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The battle to keep Boston sleepy is joined in Allston

Representatives of both the mayor's office and City Councilor Mark Ciommo agreed that Douglas Bacon is a fine restaurateur who runs quality restaurants. And yet both told the Boston Licensing Board today they oppose Bacon's request to extend the hours of his Avenue Bar and Grill in Allston an hour, to 2 a.m.

Why? Because they always oppose requests in Allston to extend liquor-serving hours to 2 a.m., no matter the number of existing 2 a.m. closing times or the fact that Bacon has racked up no violations in the year since he bought the place and turned it into an upscale establishment with a tough code of conduct for patrons.. In a later hearing, the mayor's office supported a 2 a.m. closing for a restaurant proposed for the area on top of the existing Hillstone restaurant next to Faneuil Hall.

The licensing board votes tomorrow on whether to grant Bacon's request for the Avenue, 1249 Commonwealth Ave.

Bacon told the board most of his late-night customers are locals just getting off work who are looking for a place to grab a late meal or snack - he would keep his kitchen open through closing. He noted the McDonald's nearby is open until 2 a.m., as are several nearby bars.

Several nearby residents attended the 10 a.m. hearing to support Bacon. Zachary Smith, who works a late shift, said he appreciates the "very respectable environment" at the Avenue, as well as the food, and would like not to be so rushed when he gets there late.

Two residents of the neighboring 1255 Commonwealth Ave. opposed the later hours, saying it would just give drunks more time to tank up and raise hell under their windows and objected to having a bar next to a residential building.

Board Chairwoman Nicole Murati Ferrer, however, noted that all the bars along Comm. Ave. are near - or in - residential buildings, and asked the two if they had any proof the hellions they hear are from the Avenue.

"They could be from anywhere, that's true," one of the two allowed. "But the Avenue is the closest place. The neighborhood is crawling with drunk people."

Board member Suzanne Ianella said she plans to vote to let the Avenue stay open later, because it's run up no violations in the past year, because Bacon has an outstanding record and because nobody from the Allston Civic Association - which voted 7-4 to oppose the extra hour - attended the hearing.

A liaison from Council President Steve Murphy's office said Murphy supports Bacon's request.

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Comments

Did you live there before that address had a liquor license? If not, STFU.

I've worked for Doug since 2005. He deserves this, and the neighborhood deserves this. If you disagree with me, you are wrong.

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Totally with you Will, and I have lived in the neighborhood before the Avenue opened - sounds like the ACA is at it again!

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What is the story with the 1 dollar burger on Mondays. I've always been tempted for a quick stop there to try it.

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They're quite popular...and the burgers there are magnificent. They're also $1 after 10 PM every night too!

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I'll be the judge of that and let you know what I think. After this hearing I'm going to check it out.

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This is the red tape we've been talking about, and the hypocrisy of City Hall.

A good business owner getting stiffed for trying to do everything by the book.

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Which rep from the Mayor's office objected to the extension? Do you know?

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Keith Williams was there, and I'm pretty sure he's the one who spoke on this.

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This is silly. They let Mary Ann's stay open while their "customers" leave a trail of tears and vomit on their way home every night, but wring their fingers considering an hour extension at Harvard and Comm.?

When I lived in the area, The Avenue was pretty much the same BC douchy clientelle, just a couple of years older.

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The Avenue is. Not to say it should be able to stay open later, but there is a difference.

That being said, how does Maryann's still have a liquor license?

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"MaryAnns isn't near anyone. The Avenue is."

Mary Ann's is in Cleveland Circle. I live in Cleveland Circle, as do many other folks who have a job to wake up for in the morning. You do realize that people live there, right?

The BPD doesn't appear to realize it, because they are never here at the peak hours of BC undergrad bull-shittery. I have to put up with the belligirent, overserved (and very likely underaged) customers seven days per week, 12am-3am. There are fist-fights involving multiple people right outside my window a good two times per week. Screaming, crying, Jersey Shore-like drama I can't help but overhear and should blog about to make riches. I regularly have to step over puddles of vomit on my way to work in the morning.

Cleveland Circle needs a police presence near closing hours, period. I wouldn't say the same about The Avenue, and giving them a hard time about extending their hours is complete bullshit, IMHO.

You have an excellent point: how does Mary Ann's still have a liquor license?

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1) Allow later closings so 200-400 kids in Cleavland circle aren't forced onto the street all at the same time, drunk off their rockers. Allow people to filter home at their own discretion and avoid the horrible club sidewalk that happens every night at closing.

2) Encourage more lounge type places with late night kitchens and sit down wine and dine places. Discourage swill and pubs that remove tables and chair and pack 200 people in to serve them overprice PBR's.

The city and most neighborhood association's are completely opposed to these things, even though they've been proven to reduce problems late night.

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Mary Ann's is on the far side of Beacon St., which puts it in Brookline. I bet the Boston licensing board doesn't have jurisdiction.

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You're probably right, but BPD has jurisdiction when the youngun's cross the street screaming and fighting past my home at two in the morning.

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The line is, I think, on the other side of the T yard. In any case, I've been to at least one Boston Licensing Board hearing involving Mary Ann's (something relatively minor, like people waiting outside blocking the sidewalk), based on a citation from Boston Police so, yeah, the bar is a Boston business.

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The town line on Beacon Street is at Ayr Road. (And I'd call Cleveland Circle a densely populated area, on both the Boston and Brookline sides.)

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You could go outside of Maryann's and smoke at 2am and no resident would ever hear you with the sounds of the trolleys and yard. There probably isn't a bedroom within 50-75 yards of the bar.

The avenue has apartments right next to it.

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Does the MBTA really do a lot of yard movements at that hour? Scheduled passenger service has long ended by 2 am.

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Not loud trolley noise all the time, but it is where they service a lot of the green Line trains at night and there is always things going on there. The trains come in late and the BC line starts before 5am.

Plus you have that crazy music train going on!

http://www.bu.edu/buniverse/view/?v=UpdMiai

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Wow, aren't you fucking daft. Surely you know which way the foot traffic goes after leaving the front of the bar.

You're a cop, right? Perhaps you should propose a daily stake-out at Cleveland Circle to your superiors. That might get you your junior G-man badge.

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I lived on Sutherland Rd. for 5 years and grew up in the area. I was there when there were real fights at 3am and MaryAnn's was a blood bath. The Cleveland Circle of today is like Disney World compared to 20-30 years ago. The MaryAnns bar today serves amstel lights to J. Crew wannabees, and you can't handle them? Go move to Allston and you will see noise 50X worse than Cleveland Circle, and even Allston is 1000X better than it was in the 1980s.

2 fights a week? You are a liar and/or a moron. Hell, you don't even have the movie theather there which had 4 fucking Brookline cops paid by the cinema to stop the fights between the Newton/Brighton/Brookline punks each weekend.

If you can't handle the 2012 Cleveland Circle noise, move to Medfield. Actually, move to Dover, Medfield is probably too loud and rowdy for you.

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I can't answer that except to offer this prediction:

if someone is able to connect Franco Garcia's death with being overserved at MaryAnn's, it's all over for them either at the hands of the ABCC or the civil suit that will follow. (Incidentally, has anyone heard about the results of the toxicology tests? Were those results going to remain private?)

Also, the chorus is definitely correct - MaryAnn's is wholly within Boston.

Lastly, is this Avenue Bar & Grill the establishment formerly known as Arbuckles?

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It was formerly Arbuckles.

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.

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nobody from the Allston Civic Association - which voted 7-4 to oppose the extra hour - attended the hearing

Kind of says it all.

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Board grants 2 a.m. closing.

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