Bar/Nightlife

[Djentmaster001]

^ nevermind that, let's talk about the increased homeless/mentally ill people on the streets AND in the establishments themselves. That's another reason, if not, the main reason why people are not going out anymore in the first place, nor are we seeing restos serving food at 3-4am like they did pre pandemic.

The streets are empty at midnight, it's truly sad. I still stay out until 3am or later, but there have been times where it's just me and my friends on the streets, noone else. 

We still go bar hopping to support businesses, but with everything happening locally and globally, it's gonna be a rough time here.

[mtlurb]

13 hours ago, Djentmaster001 said:

^ nevermind that, let's talk about the increased homeless/mentally ill people on the streets AND in the establishments themselves. That's another reason, if not, the main reason why people are not going out anymore in the first place, nor are we seeing restos serving food at 3-4am like they did pre pandemic.

The streets are empty at midnight, it's truly sad. I still stay out until 3am or later, but there have been times where it's just me and my friends on the streets, noone else. 

We still go bar hopping to support businesses, but with everything happening locally and globally, it's gonna be a rough time here.

Hopefully I'll cross paths wit your crew us the last survivors of nightlife lol

[Habsfan]

On 2024-02-09 at 1:21 PM, budgebandit said:

I'm sorry but this is a very "boomer" take lol... 

People still very much like to go out. A reason for the lower frequency might be the fact that a pint is $10 - $12 + tax these days...

Thankfully I'm not a boomer!

Facts are, there are less bars then there were 20 years ago. And yes, bars outside of the downtown core did exist back then as well!

On 2024-02-13 at 11:17 AM, mtlurb said:

I clearly remember, traffic across the downtown core on Friday and Saturday nights, people were going out jamming the streets... this simply doesn't exist anymore. People walking and crowding the streets, bar hopping from one spot to the other... this barely exists anymore. RIP Montreal nightlife. Late cheap eateries on those streets attracting people till 4-5 am... 

Nightlife is not simply a bar closing at 3am, its also everything around them and the street action.

Exaclty!! I definitely remember the 90's when there was traffic on Fridays and Saturdays. Loved going to La Frite Dorée on St-Laurent at 4 in the morning!

[mtlurb]

From Montreal to Berlin, Cities Aim to Stay Open 24 Hours

Forget last call: In a push to bolster nightlife, cities are changing laws to keep bars, restaurants and transit systems operating round-the-clock.

Teresa XieFebruary 22, 2024 at 2:00 AM EST

Montreal plans on opening a 24-hour zone to boost its nightlife economy.

Photographer: Mint Images/Mint Images RF

While New York City is often dubbed the city that never sleeps, it technically takes a short nap at 4 a.m., per New York State’s mandated “last call.” Perhaps Berlin or Tokyo should take the title: There, bars can legally serve alcohol 24 hours a day.

Montreal could be the newest addition to that list. The Canadian city, whose bars and clubs currently close at 3 a.m., plans on introducing a new 24-hour zone in a downtown neighborhood as part of a broader effort to invest in its nightlife.

Policies to keep cities open round-the-clock have been picking up steam since Amsterdam began issuing 24-hour operating licenses in 2013. The idea of cultivating nighttime economies has since spread to some 100 cities that now have some form of “night mayor,” including London, New York City and Zurich. And while the emphasis has often been on bars and clubs, proponents say the policies are about far more than alcohol. 

“An official 24-hour policy is just an admission that the city and its economic activities never stop,” said Michele Acuto, director of the Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne. 

The nighttime hours are a critical part of many cities’ economic output. In Berlin, “techno tourism” attracts more than 3 million people every year, according to a 2019 report by Clubcommission Berlin. A New York City analysis from 2019 found that nightlife generates $35.1 billion for the city annually, accounting for 299,000 jobs and $13.1 billion in wages. It defines the nightlife industry as including the city’s food, drink and entertainment sectors between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., and factors in the knock-on effects to the economy of these jobs and patrons.

