Nightlife Advisory Board Report Summer 2021

In the Summer of 2021, the Nightlife Advisory Board issued its primary report, but opted to offer no specific recommendations as to revision of the zoning related to dancing, no position on the practice of prohibiting cover charges for live music in Use Group 6, and no mention of the overreaching regulation by the State Liquor Authority in collaboration with Community Boards.

Office of Nightlife

The Office of Nightlife, at the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, is a liaison for New York City’s nightlife industry and community to all City agencies and was established in 2017 when the Cabaret Law was repealed.

“Cabaret Law Repeal lets New York City Dance – as long as you’re zoned for it” – news article 11/29/2017

Journalist Derek Evers wrote this article at the time the Cabaret Law was repealed in November 2017 – pointing out the relative meaningless of the repeal, the dancing ban in many districts under the Zoning Resolution, and the dancing restrictions imposed by the State Liquor Authority. The accompanying photo shows City politicians patting backs on the repeal, which was followed by five years of failure to address the real issues.

Sugarman Presentation to Nightlife Advisory Board V. 3

Concurrent with repeal of the Cabaret Law, the City Council established a new Nightlife Office and provided for a Nightlife Advisory Board. The board held hearings. On March 13, 2019 Alan Sugarman presented a comprehensive PowerPoint, shown here in a post-hearing edited version.