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The Wayland Owners Face Community Opposition For New Avenue C Bar
By
Miranda Katz
Published Oct 28, 2015
Modified Oct 28, 2015
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By
Miranda Katz
Published Oct 28, 2015
Modified Oct 28, 2015
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The owners of The Wayland and Goodnight Sonny are set to open a third bar this spring, marking their third venture in the East Village. But some Avenue C residents fear the new location's later hours will contribute to the neighborhood's noise problem.
The Drift, as it's tentatively been dubbed, will be open until 2 a.m. Sundays through Tuesdays and until 4 a.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. These hours have residents of the bar's home at 129 Avenue C and surrounding buildings concerned. The previous occupant of the location, hookah lounge Babel, operated on weekends only until 4 a.m., though it, too, faced pushback from some in the neighborhood. At Tuesday night's Community Board 3 meeting, residents aired their grievances once more.
“This is an old residential building, and there’s a history of issues with noise with the current bar that’s there now," said Heather Dubin, a resident of 129 Avenue C speaking on behalf of the 18 area residents who signed a petition against the new bar. Co-owner Robert Ceraso described the bar as "a no frills neighborhood bar—no cocktail list, no live music, no big crowds." But Dubin and her cohort doubt that, given its proposed late hours and plan for a 32-foot bar.
“It is incredulous to me that this is going to be a small neighborhood bar," she said at the CB3 meeting. "Hardly seems like a quiet space."
Though the board's vote to approve a full on-premise liquor license was controversial, it ultimately passed, with stipulations that the owners soundproof the space and employ a security guard to curtail crowds outside. Ultimately, the SLA will decide whether or not to award the bar a new license. Ceraso said that he and his business partner Jason Mendenhall are working with the community, and want to make sure they have its support before moving forward.
"The neighborhood’s been wonderful to us, and we wanted to create a space to say thank you, give a space back to the neighborhood," he told Gothamist. "To do that we obviously want the neighborhood on our side, so I don’t think we would move ahead if we felt that that was not the case."
Ceraso and Mendenhall's new tavern will serve Latin-influenced food—the sample menu includes pork, beef, chicken, and fish tacos, as well as several "bowl" options and guacamole. The bar will offer margaritas, daquiris, rum bucks, and dark and stormies, with Modelo and Mother's Milk Stout on tap and number of bottled beers to choose from. Prices will range from $3-$12, with most beers in the $5 range.
"The whole space is slightly inspired by seaside bars that I’ve visited traveling around the world and country," Ceraso said. "It’s simple food that you’d be able to get in small bars in a lot of places around the world."
Ceraso and Mendenhall intend that simplicity as a counterpoint to The Wayland, which sits just across the street and serves up fancy cocktails starting at $11.
"We love Avenue C, and there's not really a nice local bar there anymore that doesn’t have the pressure of The Wayland," Ceraso said. "The Wayland's a fantastic bar, but its got a cocktail list, live music, and it does get crowded."
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