Nublu was an amazing jazz and avant-garde club in an unfortunate location; the Avenue C venue was, unfortunately, too close to a Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall for some anonymous tipster’s (read: tattl-tale’s) comfort. When State Liquor authorities were alerted, it was curtains for Nublu, who lost their license and had to move to the basement of Lucky Cheng’s for a time. The Times wrote:
“Really honestly and truthfully, I had no idea that the building across the street was a house of worship until six months ago when I received this letter,” Mr. Ersahin wrote in a letter to the liquor authority in May. (You can see the full letter as well as other documents below.) “I just don’t think it’s fair to blame me for all of this and after nine years in good, willing business.”
Nublu lost its license to sell booze on June 30 after investigators deemed the club in violation of a law prohibiting a bar within 200 feet of a house of worship. According to the SLA documents, an investigator broke out a measuring wheel and determined that the entrance to Nublu was within 79 feet of the nearest entrance to the Kingdom Hall.
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“They are working with the church to create a scenario that it is not exclusively a house of worship, such as renting, or using some of the offices as rehearsal space,” wrote Hayne Suthon, the owner of Lucky Cheng’s, in an email to the blog. “Even the church’s attorney is trying to help them.”
A spokesman with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, J.R. Brown, told The Local that it seemed unlikely that the anonymous complaint about Nublu came from the Witnesses. “From a congregation standpoint, there were no problems with that establishment,” he said.
So if even the Jehovah’s Witnesses in question had no problem with it…what gives?
It would seem the State feels the same way, because – although with little fanfare – according to its Facebook, after months in their transitional 1st Avenue location, Nublu is scheduled to be hosting it’s Brazilian Night tonight, the first event in its Jazz Festival, in the club’s original location. No announcement, no celebration, just an announcement that Brazilian Night will be happening. What gives? Is Nublu officially reopen on Avenue C?
