No Bottle Service for the Barclays Center

Serious nightclubbers recently endured a major blow to their future party plans when it was announced that bottle service will not be allowed at the borough's most controversial giant wicker basket building, the Barclays Center. This is bad news for anyone who aspires to live like P. Diddy or needs an entire bottle of Grey Goose during a basketball game, but somewhat positive news for concerned citizens of Park Slope.

There’s already been a ton of contention about the liquor license at Barclays Center. “DRUNKEN SPORTS FANS ARE GOING TO BE PISSING AND VOMITING ALL OVER OUR STREETS!” Slope residents cried in our comments section. “IT’S SUCH AN EYESORE!” screamed others. “Eh, at least we didn’t end up with that Frank Gehry monstrosity,” shrugged a third group, who feel at peace with their early realization that resistance was futile. As we’ve learned over the past few years, there is no decision for the Atlantic Yards site that wouldn’t be met with outrage from one group or another.

As Fucked in Park Slope recently noted, liquor regulations are already pretty strict for the Barclays Center compared to other arenas of its size. The arena itself must cease alcohol sales either after the third quarter of NBA games or one hour before the end of an event. And at that time, the arena was required to announce last call no later than 2AM.

Last week, however, Prospect Heights Patch reported that new details have surfaced about the liquor license that have led some citizens to feel misled. The 2AM last call still stands, but other provisions of the liquor license are giving residents serious pause. The latest draft allows for alcohol sales into the fourth quarter of NBA games and after certain events, a courtside club with capacity for 1,800, and a new, Brooklyn outpost of Jay-Z’s nightclub, 40/40. One concession developers were willing to make is the omittance of bottle service at 40/40, a commodity offered at the joints Manhattan and Atlantic City locations.

This is, of course, terrible news anyone who enjoys paying $100 for a bottle of vodka. Is that number even right? I barely even know what bottle service is, let alone how much it costs. But I digress. It seems like the Barclays Center has surrendered almost nothing here that would appease citizens. I don’t even necessarily think that they SHOULD cave to protesters on the liquor license issue, but what’s the point of making such a half-assed concession.