Dear Editor:
In recent weeks, I’ve read articles chronicling Hoboken residents’ and the City Council’s complaints regarding the city’s bars and nightclubs and I feel that their owners and the majority of their customers are being unfairly criticized and unjustly punished.
My wife, 16-month old daughter, and I live 1/2 a block from a bar and our bedrooms overlook the street, so we are not immune to street noise. But when I read people’s complaints I have to question, “What did you expect when you moved here?” Along with the proximity to NYC, it was the nightlife that attracted so many of Hoboken’s residents in the first place. Even if some people have outgrown the weekend nightlife, it’s hypocritical to complain about it. If the city’s noise bothers you, move to a quieter town.
Also, the proposed measures to curtail noise, such as prohibiting lines from forming outside of bars, are not well thought out and unfair to bar owners. Instead of allowing lines and holding bar owners responsible for the behavior of those on line, the new policy leads to groups of people roaming all over town. If bar patrons are so unbearably noisy, wouldn’t this annoy residents everywhere? Not just those short-sighted enough to move across the street from a bar, not expecting to hear noise.
It may sound like I condone the behavior of all Hoboken’s revelers, but that’s not true. There is no excuse for those who vandalize, urinate in public, litter, or create a disturbance. But blaming bar owners for the behavior of these jackasses is like blaming a hardware store for graffiti. In fact, I’ve seen fighting and carousing at other local events that don’t involve bars or nightclubs, so to blame them is unjust. And a “no-line” or “one-way” policy won’t help. You can only curtail this behavior by catching those responsible, and sending a clear message that it will not be tolerated.
I regret that the nightlife that has directly contributed to the growth and prosperity of Hoboken is now being unfairly criticized for negatively impacting our “Quality of Life.” I think Hoboken’s nightlife should be praised considering the role it played in the revitalization of this great city. And restricting access to bars through arbitrary policies merely punishes the bar owners and the majority of patrons who behave themselves every night.
Peeter Naeris