Nonsmoking Paradise. See how the ban on smoking in bars is improving the quality of life in New York. [Hit & Run]
bq. The night life for which this city is so famous is undergoing a metamorphosis as bar patrons who smoke are spending time on the sidewalks rather than spending money inside ever since a citywide workplace smoking ban took effect on March 30.
”It’s creating a social scene in the streets. The streets are becoming the new bar,” said David Rabin, co-owner of Lotus, a supper club in the Meatpacking district. ”That’s not good for the neighbors trying to sleep, and it’s terrible for business.”
California has similarly draconian laws, and businesses here have developed a way to cope. In the past year I’ve seen a number of cafes and restaurants located in strip malls here in Koreatown remodeled so that their front “wall” is moved well back into the store, leaving most of the seating area technically outside but still protected by the roof and two walls. The mild climate in Los Angeles makes this comfortable almost the entire year.
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