Night mayor positions aim to give nighttime economic contributions the same attention that daytime hours have gotten from policymakers. Increasingly, that includes a push to expand nightlife economies by making more amenities 24 hours.

For Amsterdam, beginning to extend the city’s hours meant designating 24-hour licenses to multifunctional spaces outside the city center. One such establishment is A'DAM Toren, a 22-story tower complete with offices, cafes, restaurants and an underground club in Amsterdam’s mixed-use Overhoeks neighborhood. 

“Amsterdam’s 24-hour venues are located in places that are slightly underserved when it comes to nightlife or hospitality,” said Mirik Milan, the former night mayor of Amsterdam who later cofounded the nighttime culture consultancy VibeLab. “Many of these spaces improve the quality of life for people living around it, because they have amenities that can also be used during the week.”

A dance venue in the basement of the A'DAM Toren building has a license to stay open 24 hours.Photographer: Schöning/ullstein bild via Getty Images

In Berlin, there are no restrictions on when alcohol can be sold. Shortly after World War II, a hotelier persuaded the commandant of the American sector of West Berlin that getting rid of the city’s mandated last call would not only benefit the economy, but also reflect Western values. To accommodate nightlife, the trains also run 24 hours on weekends and holidays. 

“If you want to create cultural vibrancy in a city, it’s not just about consumption of alcohol,” says Lutz Leichsenring, a spokesman and executive board member for the Clubcommission Berlin who co-founded VibeLab with Milan. “You need to have a creative space that is both affordable and accessible. Public transportation needs to be accessible for people living outside of the city, for example. The bus can’t stop running at midnight.”

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Outside of strengthening a city’s social opportunities, cultivating nightlife industries can have other positive effects: In New South Wales, Australia, residents reported feeling safer on public transit and in their neighborhoods after an effort by the state to reverse Sydney’s well-known “party pooper” reputation through a 24-Hour Economy Commissioner. Some of the office’s initiatives include programs to improve safety after dark and providing “Take Kare” ambassadors in popular nightlife districts to assist young people who are out late. 

“Something that police or other city decisionmakers don’t understand is that vibrancy in the city creates safety,” Leichsenring said.

Extending nightlife isn’t without growing pains. Amsterdam has long faced problems with rowdy tourists in its red light district, even recently proposing a controversial plan to relocate its legal prostitution to an erotic center outside the city.

“Amsterdam’s reputation is something that has been built over hundreds of years,” Milan said. “That’s not something that’s going to just go away. But it’s up to the city to step up to make sure the quality of life of its residents stays the same as nightlife expands.”

Much of the job of city nightlife initiatives has been keeping the peace between those who party and those who sleep. In 2018, Berlin’s government pledged 1 million euros toward soundproofing projects after noise disputes with residents forced many clubs to close. So far, more than 40 clubs have received funding, and will continue to in the upcoming cycle, according to Leichsenring.

As part of its burgeoning nightlife efforts, Montreal also recently announced a grant program for alternative performance venues with fewer than 400 seats, allowing them to receive up to $100,000 for soundproofing initiatives. Part of the goal of the nightlife initiative is to simplify the process for businesses that wish to stay open 24 hours. 

Many advocates for 24-hour cities say that night economy initiatives need to look beyond bars, clubs and late-night fare and focus on other kinds of services and amenities. 

“If you work night shifts, you pay the same amount of taxes as everyone, but usually have less access to services,” said Mathieu Grondin, co-founder of MTL 24/24, a nonprofit group that aims to provide frameworks for Montreal’s nightlife. “You can’t get food or go to the public library. By extending services to 24 hours, you’re making a fairer city that is more inclusive.”

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-22/montreal-joins-global-nightlife-push-for-24-hour-bars-restaurants-transit?utm_campaign=news&utm_medium=bd&utm_source=applenews