The Latin Lounge. Bar or neighborhood blight?

[MÇA]

12-Unit Building Planned For Latin Lounge Site In Jersey City
By Jared Kofsky
April 7, 2017

A residential building is expected to rise at 369-371 2nd Street, between Monmouth Street and Brunswick Street, in The Village, one of the city’s fastest growing neighborhoods.

J&B 369-371, LLC, which is operated by BGT Enterprises, is responsible for the proposal, which calls for a four-story building with 12 residential units. No parking will be provided on the premises. In September 2016, the developer was granted preliminary and final major site plan approval (with conditions) with variances for use and height, but it is not yet known when construction will begin.

Currently, the property contains a three-story residential building and a two-story building that, until recently, was occupied by the Latin Lounge Sports Bar, described by BGT Enterprises Managing Partner Ben Torrei as a “public nuisance.”

Although BGT acquired the Latin Lounge’s liquor license, Torrei tells Jersey Digs that “there are absolutely zero plans for this location to become a bar in the future,” adding that “this use more fits the community, and news that we have shut down the Latin Lounge should come as a great relief to the community that has been affected by them for so many years.” Read more

[bryhove]

That place has been there forever. It ain't going anywhere.

The smoking ban puts bars on the street, pissing off neighbors a hell of a lot more than second hand smoking pisses off patrons.

Next time, do your research & don't live near a bar. I for one believe that there are not enough bars in this town, and the ones that are here have to deal with a shitload of redtape & nonsense from the city. Christ, even in New York, I play sometimes in Hells Kitchen and we need to shut up by midnight on a Friday because of the neighbors. I'd rather have noise than have clamp downs.

Whattayagonnado?

[Hurtle]

And just to silence some of you people who want to feign outrage, no, I am not a racist. Deadbeats of all walks of life, color and creed walk in there all the time. Just because its called teh Latin lounge, doesn't mean its just latino people in there.

So the Latin part of the name is misleading but how about the Lounge part?  I've been looking for a place where I can sit around in my underwear with my hand tucked under the waistband.  Can you do that there?

[beachmaster]

i've lived in this neighborhood for 15 years. the LL has always been a problem. i wish that it would disappear. most of the patrons come from long distances to make all that noise.

Wow, well if its been there for 15 years, it will probably be there long after everyone has moved to the suburbs and it will be the next generation of Jersey Cityite's problem.

Until then, if you can't beat them, join them, accept them, or move. Anything else creates ulcers...

[mayfield4]

i've lived in this neighborhood for 15 years. the LL has always been a problem. i wish that it would disappear. most of the patrons come from long distances to make all that noise.

[Frank M]

Garden hose.

Rooftop.

I'm just sayin' . . .

Finally, a sensible reaction!

[CeeDub]

Garden hose.

Rooftop.

I'm just sayin' . . .

[TheBadGuyWins]

It seems to me a reasonable suggestion that the Latin Lounge should hire a bouncer during the warm months, especially on their busy nights.

The bouncer there was one of the guys that the crazy tried to run over with his Yukon that fateful night.

[jc_insomniac]

You can also send an email to both the downtown JC Watch group and the JCPD:

jcpdeastdistrict@yahoo.com
downtownjcwatch@gmail.com

all you can do is keep calling the non-emergency number and come
to the neighborhood meetings and make your point known.

the meeting after the man was run down at latin lounge, fulop was there and the community stated their cases for
closing and the various violent situations that were going on at lamp post and latin lounge.

i haven't really had a problem with the latin lounge, but i live near the school, where its relatively quiet, but now that one of the girls who lived in my building has moved out, who used to hang out there alot, there is a lot less screaming drunk people hanging out outside my building.

[missa]

all you can do is keep calling the non-emergency number and come
to the neighborhood meetings and make your point known.

the meeting after the man was run down at latin lounge, fulop was there and the community stated their cases for
closing and the various violent situations that were going on at lamp post and latin lounge.

i haven't really had a problem with the latin lounge, but i live near the school, where its relatively quiet, but now that one of the girls who lived in my building has moved out, who used to hang out there alot, there is a lot less screaming drunk people hanging out outside my building.

[RB]

Even after that guy ran some people down, the cops stood by and did nothing about the real cause of the problem. (Why would they want to bust their good friends at the Latin Lounge?)

Are you saying that the cops are friendly with the owners, or it's a hangout for cops? If so, I'd say you're shit out of luck.

[NON]

The Latin Lounge: Hell on Earth or Heaven in a Bottle?

[kitten]

Elvis, I don't live by the Latin Lounge so I'm not sure what you are going through, but I do understand the feeling of dealing with disrespect in your neighborhood. (I live near a large and noisy middle school)

It seems to me a reasonable suggestion that the Latin Lounge should hire a bouncer during the warm months, especially on their busy nights. This is what most of the bars and clubs in manhattan do. I have no idea how to go about making this happen, as it seems like your calls to the cops are being ignored. Perhaps you could attend some neighborhood association meetings or precinct meetings to voice your complaint.

And, I don't think you should just deal with it as a "normal" living in a city by a bar thing that you should put up with, especially the cars blasting music and double parking late at night. That is just straight rudeness IMO. Just cuz we choose to live in a city environment, does not mean we should be losing sleep so some people can get wasted and act a fool.

If nothing else, at least you are the wiser now and probably will never ever move near a bar again. (As will I never live half a block from a large school).

[Elvis]

I don't know if any of you live near this horrible place, but I do and it has, hands down, the most disrespectful patrons I have ever seen. Besides pulling up in thier cars BLASTING music and double parking ALL THE TIME, the bar itself is blasting music until late into the night. Since they can't smoke inside, most patrons stand on the sidewalks LATE at night screaming (because the music inside has made them deaf) Last night was the worst in awhile. With summer coming, more of these deadbeats are lingering outside.

The worst part is, the police have no interest in stopping any of these offenses. They have been called on numerous occasions and do nothing. As much as they like to crow about improving quality of life, I have never seen a response to numerous noise complaints. Even after that guy ran some people down, the cops stood by and did nothing about the real cause of the problem. (Why would they want to bust their good friends at the Latin Lounge?)

And just to silence some of you people who want to feign outrage, no, I am not a racist. Deadbeats of all walks of life, color and creed walk in there all the time. Just because its called teh Latin lounge, doesn't mean its just latino people in there.

• Tweet