Over the last few years, U City Loop business owners have complained that loitering teens make their customers uncomfortable and hurt business.
Up until this week, teenagers were allowed to be in the Loop business district until 10 pm.
Effective immediately, minors 16 yrs old & under are not allowed in the Loop after 9 pm unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
The city tried to address this problem last year, but apparently didn’t go far enough. In February 2009, the Loop teen curfew was changed from 11 pm on weeknights/midnight on Saturday & Sunday to 10 pm every night.
With the new law enacted, patio seating and strolling the Loop on summer nights will be much more pleasant for paying customers frequenting bars and music venues.
Though I’m sure there will be people who feel the city went too far, I think they made the right decision. As the stores close for the evening, almost all of the businesses that remain open after 9 pm are aimed at adults. Granted, there are exceptions such as Fro Yo and Fitz’. But eliminating the clogged teen-filled sidewalks is critical to keeping the Loop a strong business area.
Honestly, this is no different than shopping malls restricting when teens can simply hang out in groups on their grounds.
What do you think about the new curfew?
