NYC’s ‘Nightlife Mayor’ Details Coronavirus Toll, Recovery

NEW YORK CITY — As the city’s first “Nightlife Mayor” started her job, there were 300,000 jobs at 25,000 churning out $20 billion each year.

A little more than a year later, the coronavirus struck and nightlife workers lost 95 percent of their income overnight.

The Office of Nightlife’s first report details that stark contrast and offers a bevy of proposals to help venue’s going forward.

“This report is a record of how we laid the foundation, established priorities, and set the trajectory for a strong future,” Ariel Palitz, the office’s executive and “Nightlife Mayor,” said in a statement . “We know this office will continue to fulfill its important purpose and thank everyone who contributed, especially those devoted to the art of hospitality and the magic of life at night.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a law in 2017 that established the office as an official means to nurture the city’s nightlife industry.

The office quickly reached out to nightlife venue owners, workers and community members in a series of listening sessions.

But it had to shift focus to a “conduit of information” as the pandemic hit and the industry faced an uncertain landscape of restrictions and new initiatives, such as Open Restaurants.

The report weaves together lessons learned pre-pandemic and during the crisis. It proposes, among other things, to offer a one-stop-shop approach to licensing venues, reform the complaint process and creative incentives for improved soundproofing.

The full report can be read here.