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Club Diesel - Downcity

Dan

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Dan Hamlet

Dan

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Club Diesel may lose its liquor license and Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel may close.

Page 20, 21 of Downcity topics on Club Diesel.

Previous articles: (March 4-16)

http://www.pbn.com/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/119820

http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/9to5/a...board_to_c.html

http://www.projo.com/metro/content/projo-2...l.29ca76a6.html

http://www.projo.com/ri/providence/content...6.180586f7.html

Today's Providence Journal:

"State police Lt. Robert Mackisey was one of the officers who responded. He said it was a boisterous crowd.

For several months last year, state police patrolled Providence with city police officers to target high-crime areas.

The first time he saw the downtown closing-time crowd, Mackisey said, he was shocked.

"We don't usually deal with that number of people, with the state police," he said."

How can the police be expected to handle this volume of people at once?! This is a perfect example why the closing time should be amended to 4:00 so people may leave on their own within the two hours after alcohol service is stopped. I think this should be considered in the interest of public safety, not just keeping the peace.

Lupo's should be given the option to inherit the liquor license from Club Diesel if it is forced to close. I believe we were in agreement that Lupo's is important to the Providence music scene and should be saved. The club was always a part of Downcity since the roughest period in the city's history, and for it to disappear at a critical time in that neighborhood's revitalization would be tragic.

If this was a poll question, I would ask how to solve this problem.

Should Diesel lose its license? Should Lupo's destiny be determined by the Board of Licenses who are voting on Diesel? Should the city amend its closing time?

Is there a way to successfully balance nightlife and residential in Downcity? :unsure:

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jencoleslaw Town

jencoleslaw

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i've been seeing music in downtown providence for over 20 years and i don't remember any problems with crowds until recently. I always felt safe, even when i was 17 seeing shows at the Cage and the Rocket, and now, i go downtown mid-evening and feel vaguely uneasy passing the throngs in front of the clubs.

So, what's changed? Me? or the tenor of the crowds?

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CtownMikey Burg

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both have changed. But I still stick by what I feel is right. TRY and keep them open until 4 a.m. or re-locate the clubs to another area... make it a "club strip destination" with some transit options. The clubs should have some financial help with that. They were here before the condos and they are a huge part of Providence. JUST DONT TAKE AWAY THEIR LIQUOR LICENSE AND CLOSE THEM DOWN!

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Dan Hamlet

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I think allowing the city's biggest club to be all ages is just asking for trouble.

I just learned today that Diesel's capacity is lower than The Complex'. The problem, the club owners imply, is if you make "21+ to enter" the law the clubs won't survive. Clubs depend on alcohol sales and most of the people drinking are underaged college kids.

A 4:00 closing and last call at 2:00 is a good solution. Keep the clubs in Downcity! We already have a "club strip destination" on Allens Ave. with plenty of strippers. Let the dance clubs open up wherever they want. If you have laws that make sense, enforcement becomes easier and trouble spots can be addressed. Closing Diesel doesn't solve your problem.

Question: Will the club owners want to stay open an extra 2 hours while not making any money? :unsure: Could they sell enough $3 bottles of water to make it worthwhile?

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pete11 Whistle-Stop

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I just learned today that Diesel's capacity is lower than The Complex'. The problem, the club owners imply, is if you make "21+ to enter" the law the clubs won't survive. Clubs depend on alcohol sales and most of the people drinking are underaged college kids.

So their business model depends on underage drinking (I don't think thats entirely legal) and the City/State should allow this to happen so they stay in business?

Do you even read what you post, before you do so?

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jencoleslaw Town

jencoleslaw

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i think that staying open later is a hard sell. If the people who live down town (btw, i kind of see those folks as the equivalent of the airport complainers--dudes, don't move to downtown/the airport if you don't like nightclubs/airplanes! Duh!) But, i digress, if those folks are complaining about a 2am closing now, they aren't going to see the "wisdom" in letting the clubs stay open later, but simply making the bar close earlier.

and i think it is not a good defense of the club owners to imply that they have to be all ages so they can serve under aged kids and therefore stay in business. If that's what they're saying, the really need some new PR people.

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ctman987 Hamlet

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I was just in the city this past weekend (loved it..will get some pics up soon) and I cant beleive this whole situation that is happening with the clubs and the city. A nightlife is crucial to a city and something that a lot of suburbs cant offer in large porportions. For example here in Hartford there are tons of clubs, bars, etc in the downtown area that offer drinks and live music, many of which are located withing a three block radius- same story in New Haven. Highly successfull mixed use places like West Hartford Center are dead around 9:30pm after the dinner crowds leave yet downtowns are still hopping. The city needs to work with the clubs and downtowns new residents who are moving to the city for city life. Also considering Providence is such a big college town many of these clubs get a large number of college students who are actually staying in the city to do things (lure them in to stay after graduation!!!) as oppossed to hating the city or town there school is in.

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damus Burg

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I just learned today that Diesel's capacity is lower than The Complex'. The problem, the club owners imply, is if you make "21+ to enter" the law the clubs won't survive. Clubs depend on alcohol sales and most of the people drinking are underaged college kids.

