New York wants to create 24-hour party zones similar to Berlin

The coronavirus pandemic devastated New York City’s famed nightlife scene, but the city is considering a new pilot programme to create 24-hour nightlife zones where bars and clubs wouldn’t ever have to institute a last call.

“We are recommending this as a pilot to identify areas where 24-hour use might be appropriate,” Ariel Palitz, senior executive director of the NYC Office of Nightlife, told WCBS. “New licenses that committed to hosting community programming in exchange for this allowance in certain areas has proved wildly successful.”

She added that 24-hour nightlife zones, already popular in other destinations like Amsterdam and Berlin, “actually help reduce conflicts and quality of life concerns by not having everyone rushing out and rushing in.”

As it stands, New York has a “last call” of 4am, one of the latest in the country. Any change to the city’s nightlife zoning rules could require an update to state law as well.

On 15 June, having hit milestones like the 70 per cent partial vaccination of all adults, New York state announced the vast majority of its businesses would reopen without coronavirus restrictions, except for large indoor events with capacity of 5,000 people or more.

“We’re no longer just surviving—we’re thriving,” governor Andrew Cuomo said announcing the changes.

Nightlife is a major industry in New York City, home to more than 25,000 venues and 300,000 nightlife workers who contributed a combined $20 billion to teh city’s economy.

The pandemic shuttered many famous establishments permanently, who couldn’t hold on during full closures, or whose costs were too high to attempt events as the city gradually re-opened clubs at partial capacity.

This being the self-proclaimed city that never sleeps, others never stopped hitting the dance floor, even when it was illegal.

“Partying in New York never really stopped,” New York magazine’s Brock Colyar wrote. “There were boat parties, pool parties, karaoke parties, sex parties, silent-disco parties, park parties, house parties, warehouse parties, and roof parties.”

Police attempted to bust of the more obvious parties that violated Covid rules, but organisers used social media to rapidly spread the word about underground events. Even though the city is back open, challenges remain for the nightlife sector.

Some estimates suggest that tourism, on a record 10-year growth streak before the pandemic, won’t return fully until 2024. And a survey in December from the New York City Hospitality Alliance found that 90 percent of restaurants and bars couldn’t pay their full rent, with only eviction moratoria keeping them from closing their doors for good.