Vague plans approved for restaurant at 181 Duane

The Mexican restaurant that opened during the quarantine at 181 Duane, Serenata — the former Max and for a brief moment, Gato Nero — was approved for a liquor license by CB1 last week. The name will eventually change I think? and perhaps the food? It was all a bit vague.

And of course as we all know, they have been serving margaritas on the street without a license for months. But as with all things during this pandemic, the rules of life are both ridiculously strict and wildly inconsistent.

The plan as told to the Licensing Committee is to build out the first floor and basement as well as eight seats on the loading dock, which is within their property line. The restaurant seats 40 inside, and 6 people at the bar. The presenter, Vasil Stefanidhi, representing the Paping Corporation, had some trouble communicating his plans — in fact he didn’t know where the restaurant was, suggesting it might be on West Broadway (it’s between Greenwich and Staple) and didn’t really know how many people the bar could accommodate. But they slogged through it nonetheless. Hours will be 11 to 11 weekdays, 11 to midnight weekends — or as the presenter said, “Tribeca rules.” (No one on the committee was sure what that meant.)

 

 

 

12 Comments

  1. I am happy for them. I am sure they will work it out with the community board. They been very nice to our community. A nice addition to our neighborhood. .But I just have to say, do have to call them out for serving ” illegal ” Margaritas for months? I am sorry I cant hold back. With all going on in this city, empty store fronts, people moving out. The crime on subways and on the streets! Our city might not even survive this. You need an article about how many hotel/shelters with mentally ill people our so called Mayor put without consulting the community board in FIDI. and all around downtown. Now that would be great article to write about. All around our schools and communities that it isn’t safe to walk anymore. . Our city is in a downfall and your mentioning Illegal margaritas haha!

  2. Please stop the crime talk. Economic distress brings a rise in criminal activity. We know that. It will calm down.

    However, I don’t want to give every restaurant in the neighborhood the right to have seating on the sidewalk. The general rule used to be no seating on residential side streets. We of course relaxed that rule during the past year so restaurants could survive. I also know there have been exceptions and places that were “grandfathered” in, but I would hate to see this “urge to return to normal” lead to an abandonment of that general rule – no restaurant seating on residential side streets.

    • Everyone would love to restaurants thrive in this city. The “stop the crime talk” is what not only me but most of us who live here are feeling. We slowly going back to the 70, 80s once again. People are fleeing the city not only because business left but because of the rise in crime. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. So I voiced mine.

      • Why do we try to sweep uptick in crime under a rug, it’s a fact, no guarantee it will subside when things get better, that assumes all criminals resort to crime in between jobs and then magically stop. sometimes a criminal is just that a Criminal. The less than sane homeless problem can be attributed to Mayor and city policies that are hands off. This city now caters to Criminals and just tells law abiding it’s better than it used to be (quite a low bar)
        until today Mayor kept saying subway system is as safe as its ever been and safer than the 70’s, i’ve lived here my entire life and remember quite vividly the 70’s, this is worse, and it didn’t just go away, policy changes and strong leadership that cared about it citizens made it go away.

        • S, Thank you thank you! exactly!!!

          • Take a look at the article in the WSJ Tuesday about the candidates running for Manhattan DA. Not one of them actually wants to prosecute criminals. One candidate is even proposing a non-jail alternative sentencing for ALL crimes – including rape, armed robbery and MURDER!! So I don’t see things getting better in the future – do you?

          • I am responding to A2 and S. A2, you are correct, none of them are out to “prosecute criminals”. How can we ever go back to a city that is safe again? I have no idea why the community doesn’t come before criminals. A Non jail alternative for sex offenders, people that assault others is just Unbelievable. The media hides it all. Just add the Citizen App to your phone. Horrible what is going on.