A 4:00 closing and last call at 2:00 is a good solution. Keep the clubs in Downcity! We already have a "club strip destination" on Allens Ave. with plenty of strippers. Let the dance clubs open up wherever they want. If you have laws that make sense, enforcement becomes easier and trouble spots can be addressed. Closing Diesel doesn't solve your problem.

Question: Will the club owners want to stay open an extra 2 hours while not making any money? :unsure: Could they sell enough $3 bottles of water to make it worthwhile?

Maybe they can mandate any club that wants to serve drinks til 2 stays open til 4, and that those who don't stay open late can close at 1.

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Griswald Whistle-Stop

Griswald

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There is no reason for any of the clubs to close because of residents complaining. Yes, the clubs were there first, but even more important - why do people move downtown in the first place? To experience urban life - being in close proximity to everything, restaurants, theaters, bars & clubs, stores.... having people awake at 5 am going to work, and people awake at 2 am leaving bars - this is what living downtown is about. This is why Providence is making huge strides: building mixed-use urban communities where there is life at all times of day & night.

I agree with pushing the closing time to 3 or 4 am, it gives people a chance to leave when they want, rather than having everyone leave at the exact same time.

I think a more important problem is the transportation issue - think of all the people who leave the clubs and then get in their cars - what percentage of those people do you think are responsible designated drivers? Maybe 5, 10 % at best?? I know plenty of people who are over 21, who drive home after drinking at bars & clubs. I would love to see some solid public transportation for the late-night drinking crowd. I would gladly pay a few bucks to jump on a bus after leaving a club, rather than trusting a friend to drive me...

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brick Burg

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I agree with pushing the closing time to 3 or 4 am, it gives people a chance to leave when they want, rather than having everyone leave at the exact same time.

I think a more important problem is the transportation issue - think of all the people who leave the clubs and then get in their cars - what percentage of those people do you think are responsible designated drivers? Maybe 5, 10 % at best?? I know plenty of people who are over 21, who drive home after drinking at bars & clubs. I would love to see some solid public transportation for the late-night drinking crowd. I would gladly pay a few bucks to jump on a bus after leaving a club, rather than trusting a friend to drive me...

This seems like a pipe dream to me, unfortunately. Even Boston doesn't have decent PT for closing time. This has always been a real problem to me but I guess the economics don't work. Even a solid number of clubgoers is a relatively small crowd.

As for closing the clubs, I think this is pretty ridiculous. It is happening elsewhere where nightlife was keeping economic juices flowing in undesirable neighborhoods that have recently become vogue for urban yuppies. (for instance, the Old Port of Portland, ME or the Meat Packing District of NYC) We need a new term for a NIMBY who moves somewhere and then complains about the existing conditions.

Like many other things, though, I have to say that Providences problems in these areas do seem worse than other cities. I don't quite understand why. Why do Providence club-goers feel the need to shout at each other and honk their horns and vandalize things? I have been out to the wee hours in several NYC club areas, just about everywhere in Boston/Cambridge, Philadelphia, Chicago, etc. all of these places have what seems to be a similar demographic out partying, but many less problems afterward, especially considering the scale. Is it just that the Providence Police have ignored this problem for a long time and want to be able to continue to ignore it? I can't figure it out. It's the same thing with the graffiti problem and the panhandling problem. Why is (relatively) small sized Providence having huge issues with these problems while much larger cities don't. I just think there has been a long culture of lack of enforcement which is most probably the result of policy makers and not necessarily the blue uniforms on the street. but I think everyone needs to figure out how to make downCity a more attractive place for everyone, and cutting down on these "minor" problems seems like it should be doable.

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CtownMikey Burg

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So their business model depends on underage drinking (I don't think thats entirely legal) and the City/State should allow this to happen so they stay in business?

Do you even read what you post, before you do so?

Lupo said that his music venue would not survive (nothing to do with liquor). tons of high schoolers and 18-20 attend those shows. TONS. I used to and I never drank while I was there.

Same for diesel. Example: White Party, Sept 05', cover: $10 buying ticket in advance, $20 at door. OPEN TILL 4 AM, CAPACITY FULL. Diesel has about 6 or 7 of these 4am parties a year and they are fine.

That night was crazy fun and diesel was probably over capacity. So calculate 1000-1500 people and Diesel made about $20k in ticket sales alone. I know they pay the DJ and all of those other considerations, but the under 21 crowd is huge and vital... there should be no argument. I really think taking away such a great nightlife will affect our colleges and universities in Providence.

I say extend the curfew. Knowing RI'ers, they'll all probably stay until closing for a few months, but the hype will die down and it will be like any other 4am club, trickling down throughout the night, sobering up, going home.

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CtownMikey Burg

CtownMikey

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It's probably been said already somewhere in this thread, but what about the areas around this project? Is there any real effort to get rid of the strip clubs and the industrial areas surrounding the project site? How many people would buy an expensive waterfront condo if they also have views of Cheaters and oil tanks?

here is a great idea! Lets move our downtown clubs that are causing trouble to allens ave like the city really wants. Then lets wait for this project to be complete so they new residents can complain and the clubs can go back to court to only be kicked out again!

