DON'T KILL CHARLOTTE'S NEWLY VIBRANT NIGHTLIFE

Here we go again: After all our efforts to make Charlotte a 24-hour
city, a few well-intended city leaders are proposing to shut down the
nightlife at 2:30 a.m. In attempting to solve a very real problem -
illegal drug use - this contingency of early risers would have you
believe that a curfew for adults is the answer to the so-called war on
drugs.

Ten years ago, no one would dare set foot downtown after 10 p.m.
Today, the College Street entertainment district is a thriving, viable
area - the closest thing to a real city Charlotte has seen for a long
time - because of its edgy late-night crowd.

The nightlife in this area didn't happen overnight or by accident. It
was due in large part to urban entrepreneurs like the owners of
Mythos, Cosmos Cafe, Have A Nice Day Cafe and others who cleaned up
the area and made it safe and attractive for the young people who
flock there. We owe these businesses a debt of gratitude for helping
to revitalize downtown. College Street was a catalyst for Seventh
Street Station, as well as the new clubs and restaurants on Trade and
Church streets, because it proved that people really would visit
downtown after dark.

I sympathize with the challenges an understaffed police department
faces in dealing with drugs. But I also am concerned that without a
vibrant, diverse nightlife, Charlotte risks a reputation as The City
That Always Sleeps.

Kevin Ervin Kelley

Charlotte