Davis Square Task Force meets Monday 12/3, 7 pm

[ron_newman]

The Davis Square Task Force will meet on Monday, December 3 at 7 pm at the Senior Center, 167 Holland Street (Tufts Administration Building). Here's the agenda:

7:00-7:10 - Introductions

7:10-7:45 - Neighborhood Groups Update:

• Willow Ave. traffic study group (Mark Chase, Brian Postelwaite, Ethan Gilsdorf)
• Davis Area Resident Business Initiative (Thalia Tringo)
• Crime Watch
• Go Green Davis Square
• Local First Initiative (Joe Grafton)

7:45-7:55 - Joshua Tree request for 2am license

7:55-8:20 - Davis Square Updates:

• One Davis Square – Davis Square sign island
• When Pigs Fly (Andrew)
• Sacco’s Bowl Haven (Trish)
• Other developments

8:20-8:45 - City Updates

• Hotel RFP for Davis Square (Mayor’s office)
• Green Line extension update
• Shape Up Somerville and Map (Nicole)

8:45-9:00 - Miscellaneous items and next meeting date

Comments

[dominika-kretek.livejournal.com]

So I am all for fun things to do at night, but I have noticed a dramatic shift in the atmosphere in Davis since Diva Lounge went live and the Burren got their 2am license. What do other people think about this?

[ron_newman]

What sort of shift? (I'm not usually out at that hour to observe.)

[dominika-kretek.livejournal.com]

So way back in the day, when the Aquarium closed, I rejoiced because I would no longer have to walk home from the T past loud, drunk, sometimes aggressive, sometimes merely leering nightclub patrons. I don't know why the Aquarium was like that and the Burren, Sligo, Joshua Tree and Redbones were not, but it was clear back then that the Aquarium was the problem and when they closed, the problem went away.

That feeling is back in Davis Square, and I don't really understand why. I think the biggest offender is Diva Lounge, but I'm not sure. It seemed to correlate with the later closing times, but I don't see why that should be the case. Probably it doesn't help that people have to go outside to smoke, but people can smoke outside (even drunk!) without being rude. Joshua Tree didn't seem to have this problem, but now it does. I seem to detect more Tufts students around, but surely they didn't suddenly realize that Davis Square exists last year. And so on.

If anyone can give insight into this problem, I would definitely appreciate it.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'm on the wrong side of Davis, but I haven't noticed a shift caused by those two things. It seems more like a "shift" that was already happening, and a place like Diva came up because of said "shift."

But hey, someone goes in there, so it seems like it's filling a "need" (I use the word need loosely).

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

Right, it seems fair to me to say that "the damage has been done". Unless 3 or 4 more bars pop up and request 2am licenses, I don't think davis is going to necessarily turn into allston-brighton.

[ron_newman]

However, this was a concern that people expressed last year at the Davis Square Task Force, when the Burren requested its 2 am license. Would every other bar in Davis eventually follow suit, turning our neighborhood into a last-call destination?

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I question the "last call" argument ... since bars in other towns are open to 2, why would you trek to Davis for last call? Wouldn't you just stay where you are?

But if you really were concerned about this, you could do something like PJ's does. They're open until 2, but you have to be in there by 1.

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

Because the T shuts down at 12. So, if you are drinking in boston till 12, you could take the T back to Davis for a few more before heading home. A 1.50 T ride is MUCH cheaper than a $30ish cab ride back, and much smarter than trying to drive.

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

And I do agree with the "by 1AM" idea. That would prevent a rowdy line from forming outside, while still allowing the patrons already inside to continue contributing to the local economy.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I thought it was a good move by them.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess that would be one argument. I find that, many times, it's hard to get a group of people to move from where they are, so if I'm not in Davis for the evening, there's only a slim chane of getting back by 2 anyway.

In any event, I still don't think the difference between 1 am and 2 am is that huge, but I'm probably missing something.

[ron_newman]

do something like PJ's does. They're open until 2, but you have to be in there by 1.

The Burren does that too. I believe it is a condition of their 2 am license.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Oh, really? That's good to know; thank you!

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Even if more bars stay open until 2 -- even if they all did -- it wouldn't be Allston.

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

I think it's terrific. I would much rather stop for a post-T-ride beverage at the Tree than the Burren - although alieviating some of the people from the Burren may improve the (overcrowded, understaffed) atmosphere there a lot as well.

[righteousness-1.livejournal.com]

I feel sorry for the neighbors nearby.

[shana-lyons.livejournal.com]

I can honestly say that I have not noticed any kind of dramatic shift in Davis that I can directly attribute to Diva or the 2 AM Burren.

We've had a lot of new restaurants open up over the last few years that have been noticably more succesful than their predecessors (Sagra, Out of the Blue moving over, etc). I do think more noise is occuring earlier in the evening, but that it can probably just as easily be attributed to the new restaurants increasing foot traffic, the amazing and ever growing popularity of J.P. Licks, the musicians who play in the summer. There are certainly more places to eat and they do draw more people.

That said, it's certainly nice to be able to have a drink later at night in Davis. We're miles away from having an Allston-like scene. I think we've got a nice balance and that the 2 AM licenses are a terrific edition.

[righteousness-1.livejournal.com]

Like boiling a frog.

[ron_newman]

I don't understand what you mean.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

Anyone with common sense knows that sooner rather than later every bar in the city will demand a 2 am license. You can't pick and choose when you allow a permit for something like that. There's be lots of stories of people going to the Burren instead of _________ simply because they can stay there longer. Before long there will be applications which will almost certainly need to be approved to avoid a court battle. It is the first step toward becoming Allston/Brighton!
I'll never understand the 'need' to be able to stay there until 2 as opposed to 1. Not to mention, I can't forget what my mother used to say......
"Nothing good happens after midnight"!!

[ron_newman]

The city could establish a cap on 2 am licenses, either per neighborhood or per ward. I don't know if they've actually done so.