New York City Will Get Its Night Mayor

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN — The New York City night just got its own mayor.

City Council voted on Thursday to create an Office of Nightlife to help foster communication between city government and nightlife business owners who struggle to navigate a web of bureaucracy and the fees they face when they fail to meet city codes.

Brooklyn City Councilman Rafael Espinal proposed the legislation in May, which will create a “night mayor” and an Office of Nightlife to monitor late-night businesses, help those business cope with licenses, permits and code violations, and propose new policies to help protect small DIY spaces from closing.

The position is similar to and based on the nachtburgemeester, an innovation that came from Amsterdam in 2014. Since instating their night mayor, Amsterdam has witnessed a 25 percent reduction in crime and 28 percent decrease in noise complaints.

“NYC’s nightlife culture is an integral part of its identity, yet bureaucratic red tape, rising rents and lack of community planning has made it increasingly difficult for venues that contribute to our iconic nightlife to stay in business,” said Espinal in a statement.

“It is time NYC dedicate resources to this sector of our economy that produces not only financial capital, but also, cultural capital for our city.”

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