The City That Never Sleeps might be facing some stiff competition — just just a few hours drive up the Thruway.
By joining a really short list of North American cities that allow bars to stay open and serving alcohol 24 hours a day, Montreal — where the drinking age is eighteen — hopes to further broaden its appeal as a nightlife destination, the BBC reported.
The daring step would put Canada’s second city in elite company with just two other party-all-the-time towns — Recent Orleans and Las Vegas.
The brand new Santé! clause will not require bars in certain zones to shut at 3 a.m., while a specially designated 24-hour nightlife district could be created.
“That is a possibility for economic growth,” city council member Ericka Alneus, who championed the change, told the outlet. “Nevertheless it’s also to present, and reinforce, the cultural scene.”
A handful of outlets in the town — long a preferred party destination for American bachelor weekends and US college students in search of to drink legally — are already piloting the concept, in response to Time Out.
The town has yet to announce specifics regarding the brand new, anything-goes district, however the changes are reportedly expected to be rolled out in some unspecified time in the future this yr.
The move appears to follow changes made in other popular destinations like Berlin and Tokyo, which have also introduced special zones and latest laws in hopes of bringing more cash into local coffers.
Back down within the Big Apple, bars close at 4 a.m. as a rule, though the town has all the time enjoyed a legendary — if somewhat stealth — after-hours culture.
Some Montrealers are questioning the move, but others say changing the law in order that closing times are more staggered could help greatly with issues like security.
“In Montreal, we close at 3 a.m. Persons are drunk at 1 a.m. — and so they’re super-drunk at 3 a.m.,” one bar owner explained to the BBC.
“One among the issues we’ve got is, at 3 a.m. it’s like madness. But should you expand the hours, there’s less problems, less demand for security,” L’ile Noire owner Michel Lavallée said.
