It’s about time! Seattle is the fastest growing city in the US right now. Population is growing! Business is growing! Urban development is growing the fastest. We are the NYC of the west coast. It is time we grew-up and stepped into this millenium. Change to the alcohol laws are a start. Allowing bars to purchase products from distributors rather than state run stores is the first step. The next step is building revenue by allowing our nightlife venues to be financially successful which means more tourism, more tax revenue, more foot traffic, more safety etc. It is a win win for Seattle and those who call Seattle home.
I have been a bartender for over 15 years and a nightclub owner/manager in one of the most ‘state’ micro-managed areas of the country, Washington DC. [DC isn’t a state.] During inauguration weekend in January 2009, the bars in DC were permitted to stay open for 24 hours Thursday-Monday. Your lawmakers saw no problem with this. DC is the home of Senators and Representatives from all states, including Washington. Do you want to know what happened that weekend? There was less congestion on the streets as people simply left the bars when they were ready at different times. There was more taxi service available because they weren’t being filled at 2am sharp. The city of Washington DC reported astounding tax revenue that weekend on the sale of alcohol. A safer city that made a lot of money because the bars were permitted to stay open. Look at NYC and Vegas, huge tourist cities who have last call at different times. HUGE TOURIST CITIES! How many people visit Seattle and are trapped in Hotels after dark? The city stands to make some money on this change.
Of course there are opposing viewpoints on this issue. Check out CHS for their coverage of this issue. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out and, if passed, how it will change the lifestyle here in Seattle. Will people go out later like they do in Washington DC an NYC? Will bar owners open later? A later happy hour? I know a lot of bars that do a 7-11pm happy hour time.
No matter what happens, Seattle will continue to grow and prosper. I encourage all our community members to stand up for the growth of this city and contribute to making Seattle, indeed, the NYC of the West!
