Night life already disrupts the city

July 22, 2008

I think it is unfortunate that some city leaders want to liberalize the rules regarding live entertainment in bars and restaurants when the city has shown that it can't adequately regulate the night life it already has or protect residents who live near such venues from noise, trash and occasional violence ("Night life focus of bill," July 21).

Let's not lose sight of the fact that these entertainment venues are often mixed into residential neighborhoods where residents have made substantial investment in their homes, and that the spillover from such venues is obnoxious to neighborhood residents, who often complain to no avail.

Consider, for instance, the plethora of clubs that have sprung up on Boston Street among residential developments.

Neighborhood complaints about noise, drunken patrons and blocked access to homes fall on deaf ears.

The city needs to place these entertainment venues in areas where residences will not be affected by the noise, parking and worse that they generate or to create a law with teeth regarding noise and other infractions that can be swiftly enforced.

I think city leaders should ask whether it's the residents who want this ordinance or a few bar owners - and try to protect the residents rather than the bar owners or the visitors from outside the city.

Jim Astrachan

Baltimore

To Our Readers: The Sun welcomes letters from readers. All letters become the property of The Sun, which reserves the right to edit them. Letters should include your name and address, along with day and evening telephone numbers. E-mail us: letters@baltsun.com; write us: Letters to the Editor, The Sun, P.O. Box 1377, Baltimore 21278-0001; fax us: 410-332-6977

E-mail

Reprint

Get home delivery of The Sun and save over 50% off the newsstand price

Night life already disrupts the city

Popular stories