First They Came For The Yobbo Bars And I Did Not Speak Out Because I Was Not A Yobbo

State legislators are considering tightening up liquor laws that forbid bars within 500 feet of each other by removing the exemption option, worrying the tourism board:

The head of the city’s tourism bureau, joined by advocates from the nightlife industry, yesterday urged state lawmakers to resist amending liquor-licensing laws to make it tougher for city establishments to get them.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) held a hearing in response to the over-saturation of bars in certain neighborhoods.

One proposal before lawmakers is removing the exemption that allows bars to open within 500 feet of each other.

Opponents said that, if passed, the Big Apple couldn’t have Restaurant Row, the Time Warner Center or other places where there’s a concentration of eateries and bars.

Meanwhile, the Times puts this into perspective:

Introduced last month by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, the bill would amend the state’s liquor laws and eliminate exemptions to the so-called 500-foot rule, which prohibits more than three licensed establishments from operating within 500 feet of one another. In certain quarters of New York City — among them Restaurant Row, vast stretches of the Upper East Side and the meat-packing district — dozens of bars, lounges and restaurants serving alcohol can be found vying for business along a single block. The average crosstown block in Manhattan, for example, is about 260 feet long.