Newly open rooftop bar, Essex, to close due to pushback from neighbors.
Updated on Friday, October 3rd.
Just months after opening, a new neighborhood rooftop bar and restaurant announced it will be closing its doors.
The owners of the Essex Rooftop Bar posted the following message on social media on Wednesday:
According to the Boston Globe, The Essex Restaurant, located downstairs in the Cambria Hotel, will also close.
The Globe also reports that owner Kristin Jenkins attributed the closure to “obstacles created by the neighborhood.” Jenkins was hoping to continue to offer live entertainment, ambient music and TV screens and acquired the appropriate licensing from the city. But then complaints started to pour in due to the volume of the live music and djs. According to one neighbor, there were repeated violations of the noise levels coming from the rooftop bar.
“With these restrictions to limit and regulate the vibrant atmosphere that we were trying to create, it is in our best interest to halt service at the Essex Rooftop and Essex Dining Room at the Cambria Hotel at this time,” Jenkins told the Globe.
Back in April, Jenkins the entertainment license was up for renewal with the city and drew nearly 200 signatures in opposition.
The Essex Restaurant opened its doors in March and the rooftop bar opening a few month later.
You can read the full details via the Globe here.
Maureen Dahill is the founder of Caught in Media. Once a longtime wardrobe and prop stylist for brands such as Rue La La, TJ Max & Hasbro, she is a devoted lover of vintage clothing, Martini Mondays, Castle Island, AND a 4th generation South Boston native. Mother of three, married to Peter G.
Good riddance
All these restaurants doubling as nightclubs, with DJs,, is completely out of control.
Ok geezer. The city could use more active nightlife spots instead of this puritanical, prude city that closes at 11:30 PM.
Ok geezer. This city could use more nightlife and culture instead of stody, puritanical, boring close at 11:30 PM vibes.
Your boringness and desire to foist it upon everyone is out of control.
This is a shame. Every establishment should be afforded a basic entertainment license. What is a bar or restaurant without music?
this is a silly comment from JP, he sounds like someone who should move to Attleboro
….”…obstacles created by the neighborhood”, ya say?
Ya don’t say!!
The “neighborhood”…that’s been here since 1804? “That” one?
Hahahahahaaaaaa…
Thank you. I needed that.
Oh, so there are some 220-year-old residents who live there? buildings are not people.
Hahahahahaaaaaa…
Thank you. I needed that.
The thing that I think is out of control is that this place is not in a close residence neighborhood, it’s part of a hotel and from what I’ve been told – a lot of business transit people stay there weekday and then at night it’s tourists. Providing a nightlife activity and something to do, within reasonable hours seems appropriate.
This is nonsense 😡 Its a hotel and should be able to use it’s outdoor space facing the highway. It’s a beautiful venue. The city allows all the bars on East and West Broadway to have entertainment and there right next to residential areas
She got the license, but was unable to retain control of the hired DJs, resulting in multiple violations and seriously disrupting the quality of life for residents. This is a close residence neighborhood, it is zoned as such, and pumping bass-heavy music into the bedrooms of school-age children on a school night at > 65dB is not only illegal (per mass noise pollution laws), it is unethical. The licensing board refused to renew the license due to repeated violations, and the establishment’s own admission that they were unable to control their DJs. It’s a shame that they didn’t heed the warnings and design a concept that actually works in the neighborhood. Even in a “vibrant” city like NYC, outdoor entertainment is limited to 45dB. 65dB is actually FOUR TIMES louder than 45dB. Wake up Kristin, and stop blaming others for your poor decisions.
But, But It’s a struggling Wymyn-owned small business. You old people and boring young people should all just move.