Essex Street Residents Are Trying to Stop Fourth Bar from Opening

March 17, 2015 — The idea of heading to the local watering hole to unwind after a long day or an even longer week certainly has its appeal for many. But it's one thing to go to a bar, and quite another to live anywhere near one. Trust us, some of us know. Take Wednesday, for example, typically a work night for the 9-to-5 set. It's 11 p.m. and you're ready to tuck in for the night because you have to be up at 6 in the morning. Except that it's karaoke night at the bar across the street, that one guy is singing "Ice Ice Baby" for the millionth time, and the revolving door of smokers talking and laughing without a care in the world will carry on until 3 a.m. or so. A group of residents who live along the perimeter of Seward Park, who are reportedly part of the SPaCE block association, know all about living near bars. They live near three of them. Three bars located within two blocks. A proposal for a fourth establishment, a Mexican restaurant with a full liquor license and a 4 a.m. closing time, reports Bowery Boogie, has fueled the group to launch a grassroots campaign to stop it from opening. "Flyers were littered around the vicinity this weekend ahead of tonight’s Community Board 3 meeting of the SLA subcommittee. The message is simple — no more bars for Essex Street." This is why when you live near a bar it's a good idea to invest in a white noise machine.