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June 7, 2012
Fans who pay for premium seating at Barclays Center will be allowed to booze longer
NY Post
by Rich Calder
Yet another Forest City Ratner bait 'n' swig.
It’ll pay to be loaded if you really want to get loaded at Brooklyn’s new Barclays Center.
Patrons splurging big bucks for luxury suites and other prime seating at the house that Jay-Z built will get the added bonus of being served booze up to an hour after arena events end — or as late as 2 a.m., arena officials confirmed this week.
That’s a far cry from another set of rules for those stuck in the cheap seats, most of which run between $15 and $55 for Net games. Those fans will be able to buy booze at food stands or from roving beer vendors only until the start of the fourth quarter of Net games, as NBA rules require, or an hour before the end of most concerts and other events.
Madison Square Garden practices a more even-handed policy toward drinks, cutting off all booze sales at the same time, based on the event.
...Councilwoman Letitia James, a longtime Barclays Center critic who represents the district, said the separate set of rules for high-end customers could come at a costly price, considering the 18,000-seat arena is next to such densely populated residential neighborhoods as Park Slope and Prospect Heights.
“I’m really concerned about drinking and driving because the people most likely to drive to games will likely be drinking later and longer,” said James.
Related coverage...
DNAinfo.com, Brooklyn's Barclays Center Could Serve Booze as Late as 2 a.m.
Talk about giving new meaning to the shot clock.
...Gib Veconi, a member of the watchdog group Brooklyn Speaks, called it "stunning" that arena officials waited until now, a week before the SLA's public hearing on the liquor license, to reveal that the Barclays Center wants to sell alcohol until 2 a.m.
"This is another unfortunate example of an incomplete disclosure from the Atlantic Yards project in advance of a public approval," Veconi said in an email. "The SLA should defer action on the license until all the details of the clubs and other liquor service are made public."
The Real Deal, Despite community’s concerns, Barclays Center will sell alcohol until 2 a.m.
Posted by eric at June 7, 2012 11:23 AM