Left rectangle ads redesigned
Robert Ripps book
History of Tribeca Buildings
Trouble in the Mailroom
On its liquor-license application, WeWork told Community Board 1 that the Mailroom, its subterranean bar at 110 Wall Street—the building is home to WeWork office space and WeLive apartments—does not intend to apply for a cabaret license, which the city requires for any establishment with dancing. Well, a complaint has come in, and given the buzz around the venue, I suspect it won’t be the last. A reader who’d prefer to remain anonymous says the Mailroom is definitely a club with dancing and DJs, with crowds smoking pot.
At the Community Board 1 meeting in June, the Mailroom was described as a bar, not a nightclub, which would’ve concerned the committee more than it already did. (The discussion went on for a long time.) Also unsaid was that Jayma Cardoso, owner of The Surf Lodge in Montauk, would be involved. She was not listed among the five principals,* and the application specifically says that no outside promoters will be used. (“The Surf Lodge remains open despite conflicts with Montauk residents over the past few years, having earned more than 900 various violations since it opened in 2008,” reported Eater.) *UPDATE: Cardoso was not listed on the application dated June 9 that CB1 sent me regarding this issue, but WeWork said that she was added to a revised version submitted on June 13, the day of the Licensing Committee meeting, which CB1 confirmed. For what it’s worth, Cardoso is not one of the two names (Michael Gross and Jennifer Berrent) on the actual liquor license.
And I’m positive that no one mentioned a dance floor, which Haute Living says exists: “The bar looks built for a mix of drinks and dancing, with a DJ booth ready for use across the dance floor from the bar. On either side of the space are 70’s disco-inspired retro sofas, with tables at each, and even a bocce court in back. The retro-chic vibes of the sofas play well in the room, but give the sense of two worlds in the bar: a gilded age New York post office serving up drinks, and a grooved-out dancers lounge opposite it.”
When asked about the dance floor, the lack of a cabaret license, and the participation of Jayma Cardoso, a WeWork spokesperson responded with this statement: “Mailroom will serve as a vibrant after-work and evening destination, creating a space for those who live, work and play in the Financial District. We look forward to hosting occasional programming around art, film, music, and more.”
The question, then, for anyone who’s bothered by the crowds and disruption is: How to complain? Community Board 1 is not likely to take the Mailroom to task for its misrepresentations unless the establishment is causing a nuisance. (CB1 said it had yet to receive any complaints, and if there is dancing without a cabaret license, that would fall under the auspices of the city’s Department of Consumer Affairs.) I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. If you have an issue with a bar, restaurant, or event space, the best thing you can do is file a complaint with 311 (you can call or do it online) and the State Liquor Authority. Nothing will likely happen as a direct result, but you’ll get a complaint number that you should forward on to CB1 (email man01@cb.nyc.gov). These numbers are the main way CB1 keeps track of issues regarding local businesses, and they’re what the State Liquor Authority will take into consideration when a renewal, alteration, or new license comes up. The SLA has said that the only way it’ll reject a renewal is if there’s a trail of prior complaints. (UPDATE: WeWork says anyone with complaints can also try its email account, neighborfeedback@wework.com.)
And, always, your complaint will be much more noticed if it’s not the only one. You’re wise to engage other residents to contact 311 and CB1.
The top photo is by Daniel Maurer of Bedford + Bowery.
13 Comments
Comment:
Medium rectangle #1 (top)
Right column rectangle ads
Mega rectangle
Restaurant guide icon
WeWork? WeLive? Are the cafes called WeOui? Are the restrooms called WeWee? :-)
Apparent WeWork and WePlay….
Now I understand how they are paying these crazy rents…
Love it when people call FiDi the Seaport lolz, and if youre shocked by marijuana smoke obviously you havent been around town much lately.
Slippery slope…. decline of civilization … eventually you end up with Nero fiddling while Rome burns…
I don’t understand why I have to get “free” hits of Marijuana while walking my 5 year old to school at 7:30am
Thank you mayor De Bl-ASS-io (sic)
I live in the building. There is no dance floor. There is a floor, where people might dance I suppose. There’s also no crowds from the water to the subway.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/scenes-from-nyfws-wildest-after-parties
Looks like a pretty wild night club to me.
just another example of CB1 favoring big business over
the local mom and pop.
I don’t think that’s the right takeaway at all. CB1 pushed WeWork hard for details on exactly what it was planning at the Mailroom, and based its decision on the available information. If anything, in my experience attending those meetings, CB1 is much likelier to be moved by an independent proprietor than a big corporation.
From the First Precinct police blotter:
“110 Wall (Mail Room nightclub), 8/24, 10:30 pm
An Austrian tourist, 23, was at the bar with her handbag. When she turned away for a few minutes, a thief stole the bag. The $500 handbag contained $2,300, a $1,000 iPhone, Bose headphones worth $500, and a $300 pair of sunglasses.”
With respect to Cabaret Laws, I am being told that they are quite likely being repealed by de Blasio, so not sure how much longer these laws will be in place which is a good thing based on the fact that not only are they antiquated, but are probably the most racist laws out there and a blemish on NYC.
The original intent of the 90 year old law goes back to the prohibition days and was to “stop the wild stranger and the foolish native from running wild,”…aka making sure black men did not dance with white women. The law was written as a way to prevent interracial dancing in the city’s clubs and yet it still exists today??!!
Then in the 80’s, at a point when no one really talked much about Cabaret Laws, Guiliani used the law to indiscriminately shutdown any nightclub or bar he felt needed to be shut down.
https://instagram.com/p/BZMMD5XlGLt/
The mailroom is also a strip club or their live performances includes strippers.
Technically, she’s a “cakesexual caterer” (and that link is NSFW, depenging on where you work).
Is that legal though?
Eh, Mailroom is definitely not a club. The bar closes at 1:am and it’s just a lounge. They had a few wild fashion week parties before it was officially open (completely private and not run by the owner). You can find dancing at just about any bar. you’ll rarely see a bouncer stop people from such typical behavior. Mailroom is also in a basement. So I cannot see how any wild parties would disrupt anyone except welive residents. I live next to a strip club and its never bothered me. Welcome to NYC! Please move to CT if you think dancing is crazy.