Strip clubs in New York are having a hard time. Apparently, respectable communities don't want them around and have figured out a smart way to keep them from opening or staying open: revoke the liquor license.
The New York Times reports that the Hunts Point area in the Bronx has been most affected by this crusade. Places like Club Eleven and Platinum Pleasures have found themselves at the center of a debate around whether or not strip clubs are crime magnets.
As it turns out, even if a strip club that doesn't serve alcohol actually means the strippers can go completely naked, patrons are less interested in lap dances if they can't order a bourbon. This is a problem for strippers and club owners.
But the industry isn't going to give up without a fight. Jeff Levy, the executive director of the Association of Club Executives of New York told the Times, “I feel like we’re being censored. Just because the community board or legislators don’t like this type of entertainment doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”
While the battle rages on, places like Show Palace in Long Island City are operating without a liquor license, offering virgin drinks with its lap dances instead.
[via New York Times]
