The Smile & Harbour Drive Coming Soon

Like ships steering into a typhoon wind, a number of places are on the verge of opening in this awful business climate. First up is super-chic café The Smile at 26 Bond Street, run by Matt Kliegman and Carlos Quirarte, which I believe will capture the imagination of the neighborhood hip set. I’ve heard they only have a beer and wine license, which I’m trying to confirm, but they will definitely be serving food. Official opening date is March 8, but I took a tour of the place while it was under construction, and it's simply wonderful. The downstairs tenant is renowned tattoo artist Scott Campbell, which is a hot twist. I wish them well. The local tenants (through their condo associations) don’t seem pleased about nocturnal business on the block, but I am told that there is a much gentler wind blowing regarding licensing at the SLA. There is a novel concept being circulated that bars, clubs, and restaurants mean jobs and tax dollars, and that is a good idea. Change in SLA board members is predicted to ease the backlog of licensing and get things back to a semi-logical decision process. All hail.

Another ship about to sail is Harbour Drive, but unfortunately, sans captains Bill Spector and Bugsy. As reported here back in October, the local community board forced one half of the place to have a 1 a.m. liquor license, and the boys decided to boys drop out. I asked Bugsy why he and Bill didn’t tough it out and open with one side of the place carrying the 4 a.m. permit. He said that technicalities with the joint being split between two separate buildings caused the time disparity, and they “didn’t think they could make money under these conditions.” I’m not sure why this is so, since many joints are in multiple buildings with separate addresses and don’t have this problem. The end result is that Harbour Drive will open without some revenue potential. That results in fewer jobs, tax revenues, and deliverable goods. Which community does this community board think they are protecting?

I would also like to clarify what appears to be a contradiction between today’s blog and yesterday’s. Yesterday I reiterated my year-long concept that the economic downturn will manifest a new age of fabulous clubbing. I’m seeing that everywhere—great parties, great nights, new music, and a new generation of clubbies with style, dancing where yuppies used to flash Black Cards to buy Grey Goose. Today I compared the business climate to a menacing typhoon. Bottle buying was great for the bottom line but bad for the creative folks who were treated like bottom feeders. Now, with brokers being broke, the always-broke folk, hipsters, and youths are taking over in droves.