First there was "Prime 6," a planned restaurant and bar a couple of blocks away from Barclays Center that wanted to stay open till 4 a.m. and play hip-hop music. Local residents got the owner to compromise: The backyard seating area will close by 11 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends, plans for a backyard bar were nixed, and there'll be no bottle service until the space has been open for over a year.
That was just the start. A small bar called Machavelle is nearing completion around the corner. But now, comes a club to be called "Players," directly across the street from the arena. It's likely to be the post-game venue: 3,500 square feet of space, with seating for 150 and two bars, one with 15 seats, the other with six. That's much bigger than Prime 6, and nearby residents, many of whom protested the arena itself, see a return to the neighborhood's past--drugs and prostitution--and something else.
Fans will be "urinating on our neighborhood," said Jon Crow. "That's why this is shocking and frightening--you realize the neighborhood doesn't want the u-rena."
- A gastropub and sports bar coming to Pacific & Flatbush - Norman Oder - Atlantic Yard Report
- Community Airs Qualms About Bar Near Barclays - Emily Nonko - Brownstoner
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Another Sports Bar Showdown Near Barclays - Stephen Brown - Patch