Neighborhood warriors are flexing their muscles and voicing their frustrations with the influx
of nightlife hotspots they see as pure nuisances. Recently several have successfully silenced
their sleep competition and forced bars to change their hard-partying ways—do the Jane
Hotel and Hotel Le Bleu ring any bells?
But in the face of all this unneighborly hostility, one bar owner took a stand
in a reversal of roles that has some residential neighbors of bar 1Oak on the
wrong side of a $2 million lawsuit.
“At the end of the day small businesses should not be the
personal punching bag of angry people," 1Oak co-owner Scott Sartiano told Black Book. He's suing residential neighbors Ann Fredlin, LeCee Johnson and Bobby Cintron for bad mouthing his bar despite 1Oak's violation-free existence near the newly constructed High Line and Department of Environmental Protection investigations into the complaints garnering no report worthy evidence. With this particular neighborhood vs. nightlife hositility in full swing, I think it's safe to say neither party will be engaging in neighborly signs of good will like borrowing a cup of sugar any time soon.
