Not on my condo block

Susan Lampert Smith has a great column today on the 'problem' with having a successful nightclub on King Street in Madison. It includes picking out the people she would fight when the show she attended at Club Majestic ended. The column is not only funny, it correctly show what the new downtown residents are really upset about.

I'm sure there are problems at bartime sometimes on King Street and they should be dealt with when they happen. The Schiavo family has been working with the city more than they have to on this because they are invested in this community. But as Lampert Smith points out, the same problems occur when the mostly-white college students empty out of the bars nearly every night and no one is questioning their liquor licenses.

What is different on King Street? Hip-hop night attracts a racial diverse crowd and that is a little scarier to the new downtown residents.

The Schiavo family has been a long-time business staple of this community. They opened not one, but two businesses on King street and it has helped turn that area around. It would be a shame if the transplants that came later pushed the Schiavo family out of business.

(In the interests of full disclosure-I was a waitress for the Schiavo family when I was in college and they owned Antonio's restaurant on Park Street. I still miss the food there.)