            S, I totally agree, I am the fourth generation living in lower Manhattan and I have been here in Tribeca since late 80s. I am not rich. My family had nothing when they came to this country and this city. We lived in tenement apartments. Why must there be a color to poverty? There are rich, middle income and poor people. What does Woke rich white have to do with crime? I just don’t get it. I don’t know why this is right. Also, crime in our city has to do with our political leaders. Our city right now is being run down to the ground no matter with political group they are from. We need to get rid of this no bail policy, and clean up our streets. We the Native New Yorkers lived through it all. We are the only ones who can stand through this horrible time.

  3. I’ve lived in Tribeca for more than 40 years and nothing makes me want to move more than the abject racism that blooms whenever anything appears to threaten, in their overheated imaginations, too many neighbors rich little White lives. It’s repulsive.

    Having grown up in the city and lived through the 60’s, 70’s and 80s, I will tell you that things today bear NO resemblance to that time.

    I could go on – I actually know a lot about homelessness, crime, employment and all sorts of relevant things – but I know, from prior events in the neighborhood, that there’s just no point trying to get through people’s hysteria.

    So, please, move back to [insert Red state of choice] that you came from.

  4. A. Ah, the race card, the card that Trumps all others (pun intended)
    Why is it hysteria to demand leadership resolve quality of life issues for all living in the city? Homicides ,shootings, Robberies,Homeless, mentally ill roaming the streets, some shoving innocent people under trains is definitely ok in your woke version of NYC. I too was born and raised in NYC and lived through the 60’s 70’s and 80’s, and I have no desire to move to a red State or any other. Why do we point to such a low bar as a reference, that is a cop out ( pun not intended). Please share your knowledge on crime, homeless, employment etc: Maybe you can lessen some of the hysteria.

    • Sorry that I can’t distill 40 years of professional expertise in interdisciplinary urban poverty programming and policy analysis into a sound bite – I’m not a politician.

      Anyone who has been paying attention knows that systemic – and more recently, overt – racism plays an enormous role in the criminal justice system, housing, education and employment. It has a lot to do why this second generation child of immigrants lives in Tribeca and why people of color whose ancestors were brought here hundreds of years ago are disproportionately incarcerated.

      None of these are easy problems to solve – look at how they play out in other cities across the country – and across the Western world. While I have nothing good to say about the City’s leadership, or, more accurately, lack thereof – I under-voted in both elections – I doubt that even a strong leader would be able to solve these problems – show me a place that has.

      That being said, when I see a pattern of hysteria – anyone remember the attempt to move the Summons Court 2 blocks west on Thomas Street – the cries about the children! The virginal mothers! should be able to perceive a discomfiting pattern.

      Unless they’re not paying attention. Or they agree.

      • A. Eloquently said, agree on your points about systemic racism playing a major role. My issue is that violent crime should not get the luxury of referencing that. Insane homelessness is another issue that the mayor has sadly thrown in the towel. No excuse not to use Kendra’s law to get them help and off the streets. It also seems that black on black crime is a taboo discussion, where is the rightful outrage there from so called leaders of color. All these issues affect everyone. I too am a first generation son of an immigrant, We (family of 4) lived in a small one bedroom, dad held 2 jobs so I could get an education. I worked while attending University, took and PAID student loans and commuted 3 hours a day on subway on class days. We all have hills to climb, sometimes you just have to strap on the gear and start climbing!

  5. Where is Al Sharpton, Ben Crump when there are black on black crimes or even black on white? There’s no money in that, that’s why. Why isn’t the Floyd family speaking out against this madness? Mental illness and blatant disregard for another human being knows no color! I’m not even asking where the hell is DeBlasshole because he’s a total waste.
    Why haven’t any of them come forward to lead?
    Black man punches 81 year old to the ground and proceeds to steel his cane? Where has decency evaporated?
    Twenty TWENTY prior arrests!!!!
    Bail reform? The only thing bail reform did was issue a Get Out Of Jail Free card. The criminals own the streets, we the law abiding citizens have to live in fear as a result or just get out of Dodge!
    WAKE UP LEADERS OF ALL COLORS ALL COLORS!!!!

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