New Bar Could Use Some Manners, Neighbors Say

The scene at Greenwood Park, via Brooklyn Based

According to the Brooklyn Paper, new bars are ruining the neighborhood with the booze-fuelled sexcapades of their patrons gone wild.

Back in April, the paper reported that concerns about Greenwood Park were brewing in the hood, thanks in large part to the owners general unresponsiveness. And if the Brooklyn Paper’s to be believed, the neighbors’ fears have been more than realized:

On any given night, we are witnessing public urination, sexual acts being performed, and drunks stumbling down the block,” said another neighbor, Jack, who asked The Brooklyn Paper to withhold his last name because of safety concerns.

For their part, Greenwood Park owners Michael Esposito and Ted Mann seem to have resurfaced and are planning to meet with CB7 to work things out. “It is our goal to do whatever is necessary to provide the entire community with a quality place,” Mann said. In the meantime, they’re considering installing Porta-Potties on busy nights to supplement the eight unisex bathroom stalls.

None of this can be good news for the owners of Royal Palms, the soon-to-open shuffleboard bar that’s slated for the other edge of the neighborhood (3rd Ave and Union Street). The kitschy Gowanus joint is causing a similar brouhaha — with one crucial difference.

Earlier this month, neighbors of the impending Florida-inspired bar started protesting the early 2013 opening, citing potential noise issues caused by “loud parties and inebriated revelers” (aka hipsters?). But unlike the Greenwood Park team, the pair behind Royal Palms seems to be making a real effort to win over the neigh sayers. Co-owner Ashley Albert says she’s been meeting with neighbors to discuss their concerns. “It’s not going to be a big scary club,” she assured them/us/everyone, pointing out that a good portion of the 17,000 square foot space will actually be devoted to the shuffleboard courts themselves.

If the Royal Palms team can build up enough good will before they open, it seems like that could be enough to help them avoid a future of alarmist Brooklyn Paper stories. Or can it? What do you think — how can venues like these be good neighbors?