Council Member Costa Constantinides is calling for the SLA to revoke Melody’s liquor license (Google)
July 20, 2020 By Allie Griffin
An Astoria council member wants the liquor license of a Steinway Street lounge revoked, citing overcrowding problems and an alleged history of violence.
Council Member Costa Constantinides wrote a letter to the State Liquor Authority (SLA) on July 15 — prior to this past weekend’s mayhem along the stretch — to ask the agency to consider revoking the liquor license of Melody Cafe & Restaurant, a hookah bar and lounge located at 25-95 Steinway St.
Constantinides said Melody has brought raucous crowds to Steinway Street in recent weeks that disregard social distancing rules despite the threat of COVID-19.
“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the location has become problematic to neighbors in terms of noise and large crowds that flout social distancing rules,” he said in his July 15 letter to the SLA. “There have been twenty-two 311 service requests in recent months in this vein.”
The hookah bar and lounge is just a few blocks down from another problem bar, Brik Astoria, where massive — largely unmasked — crowds gathered over the weekend, according to videos on social media. The city booted Brik from its curbside dining program for seven days for failing to enforce social distancing among its patrons.
Recent Yelp reviews of Melody point to it being a similar source of overcrowding this past weekend.
“Not enacting any safety protocols during a pandemic,” a user from Long Island City wrote on Friday. “People packed to the gills not wearing masks … is going to get people killed.”
Similar to the council member, another resident said Melody shouldn’t have a liquor license.
“Loud, obnoxious place. Drunk patrons disrupt the neighborhood,” the user wrote on Sunday. “This establishment does not deserve a liquor license.”
Constantinides said the hookah lounge has been a headache for Astoria residents long before the pandemic, however. He said a history of violent incidents among bar-goers is particularly worrisome.
“This location has been in business for quite some time and over the years it has grown to be evermore problematic causing more quality of life issues, especially in terms of violent incidents amongst patrons,” he wrote.
The Council Member said there have been 11 calls made to 911 stemming from incidents at the bar, including assault, physical disputes and forcible touching since July of last year.
In March 2019, a man fired shots into air during a dispute outside Melody, Constantinides noted in his letter. No one was injured or struck by the bullets.
“It’s clear that this business has failed in maintaining safety and has become a magnet for bad actors,” he wrote.
Melody Cafe and Restaurant could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.
The SLA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Council Member Constantinides said his office has yet to hear back from the agency.
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10 Comments
We need business shut down in Jackson Heights on Northern between 86-89th st. It is an all night party with lots of people packed in front of each bar, loud music, drugs being dealt.
Nore after 8. Also shouldn’t have liquor License they serve under age at all time very loud music too much dispute and fights
Costas is trying to close down some of Astoria’s most popular restaurants while keeping the predominately euro places open. Its racists and needs to stop. Astoria is very diverse and we all deserve a place to go to near by after working from home all day.
Just like the song says:
The party’s over
It’s time to call it a day
They’ve burst your pretty balloon
And taken the moon away
It’s time to wind up the masquerade
Just make your mind up the piper must be paid
The party’s over
The candles flicker and dim
You danced and dreamed through the night
It seemed to be right just being with him
Now you must wake up, all dreams must end
Take off your makeup, the party’s over
It’s all over, my friend
Costa dusted off his podium for this one. He knows when to hitch his name to something that will get him a ton of press. Where was he a year ago…two years ago? Melody didn’t become this troublesome burden overnight. It’s been trash for years but he ignored it and had nothing to say. Now he’s beating his drum cause it gets his name in the papers and his mug on NY1. He’s a big opportunistic phony. Only showing up for the cameras!! If he answered his phone calls from the people in the community he represents he would have shut this trash-hole place down years ago and been ahead of the game. He’s Always late to the party then shows up at the wrong party.
Melody ha been a problem for years, let me write a letter now. Political hack.
It is completely on brand for Costa to make a big performance of calling for something once stuff hits the news—after months and sometimes years of complaints to his office.
Not just melody,is drugs nest for young both sex..
I witnessed lot of bad things happens there,
It’s become outlaw place , dealers from different borough they gathered there.
They should put search warrant and raid those places specially weekends..
Please shot them down , go take look to their taxes, the are fraudulent.
I wish if I was detective
I will clean up this neighborhood,
Close Lounge on 21st Street. same issues as Meldoy Bar but with more drag racing
Keep going down Steinway, there’s many more that are just as guilty