Jacques will not be closing. Their hearing in front of the Boston Licensing Board resulted in the following new “restrictions” in addition to the current Midnight Closing time:
1. No re-entry. If you’re in the bar and you leave, you won’t be allowed back in.
2. No entry after 11pm. If you want to visit, you’ll have to get there before 11pm.
3. No open doors. The entrance to the bar must not remain in the open position.
4. A security guard must be outside the bar from 11pm until 2am.
You might say to yourself… not bad, they’re still open. Personally I think it sucks. I was at the hearing and spoke on their behalf at the hearing and, if you ask me, they should have gotten their 2am license back rather than more “restrictions”.
I’m going to rant a little now…
You can’t be more downtown than where Jacques is located. It’s in Bay Village and it’s 2 blocks from the Theater District. Vicky and I live next door to Jacques. As I mentioned in my earlier posting, in the 5 years we’ve lived next door I’ve been woken up dozens of times by Police Sirens having nothing to do with the bar (not even in the neighborhood), dozens of times from Car Alarms in the parking lot of the Radison Hotel, numerous times from people cutting through Bay Village on their way home from other places at 2am… well after Jacques has closed it’s doors and once or twice from noise related to the bar. Once or twice in 5 plus years. How many other bars in a downtowm area can say that. I think they do a damn fine job of asking people to respect the neighboors and showing concerns for their neighboors. I chose to live in this neighborhood. It’s a nice neighborhood and part of the reason I chose this neighborhood is that it’s close to where I work and where I play (Jacques).
I can’t tell you how pissed I get when I hear outright lies about Jacques. Some responses to some of the lies I heard at the hearing.
Jacques does not allow people to leave the bar with alchohol… they don’t even allow you to leave the bar with a plastic bottle of water.
Jacques does not allow people to loiter outside… I’ve been told numerous times not to stay in front and they know me and know that I live next door and I see them constantly telling people… you can’t hang around in front of the bar… move along.
Jacques does not keep the doors wide open… the doors are open when there’s a line to get inside and they’re closed when there’s no line… what a ridiculous rule anyway!
Jacques does not allow prostitution… Somebody prove that they do. Are they supposed to ask every individual that walks in the door… are you a prostitute… who do they ask… just transgendered clientele, just admirer’s, genetic girls… who? Do prostitute’s wear signs saying I’m a prostitute… if you ask me it’s an example of prejudice against transgendered persons, pure and simple… The mindset must go something like this… She’s transgendered, therefore she must be a prostitute… It’s really outrageous that they can even get away with saying things like this. To the best of my knowledge no one has ever been arrested of prostitution in Jacques as long as I’ve been going there… since 1984.
Jacques does not allow drugs… Any bar in any city will always have some people who sneak some in. I’ve seen Jacques 86 people (bar them for life) for drug use.
As for prostitution in the street… last I knew that was the responsibility of the Police as it is in any neighborhood… take Chinatown for instance… do you see residents of Chinatown trying to shut down the Chinese Restaurants in Chinatown… by the reasoning of the Bay Village Association, that must be the reason there are prostitutes in Chinatown. Blaming Jacques is just ridiculous. You see a prostitute in the neighborhood, call the police if it bothers you… but holding the bar responsible… give me a break.
This is all bullshit by people who moved into Bay Village and want to turn it into the suburbs… why didn’t they just stay in Newton or Brookline? And the nonsense that Jacques ruins the neighborhood and makes it a terrible place to raise my kids… well why the hell did you choose downtown of any city to raise your kids? And people who say that I’ve lived here for 20 years and it’s always been a problem is just more bullshit… Jacques has been where it is for well over 50 years now and anyone that’s moved here since should have done their due diligence and checked out the neighborhood they were moving into 1st… duh… how basic is that?
That Jacques is ruining the property values of the neighborhood… more bullshit… in 4 years the value of my place has more than doubled and it’s one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city of Boston… the relationship isn’t there and if there is a relationship, it’s a good one… they should open a Jacques 2 and a Jacques 3… maybe the value of my place would triple or quadruple if they did… see how ridiculous the relationship is?
Can you tell I’m pissed? I am! Jacques is being penalized unjustly. The owners have kept Jacques open during tough times and boom times and it’s always been the only safe haven for Trangendered People and those who love them in the city of Boston. The only place where someone venturing out for their 1st time can come and feel comfortable and not to have to worry about being ridiculed or “spooked”. Jacques is where I met Vicky and where many of my friends have met their Transgendered partners… there is nowhere else. It attracts people from all walks of life, from all income levels, blue collar and white collar, people from all professions, all sexual orientations, there’ no other place like Jacques in Boston or in many other cities for that matter.
Forgive my rant… Jacque is still the best Full Time, Dedicated, Transgendered Bar I know of and I still highly recommend anyone from the are or visiting to stop in… you’ll have a wonderful time.
If you need directions, here you go:
79 Broadway, Boston (behind Radisson Hotel)
617-426-8902
By Subway: Get on the Greenline. Get off at the Arlington Exit. Follow signs out of subway to Park Plaza. You will be on Arlington Street. Walk down Arlington Street past Park Plaza. Cross major intersection (where Columbus Ave., Stuart St. and Arlington St. come together) Your next left is a tiny street called Piedmont St. Take that left and at the end of Piedmont is Jacques.
From Mass Turnpike: Get off the Copley/Prudential Exit then get off the Copley ramp. Stay straight (you will be on Stuart Street) for four blocks (go past Dartmouth St., Clarendon St., Berkley St.). You will hit a major intersection where you will want to take a right on Arlington Street. Your next left is Piedmont and Jacques is at the end of Piedmont.
From 93 South (if you are coming from North to South): Get off at the Chinatown/Kneeland Street exit (in the tunnel). Hit major intersection (at Kneeland Street). Take a right on Kneeland Street which turns into Stuart Street go past Chinatown then past the Radisson Hotel. The next intersection is Arlington Street. Take a left on Arlington. Your next left is Piedmont and Jacques is at the end of Piedmont.
From 93 North (if you are coming from South to North): Get off at East Berkley Street Exit. Continue on Berkley St. (0.3 miles). Take a right on Stuart Street. Take a right on Arlington Street. Your next left is Piedmont and Jacques is at the end of Piedmont.
Jon