A simple question has been plaguing the city of Miami Beach lately: What time should we stop getting people drunk?
2am? 5am? Until they can no longer nail each verse to Pitbull's "Don't Stop the Party?"
The answer you get depends on who you ask. The bars and clubs along Ocean Drive prefer 5am, for obvious financial reasons. And for a very long time, not many people had an issue with that. Miami Beach, especially South Beach, was built on its identity as a place to order an obscenely strong drink and dance like you’re covered in bees.
But recently, like an aging teenager no longer interested in its collection of Pokémon cards, the city is trying to mature. And the vocal opponents of Miami Beach's partycentric identity are loud and powerful. Chief among them is the current sitting mayor of Miami Beach, Philip Levine, who called an "emergency meeting" after Memorial Day Weekend—which saw its share of arrests, violence and debauchery—to urge a rollback of Ocean Drive's last call from 5am to 2am.
Again, some clapped. Some cried party pooper.
But the war against 5am has trickled to other parts of Miami Beach besides Ocean Drive, like Sunset Harbour. Decidedly more residential than Ocean Drive, Sunset Harbour is also home to restaurants, bars and clubs—like Purdy Lounge, an intimate neighborhood joint that made our list of Miami's best clubs.
Now, Purdy’s loyal patrons are biting their fingernails in anxiety as its precious 5am last call teeters in jeopardy. "Save Purdy Lounge!" screams a change.org petition currently circulating on social media. With 1,089 signatures, the petition is a plea to city commissioners, who will weigh in on Sunset Harbor’s last call Wednesday morning.
"On Wednesday, June 7th, at 8:30am the commissioners of Miami Beach will vote to roll back the hours of Purdy Lounge and all of Sunset Harbour from 5am to 2am," the petition reads. "If passed the Purdy Lounge will no longer be able to remain in business."
It's a grim prognosis. And one not familiar with Miami nightlife might scoff. How many people, the uninitiated might wonder, are really showing up to a club at 4am?
But only a well-rested fool would underestimate just how many Miamians are still looking for their keys at three in the morning. We are a city that does just about everything late, including nightlife.
Would a 2am last call kill our precious Purdy? It's hard to say. But it certainly wouldn't be good for business. And if Purdy does get elbowed out of business by city regulations, more boozy victims are sure to follow.
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