- New York City’s first nightlife mayor, Ariel Palitz, is stepping down from her role as a liaison, a peacekeeper, an educator, and more.
- During her tenure, Palitz acted as a mediator between bar and club owners and the city, created programs and initiatives to support business development, and advocated for safety and harm reduction.
- Palitz believes that nightlife fosters creativity, cultivates identity, and strengthens social ties, and that it is not just an economic engine but deeper than that.
- The Office of Nightlife also created handbooks and checklists to help businesses navigate new rules during the pandemic, advocated for new policies to streamline the process for opening a bar or nightclub, and started the Narcan Behind Every Bar campaign to promote awareness of the opioid overdose crisis.
- Palitz intends to remain a resource and adviser in the industry but has not announced her next move yet.
Last Call for New York’s First ‘Bar Czar’
As Ariel Palitz leaves her role, she reflects on what she discovered about the city, and about herself.
By Dodai Stewart
