NYC Community Board Votes Against Gay Bar

Manhattan Community Board 4 voted not to recommend a liquor license for Boxers, a gay sports bar seeking to open a second location in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood next to a public school.

The New York Times reports on the packed meeting Wednesday night, during which some residents said the bar “posed a threat to the health and moral well-being of their children.” Complaints included the proximity of the bar, just outside the required 200 feet from a school, and the potential for smoke to blow into the schoolyard. Supporters of Boxers said the presence of the bar would enhance safety and argued that the business demonstrated a record of giving back to the community.

Although the community board recommended against the liquor license, the State Liquor Authority will make the final decision. The board included a letter to the SLA saying that it would support the bar “if it shortened its hours so that it was not open when children were at the school, erected a wall on the rooftop patio to prevent visibility, and increased security,” reports the Times.