Sunday-Tuesday: 'til 10:00am

Wednesday-Thursday: 'til 11:00am

Friday-Saturday: 'til 11:45am


For the City of Atlanta. These are max times. Bars can, of course, closer earlier if they'd like

So should the folks who live in the neighborhoods where these bars are located should have any say in the matter? Or is that up to non-residents who plan to drive in and carouse, and then drive back out?

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by arjay57

So should the folks who live in the neighborhoods where these bars are located should have any say in the matter? Or is that up to non-residents who plan to drive in and carouse, and then drive back out?

Only if residents treat other business that sell alcohol the same way

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by arjay57

So should the folks who live in the neighborhoods where these bars are located should have any say in the matter? Or is that up to non-residents who plan to drive in and carouse, and then drive back out?

Yes. Of course the folks in the neighborhoods should have a say.

I think hours should be determined by neighborhood/district--as someone mentioned earlier in the thread.


The hours I proposed above would be the maximum. Power should be on a by-neighborhood/district basis to determine if bars/other venues should close earlier.

[Hobgob]

There is no last call in the entire state of Alabama ( I am from Mobile). I have never seen a problem there because of it. Are we really going to let Birmingham and Mobile out do us? Come on now, I know surrounding cities like Decatur have later/no last calls but ATL needs to do better.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by aries4118

I think hours should be determined by neighborhood/district--as someone mentioned earlier in the thread.

Yeah, that was me. If the local folks want to stay open later they should have that right. Likewise if they don't it shouldn't be forced on them.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Last call is 2 am in Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Houston, Denver and many other cities that are considered lively and sophisticated. I can't understand why that's not sufficient for Atlanta. If you truly need a drink you can go to Underground, or, heaven forbid, go to a private residence and continue.

Or come OTP to one of the places which are currently open until 4am. We were just at one tonight, tho we left shortly after midnight.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by arjay57

The issue isn't about drinking per se.

A lot of people remember episodes like the chaos that erupted in Buckhead during 1999-2003 when bar hours were extended. There were huge problems with stabbings, shootings, drug dealing, late night mega cruising, unlicensed operations, trashing, etc. So they associate extended bar hours with that kind of idiocy and are concerned that it could happen again.

Maybe this stuff could be avoided the next time around. But those concerns are probably the major reason you get push-back on proposals to extend the bar hours.

Let's check our history here. The problems in Buckhead did not happen because of bars being open until 4 am. Unless I'm mistaken, and please correct me if so, bars were open until 4 am long before all the rap video imitating started in Buckhead and the problems prior to the '90s era violence were mostly limited to litter and noise, and perhaps the occaisional drunken fistfight and DUI (all of which can and do happen at all hours of the day).

[onemanarmy]

Originally Posted by JPD

Let's check our history here. The problems in Buckhead did not happen because of bars being open until 4 am. Unless I'm mistaken, and please correct me if so, bars were open until 4 am long before all the rap video imitating started in Buckhead and the problems prior to the '90s era violence were mostly limited to litter and noise, and perhaps the occaisional drunken fistfight and DUI (all of which can and do happen at all hours of the day).

Absolutely, the Buckhead problem was a LAND GRAB and nothing more, The City was more than happy to play along since they got something out of it too, potentially more tax revenue and they figured everyone would move to Underground (City owned), FAIL. Clubs just started popping up EVERYWHERE, Midtown became hip, Clairemont/Briarcliff, Chamblee Tucker, Buford Hwy, Jimmy Carter, OTP clubs popped up everywhere disrupting neighborhoods there.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by JPD

Let's check our history here. The problems in Buckhead did not happen because of bars being open until 4 am. Unless I'm mistaken, and please correct me if so, bars were open until 4 am long before all the rap video imitating started in Buckhead and the problems prior to the '90s era violence were mostly limited to litter and noise, and perhaps the occaisional drunken fistfight and DUI (all of which can and do happen at all hours of the day).

Whether the extended bar hours "caused" the chaos of the 1999-2003 era or not, you'll find a lot of local who believe they facilitated the wildness.

You're right that the 4 am closing rule had been in effect for years before that without causing major problems. However, for some reason the crowd suddenly turned violent and unruly around 1999. If there's evidence to show that the change had no connection with the late hours, I think you'd see a lot of the opposition go away.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by arjay57

If there's evidence to show that the change had no connection with the late hours, I think you'd see a lot of the opposition go away.

There IS evidence. And that is the fact that these problems did not exist for most of the time that 4 am was closing time.