New York City appoints its first nightlife mayor

  • Published
    Wed, Mar 7, 2018, 19:06
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  • Mayor De Blasio announced the appointment of Ariel Palitz, a 47-year-old nightlife professional and former community board member.
  • New York City appoints its first nightlife mayor image
  • The New York office of nightlife has appointed its first-ever senior executive director, otherwise referred to as the nightlife mayor. They've picked Ariel Palitz for the position, which opened in August when the city council voted to create a nightlife-focused administrative arm. The 47-year-old Manhattan native owned and operated the East Village music venue Sutra for ten years. She was also a sitting member of community board 3 until 2015, where she was part of the State Liquor Authority subcommittee, which consults the state on the distribution of alcohol licenses. "I believe the nightlife community will have a well-rounded voice in Ariel Palitz," says Council Member Rafael Espinal, who campaigned for the creation of a New York nightlife office, "and the administration will have a unique perspective on nightlife issues." The office and the position were created to combat the disappearance of New York City nightlife culture in the face of rising property values. In the last few years, DIY venues especially have closed at high rates because they can't pay rent, or because of restrictive permitting and licensing laws. "You can't crush culture—or subculture—in New York," Palitz told the New York Times in a brief profile today. "It just goes deeper and longer. New York culture and nightlife still thrive in a very real way. It's just going to find its new place." Photo: Elias Williams for The New York Times
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