Brace yourself: controversy ahead. Gay bar Fairtail Lounge, on W 48th St near 10th Ave, has had its liquor license up for renewal recently, and that’s brought together a significant group of nearby residents trying to get it denied. Among the reasons they’re opposed to the place: they (allegedly) crank their music at night, have loud, obnoxious patrons out on the street all night, and most significantly, have “adult movies” playing on TVs inside visible to passerbyers from the street.
DNAinfo ran an article about it yesterday, and while they took a pretty neutral tone, the comments had to be closed after they filled up with “pretty negative” messages attacking the gay community as a whole – because obviously this situation is applicable to everyone in that demographic…some people… – so that’s disappointing. Meanwhile, Gothamist had their piece, taking somewhat of a “you-should-get-over-it” tone (the title calls the complainants “Hell’s Kitchen NIMBYs”, so that should give you an idea of what to expect).
While going after the liquor license for this might seem inappropriate and unrelated, apparently many of the complaining residents have gone to the management several times and been ignored, so it sounds like it’s more of a last resort. I’ve never been past the place at night, so can’t really comment on how good or bad it is, but there’s a whole lot of complaints for it to be nothing.
Regardless, they announced on their Facebook page today that their license got renewed anyway, with the most smug and intentionally inflammatory tone imaginable:
Apparently certain residents in Hell’s Kitchen have been living under a rock since the middle ages. They are JUST NOW realizing that there are *gasp* GOGO BOYS and PORN in Gay Bars. OH MY!!!!!
Mind you, these residents are the ones that are PEEKING THEIR BUSY-BODY NOSES in the windows to catch a look for their perverted selves, not walking by like any normal sexually-active citizen would. Poor sad depraved people.
Well I’m proud to say that FairyTail Lounge already has it’s liquor license renewed, and we WILL BE SHOWING PORN and have GOGO BOYS IN UNDIES!
LONG LIVE NYC GAY NIGHTLIFE! Oh and thanks for the free press Gothamist!
No surprise the neighbors dislike them from that attitude.