New York City nightlife council proposes legalized drinking in parks

The New York City Nightlife Council has proposed legalizing alcoholic beverages in public parks. The proposition was introduced this past Monday, in addition to the suggestion that bars be allowed open until 4:00am.

In an argument for the suggestions, the council stated that due to the pandemic, which the world is still very much in the midst of, the allowance for use of public spaces provide people with more safe spaces to party. In New York state, the first state to have a major breakout of COVID-19 cases in America, is recovering slowly, averaging about 1,500 cases per day.

Andrew Rigie, a Chairperson for of the Nightlife Advisory Council stated, “Think of if you’re in Central Park or another area and you open up a bottle of wine.Technically, you’re not allowed to do that. We’re not just talking about taking every single public space and turning it into an outdoor party, of course not. It’s a little bit more refined than that.”

While the proposition was met with disapproval by the rest of the councillors, it was clear that the idea was well within good intentions.  One councillor commented, “The intentions are good. But dancing and drinking in public, without strong regulation, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” In addition, the Mayor of New York City, Bill De Blasio stated, “Dancing used to have cabaret laws that were arcane, I smile on dancing, I don’t smile on drinking in public places. I think there have to be some laws and public standards and I think right now is the right way to go.”

It seems as if right now the call for legalized public drinking might be put on the back burner, but there’s no telling what the future might hold as far as partying in Central Park.

Click here for the official website of the NYC Nightlife Council.

Image credit: Marco Bottigelli, Getty Images