South Side residents bothered by night scene

As the weekend draws nearer, patrons begin to fill every crevice of East Carson Street. The bars become packed and the streets begin to crowd with people, many too intoxicated to walk

East Carson Street is a drinking district in the South Side Flats. Yet many residents of the South Side are annoyed and affected by the rowdiness, which has become violent on more than one occasion.

Similar to Oakland’s Neighborhood Improvement District, residents of South Side sought to protect their neighborhood from a heavy drinking atmosphere, often brought on by the presence of college students and bars.

Last October, 10 South Side residents and business owners hosted a meeting of about 90 people to explore the possibility of creating a Neighborhood Improvement District, a nonprofit that organizers said would provide necessary services for the neighborhood that the city is not providing, and that South Side Flats property owners would be required to fund.

But City Councilman Bruce Kraus said the Neighborhood Improvement District is currently inactive as of May 2012, when he declined it.

Councilman Kraus said the organization was declined in May because the organizers changed plans and went in the direction to assess residents, and not businesses of South Side. He says he would rather support an improvement district supported by businesses.

“Although the Neighborhood Improvement District is not active, I would be open to support a Business Improvement District,” he said.

South Side residents said they are mostly annoyed with unnecessary drunken behaviors.

“Drunk customers come in here sometimes and it is bothersome,” said Brittany Morril, 19, an employee at Spotlight Costumes on East Carson Street.

Living on the South Side, she admits the disruptions affect her and causes her to be cautious.

“I really don’t like walking by myself at night here,” she said.

Her concern is not unfounded. Recently, there have been cases of vandalism and violence, according to One Up Quality Skateboard Goods keeper Greg Pasquarella.

“Last month some idiots were fighting and one of them got thrown through our window right here,” Pasquarella said as he pointed to the large display glass window at the storefront on 1409 E. Carson St. “There have been two more fights like this, near that pizza place over there,” he said while pointing down the street.

Pasquarella said he thinks half of the problem is that the restaurants are open until 2 a.m.

“The cops are doing as good of job as they can. If anyone should pay for anything, it should be the bars,” he said.

Danielle Leanorad of Pizza Sola at 1417 E. Carson St. is a new resident to the South Side.

“I live up on 18th street, and every weekend I can hear echoes of whatever is going on down here,” Leanorad said.