Mayor Approves Night Mayor Legislation At House Of Yes

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN — Some New Yorker is about to become the mayor who never sleeps.

Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the Night Mayor legislation — designed to help foster independent nightlife businesses — at Bushwick's own House of Yes, a venue that hosts pantless dance parties and burlesque reviews.

“We are the greatest cultural capital in the world,” said de Blasio Tuesday night. “Without the venues the culture simply can’t exist.”

The law will create an Office of Nightlife, and its staff will be tasked with helping nightlife and DIY venues navigate complex city codes and violations.

The bill was sponsored by City Councilman Rafael Espinal, who hoped a Night Mayor might protect business likes Shea Stadium — the DIY venue that was forced to close because of mounting fees and eventually lost its lease.

“We have lost all of the iconic and diverse venues to corporate entities,” Espinal said Tuesday night. “[They] expect you to pay expensive cover charges and drop hundreds of dollars on bottle service.”

When the crowd hissed, Espinal laughed and said, “There’s a place for that as well, but we don’t need so many!”

“New York City is known worldwide as the city that never sleeps," said Ramones’ drummer Marky Ramone. He told the crowd he hoped the Office of Nightlife would protect venues like the one that helped him get started.

"There's a fine line between becoming a bedroom community or a big apple.”

The elected officials touted the bill as a historic event but — while the position is novel — the name is not. Back in the 1960s, a crew of City Hall staffers donned the name “Night Mayor” and spent their evenings riding around in ambulances and flying police helicopters under the Brooklyn Bridge.

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office