Prospective Kiddie Hot Spot Rocking Gowanus a Little Too Hard

Image via rockandrollplayhouse.comMany plans for new Gowanus attractions have graced our pages recently. There’s the illustrious Whole Foods, 700-unit luxury apartments, a member’s only club, an ill-advised boat race and now the Rock and Roll Playhouse. Gowanus is the tits, y’all!

Peter Shapiro, well known club developer and owner of Brooklyn Bowl, has plans for his Rock and Roll Playhouse to set up shop in an old warehouse at 280 Bond Street. The new venue will offer classes for kids 10 and under during the day and will morph into a 21 and over show venue, complete with jazz, “other” music, and booze. This place sounds like Discovery Zone meets CBGB’s. There’ll be fuckers moshing in the ball pit. Chuck E. Cheese will be serving Boiler Makers. Where the fuck are all the 11-20 year olds supposed to hang out? Answer me that, Peter Shapiro.

Shapiro revealed that he has no plans for soundproofing. “We Are Gowanus," a new community group that has sprung up in response to the news of this coming venue, argues that granting the venue a liquor license will ruin their quiet, residential neighborhood. Those raucous kids!  They’re also concerned that the played-out, Jack Black-esque school of rock which will offer classes like “Beatles for Babies” and "Drawing Rock and Roll” (both decidedly stupid names), only serves as a Trojan horse for more lecherous nighttime activities like the sex and the drugs. 

Personally, I’m glad that Gowanus is gaining some traction. It’s a cool hood with great people that deserves patronage. Do I think Shapiro is trying to be too many things to too many people? Yes. Do I want to roll up to a music spot that was just turned over from kid shit and stroller tracks? Not really. Would it be cool to have another music venue in the area? Fuck yes. Would it be cool to hear them from my apartment? Fuck no. 

I’m torn, Slopers. What do you guys think? Would you take your kids here by day, grab the nanny and return back at night for a cold one and some jazz? The world wants to know!