North End residents are criticizing a proposal by two North End restaurants to stay open an hour later, saying the change will spark more noise in the close-knit neighborhood.
“I’ve lived in the North End for 37 years and I love city living,” said Mary McGee, a member of the North End Waterfront Residents’ Association, as quoted by the Boston Herald. “But even city dwellers have to sleep at some point. It’s a quality of life issue. When customers are out in the street, even the best restaurants have no control when someone’s talking under your window at 1:30 a.m.”
Tresca on Hanover Street and Vinoteca di Monica on Richmond Street are seeking city approval to stay open until 1 a.m. The Boston Licensing Board is considering the applications. Nearly 75% of North End licensees close at 1:00 a.m.
Massimo Tiberi, general manager of Tresca, said the major impetus for extending the hours from midnight to 1 a.m. came from Ray Bourque, co-owner of the restaurant and a former Boston Bruins [team stats] star.
“Ray has lots of friends who attend games who try to come in and have a Tresca meal,” Tiberi said. “But we can’t serve them in the amount of time between the game ending and our closing.”
McGee said she routinely hears boisterous patrons returning to their cars well after midnight and sometimes after 2:30 a.m. following a night of eating and drinking.
