A Potential Voice In City Hall For Bars & Nightclubs
San Diego has one of the best bar and nightlife scenes in California, from the Gaslamp Quarter to Pacific Beach and North Park. But with changing crowds, bar closures and rising costs, who is protecting the city’s nightlife economy? Maybe it’s time for a nightlife mayor.
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com San Diego Nightlife Editor
One of the rising popular elements that has emerged as a result of COVID-19 restrictions is the appointment of a “nightlife mayor” in various cities around the USA and the world.
The closure of bars and nightclubs during the pandemic has brought attention to the importance of nightlife to city income through taxes and fees, as well as for the entertainment and pleasure of pubclubbers and even travelers.
London, for instance, has named a “Nightlife Czar.” There are nightlife mayors (the term “czar” sounds a bit like something one would find in the old Communist bloc, so mayor is a more subtle title) in New York City and Washington, D.C., and one is being discussed in Dallas.
Several other cities – Amsterdam, Berlin, Mumbai and London Austin, Detroit, Iowa City, Orlando and Pittsburgh – have all created non-profits to work with the various cities to monitor, report on and promote the nightlife scene.
They are led by individuals, organizations, and a few municipal governments. charged with advancing and maintaining their nightlife scenes.
With all that in mind, could San Diego use a nightlife mayor?
After all, it has a vibrant nightlife scene all over the city. Surely city hall could benefit from having “boots on the ground” to be a single voice for the bar and nightclub owners while also providing those people with the policies, preferences and concerns of the local government.
Ariel Palitz, the nightlife mayor of New York City, calls nightlife “an economic engine, creator of jobs, tax revenue, and culture.” A vibrant nightlife scene involves many factors, she argues, from the fashion industry to late-night restaurants to transportation.
“I think this pandemic has very successfully illustrated what life looks like without life at night,” Palitz said.
It is certainly an idea worth considering.
What Is a Nightlife Mayor?
A nightlife mayor is a person who goes out to the bars. He or she meets and talks with bar owners, bartenders, servers and patrons. The nightlife mayor then either recommends policy for bars and nightclubs or recommends them to the city council and mayor.
Why San Diego’s Nightlife Needs Better Representation
First of all, there really isn’t any. San Diego has a strong bar and nightlife scene, but who actually represents it when city decisions are made?
For example, I’ve never understood why bars in the Gaslamp Quarter don’t allow customers to take drinks onto patios after 10 p.m. Restaurant and bar owners were also furious when the city stopped shutting down Fifth Avenue to vehicle traffic, which had created a safer and more festive pedestrian-friendly atmosphere.
And those are just two examples. Leaving nightlife policy decisions entirely up to the city council and mayor is risky, as shown by San Diego’s parking fee fiasco. A city with this much nightlife needs someone at the table who understands bars, restaurants, events and visitors.
Related Posts:
• A Simple Guide To San Diego’s Gaslamp Bars
• PubClub Classics: San Diego Gaslamp Bars Of The Past
• A Local’s Picks For San Diego Bars
• Exploring South Mission Beach
Kevin Wilkerson is the founder of PubClub.com, an award-winning journalist and San Diego-based nightlife expert who has spent years exploring Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and other coastal communities. He has covered destinations, events and entertainment for more than two decades and received an Associated Press award for investigative journalism while working as a newspaper reporter.
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