Dilemmas of the Nightlife Fix

Abstract

In recent years, nightlife has been increasingly recognised as an important resource for the enhancement of the post-industrial profile of the city and for the promotion of gentrification in derelict neighbourhoods. It projects an image of a vibrant social and cultural life, considered particularly appealing to the young professional labour force of post-industrial sectors, the members of whom are particularly apt to consider moving to the city. However, the advocates of this ‘nightlife fix’ thesis ignore tensions that have emerged between residents in gentrifying neighbourhoods and nightlife businesses due to the nuisance effects of the latter. Using the example of New York City, this paper examines how conflicts over nightlife in gentrifying neighbourhoods have resulted in the gentrification of nightlife and have thus transformed the nature of the city’s nightlife itself.