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Garris Town

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here is a great idea! Lets move our downtown clubs that are causing trouble to allens ave like the city really wants. Then lets wait for this project to be complete so they new residents can complain and the clubs can go back to court to only be kicked out again!

This gave me a huge laugh, in large part because the same thing was on my mind last night as I was reading about the Piers...

For all the unfortunate aspects of delaying redoing the city's zoning, your example could be seen as a pristine example of why comprehensive urban neighborhood planning should happen first before zoning. As Jencoleslaw points out, that area isn't zoned for much of Providence Piers plans. And you're right, Mikey, that some in the city see Allens Ave as the perfect place for a club district. Those two might not go together very well.

I'm not very familiar with the Providence club scene, so I could be off here, but this is what I'd like to see...

- Let Providence Piers go through... Redo Allen's Ave over 10-15 years to create a waterfront harbor type of district stretching from the end of the JD/future 195 land South...

- Clubs say downtown, perhaps even more concentrated than they are now. Change closing time policies and work with different policing/enforcing models. My question for the club folks here is the following - Is downtown big enough for a more concentrated club scene? If so, where should it be? Is Washington the best place, or closer to the zone between the JD and downtown? Do we want the "connector" between the JD and downtown to be a club district? I personally don't think so...

- JD/195 land: A mix of residential, commerical, and academic, with Brown and J&W occupying the majority of the land along an edge of mid-range height commerical towers closer to the core. There should be a strong retail district at Chestnut Square...

Comments?

- Garris

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CtownMikey Burg

CtownMikey

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in response to Garris' post from the Conley Warf thread just so we dont go off topic there..

Clubs SHOULD stay downtown. They are within walking distance for many college students which is great in terms of safety , not to mention again how I feel it must be a great selling point for our 3 major educational institutions in PVD. Although I feel the majority of clubbers are RI residents and that is why it is soo rowdy ;), but downtown has great potential for increased nightlife (more clubs, longer hours) for the 18-25 crowd to be a popular, fun, as well as safe and responsible place to enjoy your college and post college years.

I'm just curious if anyone's opinion would be different if they were a bit younger and a frequent clubber (not to ask anyones age). When I think of Providence, I think of clubbing, partying, eating, and shopping. I'd hate for some of those to be taken away and just limit my experience to the indoor shopping mall. Not to mention it is a lot tougher being gay, and having Diesel as the only comparable club to MiraBar being closed down.

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

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Is Washington the best place, or closer to the zone between the JD and downtown? Do we want the "connector" between the JD and downtown to be a club district? I personally don't think so...

A club district need not be a dead zone during the day, look at Ste. Catherine's in Montreal. Mix in retail such as clothing and music stores, some cafes and late night restaurants... even the clubs could be restaurants by day. I think the current Richmond Street area is really the best place for clubs. Boost the retail so that the area isn't dead during the day. Make the residential be mid-level rental (not high-end condos). People will live there if it's cheap enough for the clubs, not in spite of them.

Richmond also serves to connect entertainment districts from Washington and Empire through to the Jewelry District and Corliss Landing to the future Providence Piers.

Like it or not, I see Providence Piers being much more ye olde and family oriented. Sort of a Newport-in-the-city. In that mix I can see limited nightlife, but not all-ages rock clubs. Also, I see space for artists to settle and work in marginal areas that won't be attractive for development.

Washington and Westminster I see as the hip trendy 25+ cosmo drinking crowd (that'd be me by the way). Look at tazza and Black Rep, that's the direction that area wants to go in. I see room for Lupo's in that mix, but not Deisel, at least not as an all-ages club.

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jencoleslaw Town

jencoleslaw

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i was absolutely a frequent clubber back in the day--the cage and the no name for dancing, The Rocket, The Met, The Living Room and Lupos (plus the smaller bars/clubs) for rock music and that was at a time when there was almost NOTHING downtown (and westminster st was a pedestrian mall) so it was a ghost town except for the rock clubs, but it was always pretty quiet at closing time--i sure don't remember the craziness that seems to happen now.

Now, there's all this other stuff downtown and yet it is less safe, or at least perceived as less safe. I really think the all ages-ness to the dance clubs has a lot to do with it. I had a zoning meeting run REALLY late (for me--i'm so old now) one tuesday night and i walked by diesel around 11 pm heading back up to Empire street where my car was, and i had a bunch of kids (teen thugs) kind of fall into step behind me, about 6 paces and they were making all kinds of threatening noise and talking about me loud enough for me to hear and while don't scare easily, i was rattled and uncomfortable. And if that is what the clubs are bringing to downtown, then i don't blame anyone for wanting something done about it. Because if at 11 pm, folks feel threatened by the crowds outside of diesel, then it won't just be the well behaved nightclubs that suffer, but the theatres, and restaurants.

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